Opinions on holding steer
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Till-Hill
Well-known member
Ground up wheat straw works great. Keeps them full and they won't gain much. My wheat straw ration for close-up milk cows that I also use on my fat beef cows and when I need to hold calves back is 6.75 Lbs wheat straw, 37 Lbs corn silage, 2 lbs decent hay, 6.5 Lbs dried distillers grains, and 3 Lbs of Haylage. And a pre-mix mineral but with holding steers I usually just put in a trace mineral block. It adds up to be a 27# Dry matter intake.
Without a TMR I would feed freechoice cornstalks or straw and mix some straw in and take some of your feed out and see what happens....
Without a TMR I would feed freechoice cornstalks or straw and mix some straw in and take some of your feed out and see what happens....
TottenClubCalves
Well-known member
Well this is what I have come up with as far as a formula.
He is currently 1120 pounds and I set your target weight at 1350 (cut water and feed 24 prior to weigh in and suck some of him if fair allows)
that means you have 230 pounds to gain in 160 days
that puts your average daily gain target at basically 1.4 pounds a day.
The rule of thumb I have always been told is it takes 5 pounds of feed to make 1 pound of beef. So that being said I would put him at around 10 pounds of grain a day and add fillers cottonseed hulls, beet pulp (wet) and all the hay he can eat! I wouldn't hesitate to show him as much as possible either. When there constantly on the road they don't gain as well and imo that won't hurt him as he is already "big". I'd say try to keep him as light as possible and the last month really feed him and freshen him up.
He is currently 1120 pounds and I set your target weight at 1350 (cut water and feed 24 prior to weigh in and suck some of him if fair allows)
that means you have 230 pounds to gain in 160 days
that puts your average daily gain target at basically 1.4 pounds a day.
The rule of thumb I have always been told is it takes 5 pounds of feed to make 1 pound of beef. So that being said I would put him at around 10 pounds of grain a day and add fillers cottonseed hulls, beet pulp (wet) and all the hay he can eat! I wouldn't hesitate to show him as much as possible either. When there constantly on the road they don't gain as well and imo that won't hurt him as he is already "big". I'd say try to keep him as light as possible and the last month really feed him and freshen him up.
Bradenh
Well-known member
cottonseed hulls, are a good cheap filler that will keep him fat
There are several ways hold/slow down one, and everyone has their method they like best. I would rather have to hold one at the end (for a short period) than hold one to long early and play catch up the rest of the way
Try and get an empty weight on him, if you have to put him in a stall all day and then weigh him before you feed (hold water as well). You may have weighed him full (feed and 5 to 10 gallons of water) can throw your numbers off. If his empty weight is 1050 - 1100 you have 300-370 pounds you can put on him. If his empty weight is 1120 and you want to hold him for a little while you can try this: Most calves convert at a 7/1 ratio, 21 pounds=3 they can be higher or lower,have had them as low 9/1 and as high as 5/1. They also can peak and then level off or slow way down over a period of time.
Feed him Bermuda hay, and about 2 pounds of beetpulp , 2 pounds rolled oats, 2 pounds cotton seed hulls and 4 pounds of feed, plus a protein supplement and a fat supplement (We feed Calf-manna for protein and Fast Fat from Moremans for fat) twice a day. If continuous to gain on this, increase the beetpulp, oats, cotton seed hulls and decrease the feed. You want to weigh him at the same time on the same day of the week, once a week to monitor his progress. I would try and hold him for no more than a month then start feeding him again. You need to monitor and adjust his feed along the way so he hits your target weight and look at the right time.
This is for the baldy steer you posted right? he looks like he will need to be at least 1300 - 1350 empty (1380-1430 full) Our steer last year weighed 1418 pounds the day before weigh-in, he weighed 1330 at weigh-in. If you need to do this at the end I'm sure there are several people here that can help you.
Try and get an empty weight on him, if you have to put him in a stall all day and then weigh him before you feed (hold water as well). You may have weighed him full (feed and 5 to 10 gallons of water) can throw your numbers off. If his empty weight is 1050 - 1100 you have 300-370 pounds you can put on him. If his empty weight is 1120 and you want to hold him for a little while you can try this: Most calves convert at a 7/1 ratio, 21 pounds=3 they can be higher or lower,have had them as low 9/1 and as high as 5/1. They also can peak and then level off or slow way down over a period of time.
Feed him Bermuda hay, and about 2 pounds of beetpulp , 2 pounds rolled oats, 2 pounds cotton seed hulls and 4 pounds of feed, plus a protein supplement and a fat supplement (We feed Calf-manna for protein and Fast Fat from Moremans for fat) twice a day. If continuous to gain on this, increase the beetpulp, oats, cotton seed hulls and decrease the feed. You want to weigh him at the same time on the same day of the week, once a week to monitor his progress. I would try and hold him for no more than a month then start feeding him again. You need to monitor and adjust his feed along the way so he hits your target weight and look at the right time.
This is for the baldy steer you posted right? he looks like he will need to be at least 1300 - 1350 empty (1380-1430 full) Our steer last year weighed 1418 pounds the day before weigh-in, he weighed 1330 at weigh-in. If you need to do this at the end I'm sure there are several people here that can help you.
mlazyj
Active member
JUst asking . What is your max weight and do you get disqualified for going over ?
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