Good weight to harvest a steer?
- Thread starter jajtiii
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J+ Cattle
Well-known member
You need to be feeding it more, the target weight you need to be trying for is in the 1200-1400 lb range
Hpacres440p
Well-known member
Depends on frame size though, doesn't it? A Lowline won't hit that mark very easily, Chi would be thin. Commercial standard would be 12-1400
SBMF 2015
Well-known member
12-1400 should be a general target. All the English breeds will do this. Continental breeds 1350-1600.
When you think he's ready feed him for another 30 days.
When you think he's ready feed him for another 30 days.
Little Joe
Well-known member
It will depend on frame size. I have finished some longhorn x angus and some longhorn x hereford that finish around 1,000. I finished some pure angus that only finished around 1,000 as well. Most others will be 1250-1300 from my experience.
Travlr
Well-known member
It all depends on what you want... and what you've got.
Do you want the traditional size, marbling, expense, of the average fed steer? If so you are looking at relatively heavy feed (and expense) to get it to 13/14 hundred pounds.
Personally I prefer younger beef and smaller cuts, so I process mine between 900 and 1100 pounds, and usually at the smaller end of that. An animal that lays on the fat without much feed and will dress out 60% carcass is perfect for me.
We're all curious to see what you have to work with. Post some pics?
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
18 months is more than enough time to have finished out a steer.
As others have said, depends on what you have and what you have been feeding. Not trying to insult, but 8 - 900# at 18 months old is very small.
What breed? What are you feeding? When did you start feeding? pictures would be great.
As others have said, depends on what you have and what you have been feeding. Not trying to insult, but 8 - 900# at 18 months old is very small.
What breed? What are you feeding? When did you start feeding? pictures would be great.
Son of Butch
Well-known member
Have you booked a date with the butcher?
My butcher's earliest opening on schedule is 12 weeks out (84 days)
and some are more than a 6 month wait.
bird dog
Well-known member
Travlr has a point. Maybe the question should be answered with what size is your freezer? Since it is just the wife and I and she doesn't eat much (a diet ya know), we prefer a smaller animal and why we butcher a jersey steer. No the steaks aren't big or really marbled much but they are rarely tough and since we have the butcher wrap them two to a package, it works out well. She eats a half and I eat one and a half.
The animals can be acquired cheaply and finish out well with a decent high fat feed. The burger is as good as any and thats what a lot of ours goes to.
The animals can be acquired cheaply and finish out well with a decent high fat feed. The burger is as good as any and thats what a lot of ours goes to.
Thank you
Thanks for that insight, Travr and Bird Dog. To answer some of the questions above:
This is a Jersey/Black Angus steer.
Plenty of freezer space unless we end up putting away more hog than I currently plan (or, I guess, get insanely lucky hunting..)
Already booked with butcher, but sort of got worried and posted here. Will be rescheduling. I won't have a problem setting a new date.
I don't feed it anything…for the most part (I give my cows a few scoops of something they call sweet feed to keep 'em sort of tame and so they come when I call.) I'd buy it from the store if I was going to bother with feeding it. It's a hobby. I have way too much going on to mess with that, at least until I retire!
I'm sort of interested to see what it tastes like as is (basically pasture for 9 months and hay for 3), but how do you "finish" your steer, Bird Dog?
This is a Jersey/Black Angus steer.
Plenty of freezer space unless we end up putting away more hog than I currently plan (or, I guess, get insanely lucky hunting..)
Already booked with butcher, but sort of got worried and posted here. Will be rescheduling. I won't have a problem setting a new date.
I don't feed it anything…for the most part (I give my cows a few scoops of something they call sweet feed to keep 'em sort of tame and so they come when I call.) I'd buy it from the store if I was going to bother with feeding it. It's a hobby. I have way too much going on to mess with that, at least until I retire!
I'm sort of interested to see what it tastes like as is (basically pasture for 9 months and hay for 3), but how do you "finish" your steer, Bird Dog?
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bird dog
Well-known member
The one we are eating now was bought at about 750 lbs for .65 lb and fed this up to about 1100. She was also on decent pasture.
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MurraysMutts
Well-known member
So your going for grass finished?
I've had a couple off grass and I really didn't care for it! I know it takes longer to grass finish one tho.
Hope it works out for ya...
50/50Farms
Well-known member
Well, to be fair, all it takes is a few cattle panels, a specific whistle or call, and a little sorting and you can have your feeder sectioned off from the rest pretty easily and then you can feed, walk off, and come back to a steer ready to be turned out. Not a huge time investment. That said, I don't know when you moved your slaughter date to or when you're planning to, but depending upon your forage and hay quality, you may not reach any of the suggested numbers in a reasonable time.
This may catch some flame, but in my limited experiences with dairy animals, they aren't overly good gainers on just hay and forage unless it's good hay and forage.
Here is a recent thread that discusses this in depth. I personally finish with straight Whole Shelled Corn as per Jeanne's recommendation.
https://www.cattletoday.com/threads/grain-finish-mixtures.129794/
Jersey meat is very good I am told. I have a friend that has slowly moved from his cow-calf operation to feeding Jersey steers for private sale. He has about 50-60 at present by my guess @kenny thomas has talked to him in the past.
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farmerjan
Well-known member
I have eaten jersey and jersey/beef cross meat for over 30 years. All I eat unless there is a little something left if son sells one by quarters and there is a quarter left over then I will get some of what he has to eat also.
Most of my jerseys will gain good on grass after they hit 15-16 months. The dairy "part" of them or the crosses really do better to get some growth with grain before that. All of the jersey and jer/crosses are 95% grass finished and I prefer it. If the grazing is good, then they will gain and marble. I try to kill before 26-27 months. Normal live weight will run 900-1,000 and hanging weight will run 5-600.... just depends. I had one that weighed about 11-1150 and hung at 720 lbs and the butcher was impressed with the marbling in the meat.
I prefer to kill a jersey coming off good summer pasture when the flavor is better than just on hay....
The meat has a little "sweeter" taste, everyone that has ever eaten the hamburger said it is really good... yep, I like it .....
I was feeding about 5 lbs grain to him every other day the last 60 days... mostly to keep him coming into the catch pen so he didn't give me any problem getting caught up for butcher day. I was feeding about a 5 gal bucket to 6-8 head (some cows with 2-3 month calves) at the time and he was definitely one of the first to the trough.
Most of my jerseys will gain good on grass after they hit 15-16 months. The dairy "part" of them or the crosses really do better to get some growth with grain before that. All of the jersey and jer/crosses are 95% grass finished and I prefer it. If the grazing is good, then they will gain and marble. I try to kill before 26-27 months. Normal live weight will run 900-1,000 and hanging weight will run 5-600.... just depends. I had one that weighed about 11-1150 and hung at 720 lbs and the butcher was impressed with the marbling in the meat.
I prefer to kill a jersey coming off good summer pasture when the flavor is better than just on hay....
The meat has a little "sweeter" taste, everyone that has ever eaten the hamburger said it is really good... yep, I like it .....
I was feeding about 5 lbs grain to him every other day the last 60 days... mostly to keep him coming into the catch pen so he didn't give me any problem getting caught up for butcher day. I was feeding about a 5 gal bucket to 6-8 head (some cows with 2-3 month calves) at the time and he was definitely one of the first to the trough.
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
I only grain finish with corn
Mine will finish at about 1250# at 13 months old and will grade Choice. Great eating experience.
Mine will finish at about 1250# at 13 months old and will grade Choice. Great eating experience.
50/50Farms
Well-known member
And therein lies what I was getting at. 900-1100 is realistic on this program, 1200-1400 just probably flat won't happen in this situation where the animal is already 18 months, at this weight, and running on unimproved pasture.
What does it take to grade Prime, other than genetics and tons of grain?
SBMF 2015
Well-known member
Time and more corn.
