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Weight Gain

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  • 28-03-2011 7:50pm
    #1
    locky76
    Registered Users Posts: 867 ✭✭✭


    What sort of weight gain could i expect from weanlings being turned out at the moment.
    They're nice and flesy and weigh around 350kgs
    Would I be able to finish heifers off grass next November if they got 4kgs meal per head for 6 weeks pre slaughter, i normally kill heifers at 520kgs?
    What sort of weight would the bullocks be coming back in next November?


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    #2
    TUBBY
    Registered Users Posts: 828 ✭✭✭TUBBY


    Locky
    It depends on your grass situation and how you manage it.
    if you keep it tight and have paddocks, you should get 0.8-1kg per day from now til mid June with about 0.7kg/ day after that til Sept or so. Thats without any supplement but the cattle would have to have good leafy grass in front and no stem. Take out any surplus grass for silage rather than grazing it for the sake of it.

    Main trick I have found is to graze the first rotation right to the clay. sets ya up 4 the year


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    #3
    case 956
    Closed Accounts Posts: 464 ✭✭case 956


    i let charolais heifer weanlings out 25th march last yr weighing 380kg average and managed to kill 15 off grass late oct feeding 3kg meal head day from 1st oct, mind u weather turned wet befpre i killed them and upped the meal to 6kgs for the last wk,only did it last yr as part of a experment and tell u i made more from dem than housing for a second winter. Give them young leafy grass and a regular worm vaccine and they will easily do 1kg day. i let dis weanling crop out last week and plan to kill 80% of dem next oct off grass with little meal.


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    #4
    sh1tstirrer
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,489 ✭✭✭sh1tstirrer


    If you pushed them with meal during this winter they will have put on compensatory growth so they will be slow to start thriving. If you didn't push them during the winter they should gain between 150-200 kgs during the grazing season depending on grassland management.


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    #5
    case 956
    Closed Accounts Posts: 464 ✭✭case 956


    sh1tstirrer wrote: »
    If you pushed them with meal during this winter they will have put on compensatory growth so they will be slow to start thriving. If you didn't push them during the winter they should gain between 150-200 kgs during the grazing season depending on grassland management.

    I agree want ta take them off meal at least 6 weeks before turnout to avail of compensatory growth as grass is the cheapest feed and managed rite cattle will thrive and gain high growth rates through the summer


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    #6
    Nutcase
    Registered Users Posts: 74 ✭✭Nutcase


    case 956 wrote: »
    i let charolais heifer weanlings out 25th march last yr weighing 380kg average and managed to kill 15 off grass late oct feeding 3kg meal head day from 1st oct, mind u weather turned wet befpre i killed them and upped the meal to 6kgs for the last wk,only did it last yr as part of a experment and tell u i made more from dem than housing for a second winter. Give them young leafy grass and a regular worm vaccine and they will easily do 1kg day. i let dis weanling crop out last week and plan to kill 80% of dem next oct off grass with little meal.

    What weight are these weanlings going into shed 1st winter.. 330kg?
    And what carcass weights did ye get for them when ye killed them in oct?


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    #7
    case 956
    Closed Accounts Posts: 464 ✭✭case 956


    Nutcase wrote: »
    What weight are these weanlings going into shed 1st winter.. 330kg?
    And what carcass weights did ye get for them when ye killed them in oct?

    These weanlings were born Feb/Mar, Given 1g Meal from Early Sept in Creep feeder hsd in Nov. Given 2kg meal til 1st Feb. Killed them with Carcass weight of 340kg. i didnt believe they did so well dat y i doin it again dis yr and keepin leafy grass in front of them. Then last yr was gr8 summer for growing grass and everyting thrived so was easy to get good gains.


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    #8
    Nutcase
    Registered Users Posts: 74 ✭✭Nutcase


    Fair play to ye they must have been good heifers. What sort of cows were they off and the Charlaois bull yeah? Yeah lasy year good growth oceans off grass so there was!


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    #9
    case 956
    Closed Accounts Posts: 464 ✭✭case 956


    Nutcase wrote: »
    Fair play to ye they must have been good heifers. What sort of cows were they off and the Charlaois bull yeah? Yeah lasy year good growth oceans off grass so there was!

    Der off simmental and limo cows and a few black whiteheads in herd(Plenty of colour:D). In Fairness cows have plenty of milk and try my best 2 manage grass as best as i can(NO EXPERT). charolais bull by a Easy calving Sire Maliceux with his Dam by CF52.


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    #10
    Nutcase
    Registered Users Posts: 74 ✭✭Nutcase


    they seem to be doin the business for you anyways id like to see our system move somewhat similiar to yours as for finishing the heifers, might try a few like that this year.


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