# How much will they gain?



## mammabooh (Sep 1, 2004)

I must admit that I am a complete newbie to raising beef for meat. My dad did it for years, but his were confined to the barn and were fed homegrown grains and hay. I want mine to be on pasture and supplemented with homegrown grain and hay (alfalfa).

Now for the question that will, I'm sure, receive many differring answers. How much weight could I expect them to put on if I started with little calves in early spring and slaughtered them in mid to late fall? I realize this probably would not be ideal to slaughter so young, but I'm wondering if it would be a good enough return to warrant not dealing with them through the cold, sloppy winter.

Thoughts?


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## francismilker (Jan 12, 2006)

Depends a lot on your animals individual ability to convert feed to weight gain. I've heard a lot of folks say that anything ought to be able to gain 2lbs. per day on grass. I've seen some do it, and some fail at it. If you're supplementing with alfalfa hay during times of green grass growing, you'll probably have calves shooting quacamole several feet behind them! That's sure a lot of green in there diet.


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## mammabooh (Sep 1, 2004)

Thanks for the answer, francis. I was beginning to think I was invisible. So, you're saying if I have them out on pasture, I won't have to give them hay? I was planning to overseed the pasture with alfalfa this year and not get any calves until next spring. Sound good? Dumb idea?


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## francismilker (Jan 12, 2006)

I'm not for sure about not you not needing the hay. I'm not familiar with the Spring grasses in your area. I know that where I'm from in the Spring, just the weeds and annuals alone are enough to go literally "right through" a calf. When you get an animals diet to where things are going straight through them, they are not making efficient use of their feed. It has to stay in there awhile in order for their bodies to utilize it's full value. 
On the overseeding of alfalfa idea, I'm not sure if it sounds dumb or not. In my area, the soil has to be really prepared in order to get the "seeds of gold value" to grow properly. If you can get the stuff to sprout by overseeding, go for it! Legumes are good forms of protein and are good at putting back nitrogen into the soil.


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## copperhead46 (Jan 25, 2008)

One thing to consider is the breed of calves you are going to be raising. I would expect to get 1 to 1 and a half lbs of gain a day, off of "good" grass. If you are going to pen them up and feed grain too, you could get a little more gain, maybe another lb. or so. If you are wanting grass fed beef, (my favorite) I would recommend feeding them through this year and waiting till next summer to butcher, grass fed takes longer. Usually mine are ready to go by July, if the grass is good. It is slow food, but so much better. I probably didn't help much, but, maybe a little, 
P.J.


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## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

I would look at something a bit more hardy than alfalfa for overseeding in a a pasture. It is good feed but not known for holding up to the constant traffic in pasture.
As for calves, I would look at buying something in the 200-300 pound range if I expected to put them right out on pasture.
Bottle calves bought just as the pasture is ready will not be able to utilize the pasture untill it has grown too old and will not provide as much nutrition.
Calves typically can not use grass well for the first few months, I have seen some research indicating maybe up to 6 months before the rumen is active enough to properly use pasture.
Once the grasses have set seed their nutritional value drops considerably. The best alfalfa hay is made at the prebud stage.
As far as feeding hay while on pasture you may have to if the weather doesn't cooperate and the stuff doesn't regrow or if you have too many head on the land. We did have to put out a round bale last year due to a little of both.
If you buy small calves it would be best to buy them in mid winter and by the time they were weaned they could hit that fresh pasture and really go.
Of course as mentioned there may be some serious squirting going on if a transition period is not followed. It takes a bit for thier rumens to adjust to from all hay to all grass. We typically run them for short periods on pasture or tether them out for a few hours daily for a week or so then leave them out there.
The last steer we did was bought as a lightweight in Nov- Dec. bottle fed, and raised on hay with starter grains till weaned then hay and 16% grain till the pasture came on. then we pastured him and fed 5-6 pounds a day of 14% grain. When the pasture went away we fed hay and the 14%. We butchered him in Jan and got about 500 pounds of beef.
He was a holstein and a beef breed may do better.


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## mammabooh (Sep 1, 2004)

You guys are great. Thanks for all of the info. Keep it coming!


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## Razorback21 (May 13, 2003)

You know Mammabooh, we struggle with the same thing you do, growing your own beef without taking the steers through the winter muck. I like what Sammyd was saying about weaned calves, but if your pasture is good for 6 months, you might consider going with 500-600 lb steers. I say that, because if you can get 1.5 lbs weight gain per day for 180 days, you will be in the 800lb range which while it is not ideal (1000 or more they say is best), you can avoid the winter mud as well and get a good dress out percentage. By the way, don't ask me why, but that size steer is also pretty prevalent sale item in the Spring. That is my two cents worth. Thanks for starting this thread. I'm also interested in how others finish out their beeves!


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## tyusclan (Jan 1, 2005)

I agree with most of what the others have said.

I would definitely start with 500-600 pound calves in the spring if you want to butcher that fall. If you buy baby calves in the spring you're just not going to get enough growth by fall to warrant slaughtering them.


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