why to feed barley??

[showgirl]

Why do some show cattle people feed barley?
Is it so post to add more guts? Fill them up?
Just wondering as I have a new steer coming home and I am going to
experiment on him with diffrent things as he has no end show,just our freezer.
Dont get me wrong he is show quality and might be shown at prospect shows.

 

[shortyjock89]

It's too add a more uniform fat cover, and it's also a "cooler" feed, meaning it won't burn up hair like corn will.  I also think that it makes the meat taste better, but that might just be me.  We AlWAYS feed at least 20% barley to our steers, and sometimes feed it to our heifers to smooth one up or put a little more condition on her. Hope this helps.

 

[showgirl]

THANKS I was am wondering why everyone feeds it and what diffrence you see...I guess I might have to try some on my new "project" steer.

It's too add a more uniform fat cover, and it's also a "cooler" feed, meaning it won't burn up hair like corn will.  I also think that it makes the meat taste better, but that might just be me.  We AlWAYS feed at least 20% barley to our steers, and sometimes feed it to our heifers to smooth one up or put a little more condition on her. Hope this helps.

 

[shortyjock89]

FWIW, we hardly ever feed barley before weigh-in, and sometimes wait until April or so to add it, just depending on when we want the steers to finish and how they are looking, but I don't see why feeding it now would be a problem.

 

[OH Breeder]

We add barley in the later half of the ration too. It seems to harden them up and put that finishing cover on them.

 

[showgirl]

When yall feed barley do you still add corn or a liquid fat? How many days 4rm the end show or slaughter do yall add barley?

 

[shortyjock89]

Here's how our generic steer ration works.


By weight:
22% Barley
33% Corn
40% Oats
5% Protein pellets

we add filler (usually beet pulp) when we start holding the steers.

We start adding barley about 60- 75 days before our target show.  You might have to play around with the %'s to get it right for the individual calf.  It keeps them cooler in the summer so they keep their hair better.