Heavy steer any suggestions on how to hold him? PLEASE

[DDSC]

Can anyone please give me any suggestions on how to hold my steer at his weight and not make him look stale, my fair is in a month. PLease help
Thank You ahead of time!

 

[justme]

Are you feeding any beet pulp?

 

[minimoo38]

or cotton seed hulls?

 

[DDSC]

Ya someone told me to feed him wet beat pulp and he doesnt like that so I am feeding it to him dry.I give him three and a half cans of grain a day normally but now since I want to hold him someone told me only give him one can of grain and two and a half  cans of beat pulp. My cans with grain weighs 3 lbs so he only has been getting 21 lbs a day since february.

 

[DDSC]

I have never tried or feed cotton seed hulls. But I am up for new ideas. I am just so worried about him looking stale.

 

[kane1598]

good work. Walking him more and increasing hay would also help.

 

[DDSC]

Ya we walk him for about twenty to thirty minutes a day and so what I am feeding sounds ok?

 

[C-CROSS]

wheat bran

 

[DDSC]

So how do you suggesting feeding the wheat bran?  How much should I substitute him when I normally give him 3.5 cans both feedings of grain equaling a total of 21 lbs a day?

 

[TJ]

Let me start by saying that it would've been better had you began to do this a month ago or so ago, but it's not the end of the world.  If you know what you are doing, you should be fine. 

Feeding dry beet pulp will work just as well as feeding it wet... you are on the right track by feeding him more beet pulp.  Also, I'd start giving him free choice grass hay too.  And I'd cut back on the corn in the ration a little bit & replace the corn that you remove with an equal part of whole oats.  The Oats will increase the protein somewhat, but with the extra beet pulp & grass hay, it probably will balance itself out... but, keep that in mind.

Weigh him every week, or more often, if you can, & monitor the progress.  If possible, start slowly increasing the grain leading up to the show.


A few other things that you can do...

Hauling him will shrink him.  If you don't mind driving him around, you can help to keep the weight off a calf by hauling him around.  And obviously, hauling him before weigh in will shrink him. 

Withholding some water on weigh in day, until after the weigh in, will make him weigh less.  But, if you have to weigh back in to make a certain weight after the show, make sure you stay within the limits.  Common sense & preferably some experience, is needed when doing this.   

Exercise... Walking him a lot, will help.  Turning him out at night into a big open pasture will help.  Turning him in with a group of heifers/cows coming into heat will help.  Actually, anything that keeps him moving will help.         

 

[txshowlamb]

half scoop of beet pulp 2 scoops power phat and 3 scoops grain the power phat makes him burn calories quicker

 

[shortdawg]

I knew someone that was successful holding one giving him 1 lb of feed a day and all the hay he wanted.

 

[TJ]

Shortdawg, I know people who have done that  & it did work well.  Free choice hay or corn stalks & 1 lb. of supplement per day (calf manna, show bloom or protein supplement).  It's better if you can turn out with heifers/cows.  However, most of the time they would try to start the calves back on grain about a month before the show to freshen them up.  But, if it will work without the grain, that is certainly worth considering & it will certainly keep the weight down.       

 

[DDSC]

tHANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR HELP!! 

 

[OH Breeder]

Can anyone please give me any suggestions on how to hold my steer at his weight and not make him look stale, my fair is in a month. PLease help
Thank You ahead of time!

The last 28 days is when you feed Opti Flexx. SOme folks may or may not agree but you have to have a fat animal for it to work. It will increase muscle mass pretty good. If the animal is not fat or finished it is pointless to use it. I am not sure if this what you wanted or not.

 

[dagrate1s]

Feed him 3 scoops of Oat Grotes, 1/2 cup of Non-medicated Milk Replacer, 1 scoop of normal grain, and 2 scoops of beet pulp twice daily. I am considering 1 scoop to be about equal to a pound. If he won't eat this ration wet than feed it to him dry. The oat grotes and milk replacer are the key ingredients that a lot of people do not know about. We held a steer from our state fair time in august until louisville using this ration and it keeps them fresh and will not let them gain an ounce. If you want to let them gain a little weight simply increase the amount of grain but at these proportions they will stay where they are at. Do not use steam rolled oats, or crimped oats, it must be oat grotes. The oat grotes will also keep their body cooler and help make the ration less hot. Hope this helps and keep us updated on what you chose and results...

Craig

 

[showsteer09]

We are holding a steer we got kent winning fill  its like a hay silage and corn silage feeding him a hand full a day and hasend gained in two weeks that stuff works good... and 1 gallon of water 2 times a day he is staying pretty happy and even looks full all the time...

 

[DDSC]

Thank you for the new suggestions it is appreciated very much! 

 

[garybob]

Would a commercial Feedyard ever "hold" a steer?

 

[DDSC]

Well this steer is not for a feedlot its for a fair in a month where the animals can not weigh over 1450  lbs and if so then the kid can not take the steer to fair and then will loose all the money the kid invested into that steer. So that is why we are holding the steer.