Need suggestions with steer weight gain / feeding

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SlickTxMaine

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 11, 2009
Messages
641
Location
Texas
My son weighed his steer yesterday and he currently weighs 875lbs.  He gained 125 in the past 32 days (3.9 lbs per day).  Our show is not until February 26th (200 days).  He is eating 21 lbs of feed (finisher) and beet pulp a day, divided into two feedings. He also has access to all the grass hay he wants.  Our concern is that he will be too heavy for our show.  What is the best way to handle this.....Do we let him go and pull him at the end, or cut him back slowly now?  I would like to hear what all of you experienced show people would do with this situation.  Thanks!
 

SlickTxMaine

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 11, 2009
Messages
641
Location
Texas
OOPS! Frame size is one thing I did not get.  I will try to measure him this evening.  He does not look fat. 
 

chambero

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 12, 2007
Messages
3,207
Location
Texas
Don't worry about slowing him down.  It's not that hard to hold them at the end.  My son's steers ranged in weight from 780 to 960 back on Aug. 1. 
Your rate of gain is really high.  When you weigh calves, make sure you are consistent when you weigh them (right before feeding, right after, middle of the day, etc).  Our calves generally gain from around 2.5 to 3.3 pounds per day.  If he really is gaining 4 lbs a day and keeps it up another month or so, I'd up the beet pulp content to slow him down a little, but not yet.

I was taught to not worry about weight till you get them "there".  You never know what's going to happen between now and then.

Our 960 lb calf is going to Houston and we have already started him on corn trying to get him fat.  We are going to get him finished and then hold him hard the last couple of months.  If we don't, he'll get too tall on us.
 
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