Feeding cattle intended for grazing

[ridger]

Just thinking they could maybe do without meal now for the next ten or 12 weeks, they are getting silage, wholecrop, maize and potatoes in equal portions. Mostly dairy bred males around 250 to 300 kg

 

[beefandsleep]

Depends on forage quality. Keep them growing, just don’t overdo the starch and keep protein up. I’m not a fan of storing cattle, they could be nearly 400 kgs at turnout and ready for finishing by midsummer. You want them killed in November not next January.

 

[@dlm]

It’s so different for every system and availability and price of feed now and quality and need of grass in summer. As @beefandsleep says you probably should be aiming at shifting that age cattle of cattle at traditionally higher prices in winter rather than saving a few quid now and selling them at what’s normally a lower price an odd month later. But if you have leys that can compensate growth in summer then not necessarily a false economy, though general rule of thumb is cheaper to feed young cattle well in terms of returns of performance. But if feeding a slower maturin beast as say a Hereford, then probably better to mature on grass than get too fat on too high an energy feed to lose on turn out before growing again. Straight dairy males or dairy x beef? Pure dairy I’d be inclined to keep going whilst inside and supplement on turn out to keep going, they will be the ones where it is cost effective to keep it on them rather than put it on them for the second time if that makes sense

 

[ridger]

It’s so different for every system and availability and price of feed now and quality and need of grass in summer. As @beefandsleep says you probably should be aiming at shifting that age cattle of cattle at traditionally higher prices in winter rather than saving a few quid now and selling them at what’s normally a lower price an odd month later. But if you have leys that can compensate growth in summer then not necessarily a false economy, though general rule of thumb is cheaper to feed young cattle well in terms of returns of performance. But if feeding a slower maturin beast as say a Hereford, then probably better to mature on grass than get too fat on too high an energy feed to lose on turn out before growing again. Straight dairy males or dairy x beef? Pure dairy I’d be inclined to keep going whilst inside and supplement on turn out to keep going, they will be the ones where it is cost effective to keep it on them rather than put it on them for the second time if that makes sense

They will be going in November I'd think, what I was wondering was, is the silage, wholecrop maize and potatoes surely a fairly strong feed on its own?

 

[MrA.G.]

They will be going in November I'd think, what I was wondering was, is the silage, wholecrop maize and potatoes surely a fairly strong feed on its own?

I would say silage, wholecrop and maize is a very strong feed for cattle approaching the grazing season never mind any meal. Our cattle will drop to a good silage diet only for a month before turnout

 

[Agrivator]

Despite the risk of destroying our planet, you could add about 200 gms of soyabean meal to their diet.

 

[Wishful Thinker]

Yea plenty of poke in that diet now without meal. Might as well make the most of compensatory when turned out.

 

[gatepost]

Every animal grows in what are called 'growth curves' if you imagine a spread out rainbow 1st curve is bone structure followed by muscle and lastly fat, you can see it in children as they grow and mature, so economic feeding depends on sex and early or late maturing type , you can advance or stunt with feed , but if you can work with the animals natural genetics then that often is the most cost effective.

 

[ridger]

I usually bring them back in at the end of July and gather up another batch which will stay out as long as possible. Will be feeding meal from they go out but maybe 3 times a week, building up to feeding every day from start of June.