grower vs finisher

[big w]

This question is mostly for hsc and the difference in fitters edge and finishing touch but could be for any. I was told to pretty much feeder the finisher all the way through to really push them especially through these winter months then in like may swith to a grower where there at like 1150 or whatever but then also told feed grower till about march then switch over to finisher. I guess in your opinion what's best?

 

[chambero]

I went to a feed seminar put on last night by Purina where their head nutrionist came down from St. Louis to talk.  It doesn't really apply to us except for state fair calves, but he recommended this very approach to take into account that heavy steers will really slow down on eating in the hot summer.  Basically its a get them fat while its cool approach and then hang on through the summer.

 

[big w]

So the finisher then grower makes sense BUT what if they're in a cooler and they really don't have to face that extreme heat?

 

[fed_champions]

We've always fed in the opposite order. We would feed grower till about 750# then switch to finisher for the rest of the ride. Of course, in texas they reach that weight in August or so, and the finisher is fed throughout the winter. Finisher is a hotter ration designed to put on fat which can hurt a young calfs structural development, which is why we fed grower instead. We always tried to put on fat in the last quarter trying to keep them fresh in their cover.

 

[chambero]

I've never done it, but that's what Purina's Dr Burgoon described as a feeding strategy when trying to have cattle finished for a Sep/Oct fair.

10 years ago we fed steers finisher from day 1 and never stopped, but those calves were a little harder to get fat and you pushed them hard to keep frame down