Angus cross Holstein friesian bull beef.

[Milkcow365]

Thinking of fattening some bulls from dairy cows

What’s achievable with Angus bull calves from good sized Holstein cows?

If done intensively how fast can they be away? And at what cost ?

Would be able to grow all the bedding needed and the dung from this would be beneficial to the wider business.

 

[dinderleat]

We do steers and heifers between 20-24 months is easily achievable. Only trouble with bulls is dealing with them from a safety point of view. @Beef farmer doing his as bulls

 

[Beef farmer]

Thinking of fattening some bulls from dairy cows

What’s achievable with Angus bull calves from good sized Holstein cows?

If done intensively how fast can they be away? And at what cost ?

Would be able to grow all the bedding needed and the dung from this would be beneficial to the wider business.

Your cows, 13 months 320+kg
2.5ton of corn.
I'm aiming for similar age, 280kg
Will let you know in September, they are certainly flying at the moment.

 

[Rossymons]

Your cows, 13 months 320+kg
2.5ton of corn.
I'm aiming for similar age, 280kg
Will let you know in September, they are certainly flying at the moment.

Just straw and corn?

 

[buttercup]

Corn - bit light on protein....?

 

[buttercup]

280 kg dw ?

 

[Beef farmer]

Okay, barley/mins/flour/yeast/distillers/molasses. But 2.5 ton of said mix.
Yes 280kg dw, bugger cows will easily deliver bigger dw at 13 months.
Straw avaliable, we're feeding a bit of silage still at the moment, but will be stopped when cows are out full time and then offer straw

 

[organicguy]

Why are you fattening beef not milking more cows?

 

[Werzle]

Thinking of fattening some bulls from dairy cows

What’s achievable with Angus bull calves from good sized Holstein cows?

If done intensively how fast can they be away? And at what cost ?

Would be able to grow all the bedding needed and the dung from this would be beneficial to the wider business.

Done right you would have them away once they passed 12mths old but i reckon there would be more money in taking steers to a target store weight and cashing them to a finisher . Higher premium on named sired steers than bulls too

 

[Beef farmer]

Why are you fattening beef not milking more cows?

If that's aimed at me, then the bulls are in a shed on purchased grub. If we could milk more cows we would. Fattening bulls requires zero acres. Acres are the expensive bit

 

[Beef farmer]

Done right you would have them away once they passed 12mths old but i reckon there would be more money in taking steers to a target store weight and cashing them to a finisher . Higher premium on named sired steers than bulls too

So steers to 18 months old 470kg?
Our take on that, is 6 months longer that still costs daily. If some ground that couldn't be reached with cows or cut, then I would agree 100%

 

[Milkcow365]

Why are you fattening beef not milking more cows?

Would like everything to leave as finished product, be nice to get the bulls going like a milk cheque every month.

 

[Werzle]

So steers to 18 months old 470kg?
Our take on that, is 6 months longer that still costs daily. If some ground that couldn't be reached with cows or cut, then I would agree 100%

No i think they could be moved at 350+kg to a finisher

 

[Beef farmer]

No i think they could be moved at 350+kg to a finisher

No. Finishers finish cattle not grow them. 350kg will be very different price.

 

[Beef farmer]

Finishers want cattle for 90/120 days and pile on 1.8kg day.
Too add 300kg weight and grow them, they would be on farm for 200 days. That's kills throughput

 

[Anymulewilldo]

Thinking of fattening some bulls from dairy cows

What’s achievable with Angus bull calves from good sized Holstein cows?

If done intensively how fast can they be away? And at what cost ?

Would be able to grow all the bedding needed and the dung from this would be beneficial to the wider business.

12-15m, 300kg ish. O+ possibly R’s if you’re on the right Angus. Just watch they don’t stall growth and start laying down fat. Better to kill them a month earlier and save a months poorly converted feed. 2.5t of feed from 12 weeks to 13/14m. Skimp on no part of the system. It just lengths a the time on farm at the end when FCR is at its worst and they’re shovelling 10-15kg of barley a day.

Bull beef is grand. As said above, maximise output without using acres. Big pile of powerful box muck afterwards. Get them on a rolling job and it’s a handy income stream for not a lot of time used.

 

[Beef farmer]

These would average just over 6 months old. Just turning bully. Shag for Cornwall. By November this years will be reared, and needing the shed space. So they have to be gone. Which will stop and thoughts of running them on to heavier weight.

 

[Anymulewilldo]

These would average just over 6 months old. Just turning bully. Shag for Cornwall. By November this years will be reared, and needing the shed space. So they have to be gone. Which will stop and thoughts of running them on to heavier weight.

Nice bit of shape on some of them for Angus x dairy first pull be ready September?

 

[Beef farmer]

Nice bit of shape on some of them for Angus x dairy first pull be ready September?

1st September the 1st one will be eligible to go. So imagine we will aim to kill them all from mid Sept onwards.
Unless anyone wants 300 480kg bulls in Aug.

 

[Werzle]

No. Finishers finish cattle not grow them. 350kg will be very different price.

Margin is key, not price.