Winter Finishing

oldhead

Just bout to head out to the marts now again this week to see if i can grab few bargains, not many to be found though. Jesus dont think that i will be making much money out of what i buy..they say cattle prices will remain good for the next 12 months, hope we dont get caught. has any finishers out there done anything differently to try and claw back a few euro. have ye changed rations or bought cheaper breeds, always had a soft spot for the white CH.

fatoftheland

there s not too many bargains in the mart these days. bulls are still best value as you ll get the response to feeding them and the factory is paying more for them than steers. nearly all animals that you buy are copper deficient and full of rumen fluke so make sure they are dosed twice with zanil and give them a good copper mineral preferable protected copper before you buy any feed this will save a fortune. for finishing stick to hi maize rations 50% as you need less to do the job.

oldhead

fatoftheland wrote: »

there s not too many bargains in the mart these days. bulls are still best value as you ll get the response to feeding them and the factory is paying more for them than steers. nearly all animals that you buy are copper deficient and full of rumen fluke so make sure they are dosed twice with zanil and give them a good copper mineral preferable protected copper before you buy any feed this will save a fortune. for finishing stick to hi maize rations 50% as you need less to do the job.

Cheers fatoftheland. i wouldnt be really set up for bulls, i will try and stick with the steers. thanks for the tip with the zanil, how far apart would i leave the doses. i was using stewards pedigree 3 calf to bull, it was a cooked ration and i finished them on stewards high maize mix, 50% was maize,it was further broken down by 13.5% protein, 3.5% oil, fibre 8% and ash 5%. do you mind me asking you what ration or nut you find that gets the best results for your own operation. i feed them well then for 100 to 130 days, then start praying the prices will be good. i hear of a few giving hay to them aswell, i just stick with baled silage and the ration. what copper mineral would you recommend. many thanks again for the reply.

49801

oldhead wrote: »

i just stick with baled silage and the ration.

last year I stored our weanlings on grass silage and 2kgs/day (15%CP)
They were ok on it. I didn't want to finish them myself so sold them on. So did not want a buyer to see over fat animals. they averaged 430kg in the truck.

u want very good quality grass silage for bulls for a finishing diet. many would argue it has no place in a diet for bulls as it takes the punch out of the diet.
i've a grand pit of whole crop for sale:pac::pac::pac::pac:

ad lib ration and a bit of straw roughage is what bulls want else go to a TMR.
it is an expensive system and does tie up quite a bit of money but you will get a return faster than steers at grass for 2 summers with an indoor finishing period IYSWIM. with rations costing 270-290e/ton is it worth the gamble for you?

cam1452

neighbour of mine is feeding wheaton straw potatoes and ration for finishing bulls

fatoftheland

the zanil must be given twice at six weeks apart as it only kills the adult fluke liver and rumen. i use the same ration its nice and simple and for ad lib feeding and not full of fillers,i give acid buff when ad lib feeding