# Grain Finishing Dexter Steer



## mamatomany8 (Jul 27, 2011)

I have a 17 month old steer that needs to be processed on January 22. He is not a big buy , but needs to get off my feed bill and into my freezer. I can't remember what I did last time to finish her brother (several years ago), and would appreciate any advice. He is currently eating fescue with minimal grains. I think he actually sneaks some nursing in still. I have a riding ring I will put him in where there is no wild onion. I like the tast of grain finished, just wondering what I need to do now. Thank you for your time.


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## suzyhomemaker09 (Sep 24, 2004)

IMHO it's too late to really do much finishing at this point....
Those that grain finish do it for more than a few weeks before butchering.

We do all grass fed here, so I could be a bit off base.


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## G. Seddon (May 16, 2005)

I think you will regret not waiting until this steer is at least 24 months old.


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## genebo (Sep 12, 2004)

A quick trick to roughly estimate how much fat he has is to press on either side of his tail head with your thumb. If it's hard and unyielding, he's not ready. To gauge what it should feel like, do the same to one of your best cows.

I feel the same as Gale, that he probably isn't quite ready yet. Without enough fat cover, he can't be hung long enough for the meat to tenderize. Without enough marbled fat in the meat, it won't taste as good, it will dry out easily and it won't be as tender.

I aim for 27 months as a harvest time for a grass fed steer. That gives him as much time to fatten up as I dare go, for once he reaches 30 months old the rules won't let you get back any brain or nerve tissue. That means no T-bone or porterhouse steaks. You have to take New York Strip and tenderloin steaks instead.


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

If you can't afford to feed him any longer, then get him onto all the good hay he can eat and the first day give him 1 pound of grain. The second day give him 1 1/2 pounds of grain and build him up 1/2 pound increase every day until you get to 5 pounds of mixed grain every day. You'll make him sick if you give him more grain than that and you don't have time to build up the amount any more than that before you butcher him.

I'm going to agree that it is too early, but if you need to get rid of him now, then that's that.


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## genebo (Sep 12, 2004)

The beef cattle that are put into a feed lot soon after weaning get to eat all the grain they can hold, 24/7, and are held in pens so tight that they can't move a lot. The result is that they are fat enough to slaughter at 17 months.


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## Dusky Beauty (Jan 4, 2012)

genebo said:


> The beef cattle that are put into a feed lot soon after weaning get to eat all the grain they can hold, 24/7, and are held in pens so tight that they can't move a lot. The result is that they are fat enough to slaughter at 17 months.


You still have to ramp up the grain ration slowly so the poor thing doesn't die of acidosis. 



oregon woodsmok said:


> If you can't afford to feed him any longer, then get him onto all the good hay he can eat and the first day give him 1 pound of grain. The second day give him 1 1/2 pounds of grain and build him up 1/2 pound increase every day until you get to 5 pounds of mixed grain every day. You'll make him sick if you give him more grain than that and you don't have time to build up the amount any more than that before you butcher him.


This is good advice.


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## genebo (Sep 12, 2004)

When beef cattle are introduced to the feed lot, they often LOSE weight until their rumen adapts to the grain. Feed lots have no way to convert them gradually. They have no grass.

Oregon Woodsmoke told how it SHOULD be done. Even so, with only 3 weeks to go before slaughter, it's doubtful there will be any benefit from adding grain to the diet.


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## copperhead46 (Jan 25, 2008)

I don't feed grqin, but did finish the last one at the end of this droughty summer by feeding shredded beet soaked in water. It's a high carb feed and seems to put some weight on them. My customers have raved about how good this calf was, he was 27 months old.


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## WJMartin (Nov 2, 2011)

mamatomany8 - I feel your pain - I'm sending our 18 month old Dexter steer to butcher next week, don't want to, had planned on waiting until next fall but you do what you have to do. If we don't get some decent rain soon I'll also sell off two younger steers and maybe an old cow. 
I've been feeding CurlyJoeBob grain all fall/winter so he looks good, he lives with the gang of four (all boys) and they are grain fed - cubes, mixed grain bought in bulk, and free choice hay- I give the four 20# X2 daily. Which reminds me, I'm late feeding.


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## RockyRidgeFarms (Sep 5, 2012)

I'm thinking the same thing, too little, too late. We had to butcher a little Jersey steer way too early a couple months ago because he had some anger issues. Turns out we missed one of his little guys at castration. Whoops! He sent me over the the fence with one of his horns in my belt and that was that! I read a book here awhile back called "grassbeef beef". Not sure who the auther was but it was stated that many other countries don't butcher their beef until 3-5 years of age. Research to back this up,(because we Americans can't take generations after generations' word for it), says that beef breeds of cattle do not even begin the marbling process until they are at 3/4 of their adult weight, which is the standard time for American butchering preferences. Usually having to do with economics and rate of growth vs feed costs. Not much help for you at this stage in the game. I think the old saying,"live and learn" was made for small time farmers. I'll bet what you do gey is still tasty.


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