Weight gain in cattle?

[TelesnaAg]

But hard to compare to oz as we dont house cattle...but im after some figures to compare what gets done locally...(not many good on the pasture in my area i. Beef cattle...dairy different story).

This is not an econmic post either as chalk and cheese oz to EU

I will be buying weaner cattle in october 300-330 kg or so...and running through to 450 kg then selling off as fats.

The aim is to put through two lots a year...the weaner sales here have good breeding.....on decent pasture with some added silage or high protein hay etc...is 1 kg a day gain reasonable on very good pasture grass and clover and rape / millet summer crops and high protein silage in summer...?

I have a few guys here to bounce off but not right down in my neck of the woods on high rainfall 40" plus...

Im working on stocking rates as well

Angus main breed of cattle here...due to funds pen size etc at mart might dictate what i can afford more than breeding lines etc in first year....

 

[GTB]

.is 1 kg a day gain reasonable on very good pasture grass and clover

Yes

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Yeah you should average around a kilo per day or better per year so long as you can give them the feed they want.
Ours have ranged up to 2.55kg/day on clovery, older pasture depending on season and supply.
Warm temperature and ad-lib pasture can be good, can be not so good, often they will eat 80% of their grass at night (hence my latenight summer shifts).. in the daytime they sleep and running post grazing covers too high can be a little counterproductive without rain, you should be OK for cycling senescent grass with 40 inches.

What's your silage?

I found grass silage can be a bit of a 'filler' not a 'gainer' with beef hence the pea experiment, on good silage only, they came back to .6-.9kgDLWG when our grass stopped and then made up for it as pasture came away with rain

 

[TelesnaAg]

Silage clover and grass......will buy in vetch hay in summer...they love it...wil be messing with peas myself.

Ant...

 

[TelesnaAg]

Working out suplementry feeding in summer at an economical rate and best gain is something i have to play with...very hard to get any figures of anyone...

When i ask people just say the cattle do well on it? Wtf! What is well? Ive never heard cattle being sold in units of well...?

Theres a lot of feedlot information...not so summer grazing...

Did you manage to get any hard and fast figures on how they perform on pea silage?

Ant...

 

[Kiwi Pete]

I doubt the performance would be greatly different between peas, lucerne etc, both can be harvested with protein levels upwards of 20%
Mine may be about there or thereabouts, I didn't test it.

Summer grazing is crucial of course, nearly all species lose their quality (hence why ryegrass farmers always blather about their costs), for my ten cents I would rather have 50 acres of herbs and legumes than 100 acres of ryegrass.

Just going to run mine in for a weigh, getting the kids cold so pulling a sick day

 

[TelesnaAg]

What you got in your herb and legume mixes pete? Trying to get stuff to hang on here in summer can be a challenge...when i get my new land that will perform well in summer....maybe not to your part of the world but well enough for here.

Ant...

 

[Kiwi Pete]

What you got in your herb and legume mixes pete? Trying to get stuff to hang on here in summer can be a challenge...when i get my new land that will perform well in summer....maybe not to your part of the world but well enough for here.

Ant...

Try a plot of chicory and plantain and see how it holds on, for you?
Downside is they don't do a great deal in cold temp but you will be a bit warmer than here.. plantain gives great summer quality and hangs on for years if you let it seed occasionally, and allow it to grow up before nipping it off.
It is a native plant of South Africa and has a dense, extensive fibrous root, chicory and peas have a very deep tap, even mine rooted over 2 feet deep and have a good tap, not as big as lucerne but longer.
We also have a few annual clovers, Arrowleaf does great things here but it is the last clover they will graze of all of them.
I would try medics, lots of things, just see what the locals have success with, and keep them tight on mature pastures.. species that maintain quality will allow longer round lengths=more resilient pastures.

None of this 21 day B.S.!!

 

[TelesnaAg]

Oh god the locals have you not seen the pics of all my surrounding neighbours!!

Ant....