On a recent Kansas State (K-State) University Beef Cattle Institute “Cattle Chat” podcast episode, a listener asked how to take an 850-pound steer to finish weight on the farm.
“Finished in this context means when the steer is reaching physiologic maturity, so they have adequate fat cover on them and they are also depositing intramuscular fat,” said K-State beef cattle nutritionist Phillip Lancaster.
He defines a finished steer to have about one-half inch of backfat over the rib, and their body condition score will be around eight or nine.
With a starting weight of 850 lbs. and a goal end weight of around 1,350 lbs., Lancaster said that steer will need to gain about 500 lbs. in about 150 days—making it about five to six months before that steer will be ready for processing.
“With home-raised steers, we have to be a little more cautious than with feedlot animals because they are getting grain and free choice hay separately,” Lancaster said. “We are trying to keep them from experiencing acidosis and other digestive issues.”
He recommended the 850-lb. steer be offered 10 lbs. of grain-protein mix per day to start with and then increase that amount to 20 lbs. per day at half-pound increments every two days. After that, he advises increasing the amount of grain-protein mix offered by one-half pound per month for two months, then holding the amount of grain-protein mix offered steady until the steer reaches the optimum finish.
“With that feeding strategy, I’m trying to get him to a diet that is 15% roughage and 85% grain and protein mix,” Lancaster said. — K-State Research and Extension
