Finishing a Bull

RaggyDays

Have a 5 year old CH bull about 700kgs, he has room to make the tonne. I intend to house him by the first week in august and feed him with Silage and meal
How much meal should he get per day along with average silage?
Also I have a cull cow about 12 years old, 500kgs,a 2 yearr old cow heifer about 450kgs which I intend to do the same
Again how much meal per animal and for how long.
Also what type of meal??

reilig

Why house them?

It's far easier to put weight on them when they are out on grass!!

pakalasa

As always prices will drop towards the year end so the quicker you finish them the better, especially with older animals.

Farmer Pudsey

I be inclined to sell bull as is to factory unless you can put flesh on him from grass. The demand for these are poor. I sell cow in mart unless you can again finish on grass. With the heifer if there was a calf registered to her I again grass her and feed meal if no calf registered and can get a price in factory.

Manoffeeling

There is a guy who kills heavy bulls in the factory in roscrea on contract. Not sure if at it still. 1 ton plus job.

bob charles

Ah the term cow heifer is no more, she is either a cow or a heifer,

Sell all in the mart as there probably is someone there that maybe be finishing allot of those particular hard sold when beef animals.

RaggyDays

I have heaps of silage but grass is too scarce to fatten them on. The bull needs housing as he`s developed an eye for the foreign ladies next door
Old Cull cows are making next to nothing in the mart so I reckon it would be no harm put her up to 650kg+ and factory her myself
As for the Cow heifer, She should be a heifer but had a calf registered to her.
Anyways, any answers to the original questions, how much meal per day and for how long??

epfff

RaggyDays wrote: »

I have heaps of silage but grass is too scarce to fatten them on. The bull needs housing as he`s developed an eye for the foreign ladies next door
Old Cull cows are making next to nothing in the mart so I reckon it would be no harm put her up to 650kg+ and factory her myself
As for the Cow heifer, She should be a heifer but had a calf registered to her.
Anyways, any answers to the original questions, how much meal per day and for how long??

ad lib is my answer to meal feeding
we'll to the bull anyway
5kgs x twice daily to cow and heifer minimum 80 Days all round but morelikely 100

Dampintheattic

epfff wrote: »

ad lib is my answer to meal feeding
we'll to the bull anyway
5kgs x twice daily to cow and heifer minimum 80 Days all round but morelikely 100

100 days @ 10kg per day:eek: to heifer and "old" cow. 1 ton of meal = €€€

What kind of weight gain could you expect from the old cows in particular?

Intersted because I have 4 to cull, in a few weeks.

mf240

Cow will lose a ball of money on 10 kg a day that 3 euros then add in silage.

mf240

Dampintheattic wrote: »

100 days @ 10kg per day:eek: to heifer and "old" cow. 1 ton of meal = €€€

What kind of weight gain could you expect from the old cows in particular?

Intersted because I have 4 to cull, in a few weeks.

Only one thing for old cows and that's lots of time. If there dry for a few months on reasonable grass they will flesh. A big heap of meal for a short time with old cows is madness.

moy83

bob charles wrote: »

Ah the term cow heifer is no more, she is either a cow or a heifer,

Sell all in the mart as there probably is someone there that maybe be finishing allot of those particular hard sold when beef animals.

I have two of these "cow heifers " , they are only around two year old now and the last one will have her calf reared by sept .
If I go to the mart would they get away in the heifer ring or would I have to put them in the dry cow sale ?

bob charles

moy83 wrote: »

I have two of these "cow heifers " , they are only around two year old now and the last one will have her calf reared by sept .
If I go to the mart would they get away in the heifer ring or would I have to put them in the dry cow sale ?

Oh my blood could boil, they are not heifers so why do you think you should be allowed falsely declare them as such. I spend time every week chasing animals sold as maiden heifers turning up as cows. Once an animal has a calf registered she is a cow, end off. Price difference on a good animal of €350kgs @ €1.30 is €450

moy83

bob charles wrote: »

Oh my blood could boil, they are not heifers so why do you think you should be allowed falsely declare them as such. I spend time every week chasing animals sold as maiden heifers turning up as cows. Once an animal has a calf registered she is a cow, end off. Price difference on a good animal of €350kgs @ €1.30 is €450

So thats a no for the heifer ring then ?:D
Do you spot something when you get home or is it in the factory they notice the difference ?
Do they have less meat on them or is the meat not as good as a heifer ?

bob charles

moy83 wrote: »

So thats a no for the heifer ring then ?:D
Do you spot something when you get home or is it in the factory they notice the difference ?
Do they have less meat on them or is the meat not as good as a heifer ?

If bought in the heifer ring they come with a guarantee of being a maiden,

Often when you examine them at home you might notice a bit of a bag and it might make you suspicious, and you can check them out. It crazy that on AGFOOD that you can view if a heifer had a calf or not in previous herds. other wise is when you get the factory docket back and see a heifer you may have given 1500 for, spent 300 on, and get a cheque back for 1400 as final price because she is a cow:mad::mad:

I would consider good young cows just as good as heifers but the factories dont see it that way and pay accordingly. Meat from the cows is allot less sale able we are told

moy83

I have another "heifer" that was bulled as a weanling and she aborted after about six months . Think would the factory allow her as a heifer ?

pakalasa

bob charles wrote: »

.... It crazy that on AGFOOD that you cannot view if a heifer had a calf or not in previous herds. ...

Right ???

loveta

Dampintheattic wrote: »

100 days @ 10kg per day:eek: to heifer and "old" cow. 1 ton of meal = €€€

What kind of weight gain could you expect from the old cows in particular?

Intersted because I have 4 to cull, in a few weeks.

10kg a day is not alot "ammount wise" money wise well that is a different matter had a 3.5 yo fr bull in the end up eating 35kg a day add lib the fu@#er was a divil to flesh weighed him the day before he was killed 1040kgs and was not fully fleshed but i had arms on me like a orangutan drawing nuts to him so let him off

Farmer Pudsey

loveta wrote: »

10kg a day is not alot "ammount wise" money wise well that is a different matter had a 3.5 yo fr bull in the end up eating 35kg a day add lib the fu@#er was a divil to flesh weighed him the day before he was killed 1040kgs and was not fully fleshed but i had arms on me like a orangutan drawing nuts to him so let him off

What did he killout and if recently what price did he make per kg.

loveta

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

What did he killout and if recently what price did he make per kg.

honestly i cant remember it was 2011, killed a 28 month teaser fr bull there about 5 weeks ago he weighed 810 kgs R grade killed out 460kg got 420 cents a kilo "was a happy chap i can tell ya"

Farmer Pudsey

loveta wrote: »

honestly i cant remember it was 2011, killed a 28 month teaser fr bull there about 5 weeks ago he weighed 810 kgs R grade killed out 460kg got 420 cents a kilo "was a happy chap i can tell ya"

Big difference in price for under 30 month( you get them away at that stage of the year) and bulls that are over that age.

loveta

yes very true have a chap in the shed at the minute a narrow arsed fr trying to bulid him up without sickening him but he is 30 months on the 11th of august but no way will he be ready by then so am wondering how bad a hit i might take by having him under done

bob charles

pakalasa wrote: »

Right ???

you can view cows that calved in your own herd, but you cannot see what a cow done that you bought in her previous herds.

Manoffeeling

bob charles wrote: »

you can view cows that calved in your own herd, but you cannot see what a cow done that you bought in her previous herds.

When I was at it, I'd order new tags for incalf heifers and any young cows that were being slaughtered. Tis the small things that make a big difference. Them days are gone I suppose.

RaggyDays

loveta wrote: »

yes very true have a chap in the shed at the minute a narrow arsed fr trying to bulid him up without sickening him but he is 30 months on the 11th of august but no way will he be ready by then so am wondering how bad a hit i might take by having him under done

I`d say he`s worth more under the 30 months. Them Fr need a lot of age to get them up to weight. And the day of keeping them to 4 year olds is long gone