Finishing young continental bulls

just do it

I've 4 11-12 month old bulls that were weaned 6 weeks ago and have been on quality grass and 2 kg beef nuts since being weaned. Ideally I'd sell them now but I'm locked up so have to keep them. Because of the 16m factory spec and deteriorating grass quality from here on I'm considering finishing them myself which will be a first for me.

So rather than housing them on slats I've a confined area I can set aside for them with a concrete yard and shed they can access. I'm thinking of feeding them silage in a round feeder and building them up to 10kg nuts.

Suggestions welcome.

Farmer Pudsey

What weight are they

just do it

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

What weight are they

At a guess 400kg

blue5000

How good is the silage, and have you any straw to help prevent acidosis? Silage and nuts could be too acidic. Whoever is selling the nut should be able to advise you. I'd also advise weighing them now and a month after heavy feeding to make sure they are thriving.

manjou

If they were mine at that weight would start building up to ad lib meal and straw now and and have them gone in 120 days from now.

just do it

So rather than silage and nuts, I should be looking at feeding silage, straw and nuts or straw only and nuts from now.

The silage I have is good quality all made from leafy grass.

blue5000

Last year I used a bull ration and straw, wasn't ad-lib meal, 10-12kg in two feeds. The silage might make them scour, any time I give them a bit they were very loose in the dung.
Tb is a right pain in the hole, locked up here too, a cow had lesions and the only thing I buy in is a stock bull, last bull I bought was 3 years ago.

just do it

First time having TB here in a cow bought in 4 years ago. Never had it before and not in the area. Reacted at test but killed out with no lesions. Waiting on culture now. If that's negative I'll get away with 1 retest. Fingers crossed.

Weighing scales organised for next week so that will help the decision making

epfff

manjou wrote: »

If they were mine at that weight would start building up to ad lib meal and straw now and and have them gone in 120 days from now.

My thoughts too

Farmer Pudsey

just do it wrote: »

So rather than silage and nuts, I should be looking at feeding silage, straw and nuts or straw only and nuts from now.

The silage I have is good quality all made from leafy grass.

Is it dryish silage if so I use the silage. Ia have fed silage to finishing bulls always. Most important thing is to balance the diet. Round bale silage is preferable as chop length is longer. Let them have access to straw as well. Feed ration twice a day start then off on 3kgs and build up to 6kgs. Increase by 0.5kgs/week. If you can feed twice daily. Buffer with 80 grams/day calcium if not in the ration/nut.

TITANIUM.

I've a heifer 11 months old that got damaged I n one of her back quarters at birth. Could never walk 100 % with it.
Marts not a option for her.
Trying to finish her now. She's on Hi energy nuts with yellow meal and hay . would straw be better? She's been in six weeks now and is basically on the ration ad-lib.
Am I making a balls of it?
She's probably just over the 400 kg mark now (no way to weigh her).

Apologies just do it for diverting your thread. But I thought we had similarish questions.

caseman

just do it wrote: »

I've 4 11-12 month old bulls that were weaned 6 weeks ago and have been on quality grass and 2 kg beef nuts since being weaned. Ideally I'd sell them now but I'm locked up so have to keep them. Because of the 16m factory spec and deteriorating grass quality from here on I'm considering finishing them myself which will be a first for me.

So rather than housing them on slats I've a confined area I can set aside for them with a concrete yard and shed they can access. I'm thinking of feeding them silage in a round feeder and building them up to 10kg nuts.

Suggestions welcome.

You could squeeze and sell in the spring. Alot of euro to finish young bulls if their not good quality.

tanko

caseman wrote: »

You could squeeze and sell in the spring. Alot of euro to finish young bulls if their not good quality.

+1 on this, trying to fatten average quality bulls is a real eye opener. Keeping their feet right can be a problem too. You'd really need to have them on slat mats.

caseman

tanko wrote: »

+1 on this, trying to fatten average quality bulls is a real eye opener. Keeping their feet right can be a problem too. You'd really need to have them on slat mats.

In my limited experience, only young bulls with good front quarters and a bit of shape will convert grub into euro.

just do it

2 of them are by the CH bull FYB who is 5 stars for carcase weight gain at 39kg. Both are out of good cows.
Another is by HCA (poorer carcase gain at 19kg) but out of a good BBX cow - he's the best of the 3 - good shape and muscle
4th is by SI bull APZ out of an average enough LMxFR cow. He's the worst of the 4.

Top 3 are definitely above average but 4th might be borderline. All 4 however are responding well to meal thus far. Looking at them I'm happy to push on with 3 of them and borderline on the 4th. Doesn't suit me to keep them over the winter as steers though.

just do it

just do it wrote: »

First time having TB here in a cow bought in 4 years ago. Never had it before and not in the area. Reacted at test but killed out with no lesions. Waiting on culture now. If that's negative I'll get away with 1 retest. Fingers crossed.

Weighing scales organised for next week so that will help the decision making

Average 500kg. Will have them min 4 weeks and if they're to go for under 16m bull beef they need to be housed now and start on 100-120d finishing period now

ellewood

just do it wrote: »

Average 500kg. Will have them min 4 weeks and if they're to go for under 16m bull beef they need to be housed now and start on 100-120d finishing period now

Was talking to agent about bulls at the weekend he was saying 20 month bulls no problem no weight restrictions fat score 2+ and have them ready xmas week they will be plenty looking for them BUT 10-20c below base

tim04750

I think you can sell to a feedlot farm from a restricted herd , local factory agent should be able to tell you if there's any local to you.

Farrell

tim04750 wrote: »

I think you can sell to a feedlot farm from a restricted herd , local factory agent should be able to tell you if there's any local to you.

Yea you can sell to a feedlot

Farmer Pudsey

tim04750 wrote: »

I think you can sell to a feedlot farm from a restricted herd , local factory agent should be able to tell you if there's any local to you.

Farrell wrote: »

Yea you can sell to a feedlot

Of course you will get top dollar for these animals.:rolleyes:

severeoversteer

well at 12 months the majority of my bulls would be give or take about 600kg liveweight

yours are only 400kg and they will cost 4 euro a day to feed adlib with straw

you have 4 months to get them into weight


120 days at 4 euro is €480

if they gain at best 2kg per day for 120 days that is an extra 240kg liveweight
so they will be 640kg live

at 57% ko they will make say 360kg dead

@ €3.60 a kilo = €1296
@€;3.70 a kilo = €1332
@€;3.80 a kilo = €1368
@ €4 a kilo €1440


if I were you I would squeeze them and sell them next spring as stores as Id say stores will be red hot from now until next summer

just do it

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

Of course you will get top dollar for these animals.:rolleyes:

My thoughts exactly - they have you by the short and curlies!

just do it

severeoversteer wrote: »

well at 12 months the majority of my bulls would be give or take about 600kg liveweight

yours are only 400kg and they will cost 4 euro a day to feed adlib with straw

you have 4 months to get them into weight


120 days at 4 euro is €480

if they gain at best 2kg per day for 120 days that is an extra 240kg liveweight
so they will be 640kg live

at 57% ko they will make say 360kg dead

@ €3.60 a kilo = €1296
@€;3.70 a kilo = €1332
@€;3.80 a kilo = €1368
@ €4 a kilo €1440


if I were you I would squeeze them and sell them next spring as stores as Id say stores will be red hot from now until next summer

I was way out with my weight prediction and they came in at 495kg at ave 11.5m.

Going with figures above:
@ €3.60 a kilo = €1508
@€;3.70 a kilo = €1550
@€;3.80 a kilo = €1590

Take €500 for cost of feeding and it puts their current value at €1000-1100. They'd surely make that LW in the mart now? Pity the earliest I will be able to sell is 4 weeks time.

What do you feed them as stores over the winter?

just do it

They'd surely make at least €2.15-2.20/kg in the mart?

Must stick up a few photos...

severeoversteer

just do it wrote: »

I was way out with my weight prediction and they came in at 495kg at ave 11.5m.

Going with figures above:
@ €3.60 a kilo = €1508
@€;3.70 a kilo = €1550
@€;3.80 a kilo = €1590

Take €500 for cost of feeding and it puts their current value at €1000-1100. They'd surely make that LW in the mart now? Pity the earliest I will be able to sell is 4 weeks time.

What do you feed them as stores over the winter?

you would feed good silage and 2or 3 kg of ration for the first half of winter and then silage only till turnout

getting stores to grass early is no advantage as regards weight gain, the only positive of early turn out with them stores would be cheaper at grass than in the shed

turn them out when you have a good mouth of grass for them or else sell them in the mart in april and let somebody else finish them

just do it

severeoversteer wrote: »

you would feed good silage and 2or 3 kg of ration for the first half of winter and then silage only till turnout

getting stores to grass early is no advantage as regards weight gain, the only positive of early turn out with them stores would be cheaper at grass than in the shed

turn them out when you have a good mouth of grass for them or else sell them in the mart in april and let somebody else finish them

Surely then if you've a long winter for heavy animals as I do you'd be better off selling this autumn. Any extra payment you'd get for them next April would be eaten up by the cost of winter foddering?

severeoversteer

just do it wrote: »

Surely then if you've a long winter for heavy animals as I do you'd be better off selling this autumn. Any extra payment you'd get for them next April would be eaten up by the cost of winter foddering?

well ideally sell in the next month as stores but you are locked up aren't you?

unless you sell to a feedlot that is.

bull beef isint all its cracked up to be, you need to be growing all feedstuff on farm and have them constantly thriving, your facilities will need to be good also as bulls have a habit of testing gates drinkers and barriers to the limit

and when the time comes to kill the price may not be good enough and they are too expensive to hold onto for better prices

just do it

severeoversteer wrote: »

well ideally sell in the next month as stores but you are locked up aren't you?

unless you sell to a feedlot that is.

bull beef isn't all its cracked up to be, you need to be growing all feedstuff on farm and have them constantly thriving, your facilities will need to be good also as bulls have a habit of testing gates drinkers and barriers to the limit

and when the time comes to kill the price may not be good enough and they are too expensive to hold onto for better prices

Yeah I think I'll squeeze. They're currently ignoring the electric fence and for the sake of a once-off feeding of 4 bulls due to being locked up it's just not worth the effort. Hopefully I'll be clear to sell in 4 weeks. If not it's easier keep 4 bullocks for the winter than pumping 4 bulls for 4 months. They'll be back thriving again after being squeeze as well and starting to look like bullocks for the mart.

Cheers folks for contributions, this forum is still of value

severeoversteer

just do it wrote: »

Yeah I think I'll squeeze. They're currently ignoring the electric fence and for the sake of a once-off feeding of 4 bulls due to being locked up it's just not worth the effort. Hopefully I'll be clear to sell in 4 weeks. If not it's easier keep 4 bullocks for the winter than pumping 4 bulls for 4 months. They'll be back thriving again after being squeeze as well and starting to look like bullocks for the mart.

Cheers folks for contributions, this forum is still of value

I squeezed bulls upto 580kg this year so with good practice and stockmanship they should be the finest

if wary you could get vet to surgically castrate them, did that also on a few bulls and had no bother

vet is a hand to mouth type man and told me to cook the balls for dinner but I declined:D

J.O. Farmer

severeoversteer wrote: »

vet is a hand to mouth type man and told me to cook the balls for dinner but I declined:D

Slice them thinly dip them in batter and deep fat fry them and you'd have Rocky Mountain Oysters.
That said I think I'd pass too.

onyerbikepat

JDI,

Worth bearing in mind for the future too - you can get your annual herd test pushed back in the year. That way, should you have a reactor, you can have tests cleared by autumn. You just have to contact the DVO and tell them. It means that you will have two tests close together, 6 months or whatever, but you only have to do it once. My neighbour did it so that he could test them in the shed in the spring, rather than running around fields to gather them up.
I have mine in late June.

just do it

onyerbikepat wrote: »

JDI,

Worth bearing in mind for the future too - you can get your annual herd test pushed back in the year. That way, should you have a reactor, you can have tests cleared by autumn. You just have to contact the DVO and tell them. It means that you will have two tests close together, 6 months or whatever, but you only have to do it once. My neighbour did it so that he could test them in the shed in the spring, rather than running around fields to gather them up.
I have mine in late June.

Thanks Pat. There's never been a reactor here so it was never an issue before!

blue5000

Are you going to castrate these?

just do it

blue5000 wrote: »

Are you going to castrate these?

Decision time this week as I've the herd test on Wednesday.

What way are 12mo bulls going in the mart?

Farmer Pudsey

just do it wrote: »

Decision time this week as I've the herd test on Wednesday.

What way are 12mo bulls going in the mart?

As far as I know they are selling well at over 2/kg. In general finishers are getting the nod from processors about there willingness to accept these type of cattle. At present the are sellin as well as under age steers.