finishing weanling bullocks

west79

I will be weaning on the 1st week in December and I will have a number of chx bullocks between 420 and 450kg. These are Feb and March born and have not got any meal yet. would it be possible to finish these as 16 months like bulls of the same age. I have access to rolled barley at €200 a ton and 16% high energy nut at €240. If possible how much meal a day would I need. My herd is restricted so im planning the for the next 6 months. I assume I would need to get them to 630Kg live before I factory them. Has any one ever finished young bullocks. Im open to any feed suggestions. These were castrated at a week old so there will be no setback.

Farrell

west79 wrote: »

I will be weaning on the 1st week in December and I will have a number of chx bullocks between 420 and 450kg. These are Feb and March born and have not got any meal yet. would it be possible to finish these as 16 months like bulls of the same age. I have access to rolled barley at €200 a ton and 16% high energy nut at €240. If possible how much meal a day would I need. My herd is restricted so im planning the for the next 6 months. I assume I would need to get them to 630Kg live before I factory them. Has any one ever finished young bullocks. Im open to any feed suggestions. These were castrated at a week old so there will be no setback.

There's a post from earlier in the year, could be Pudsey/Clough.
Think it was saying 5:3:2 mix of nut:barley:soya.
5kg/ day build up to 7.5kg, then 10kg followed by ad-lib & changing soya to Maize for last month.

CloughCasey1

west79 wrote: »

I will be weaning on the 1st week in December and I will have a number of chx bullocks between 420 and 450kg. These are Feb and March born and have not got any meal yet. would it be possible to finish these as 16 months like bulls of the same age. I have access to rolled barley at €200 a ton and 16% high energy nut at €240. If possible how much meal a day would I need. My herd is restricted so im planning the for the next 6 months. I assume I would need to get them to 630Kg live before I factory them. Has any one ever finished young bullocks. Im open to any feed suggestions. These were castrated at a week old so there will be no setback.

Wouldn't be in any panic at 16mts. Set back or no set back from sqeezing won't be an issue as bulls put on more weight and convert more feed to flesh than a steer. Only reason lads push bulls for 16mt mark is there is a market for it on continent and to get them in the grid. Id hold them over till 20mts and aim for 22mt finish.

west79

CloughCasey1 wrote: »

Wouldn't be in any panic at 16mts. Set back or no set back from sqeezing won't be an issue as bulls put on more weight and convert more feed to flesh than a steer. Only reason lads push bulls for 16mt mark is there is a market for it on continent and to get them in the grid. Id hold them over till 20mts and aim for 22mt finish.

How much meal would you recommend giving that weight of animals over the winter. I usually just give everything 2kg per day

CloughCasey1

west79 wrote: »

How much meal would you recommend giving that weight of animals over the winter. I usually just give everything 2kg per day

Would you still intending on finish them dec 2016 or at the 16mt mark?

Willfarman

No you won't fatten good continental bullocks as young as that. Continue with your 2 kgs of meal for this winter. Out to grass and fatten them next winter at around 24 months out of shed.

CloughCasey1

Willfarman wrote: »

No you won't fatten good continental bullocks as young as that. Continue with your 2 kgs of meal for this winter. Out to grass and fatten them next winter at around 24 months out of shed.

+1

limo_100

Lads I have a question for some of you wiz kids I have a few weanling bulls mar and apr about 320kg, I'll probably be keeping them till next october and sell them as stores i'm just wondering should I squeeze them now or wait till the spring when there getting out. Would they trive better as bulls in the shed more so than being squeezed

Willfarman

limo_100 wrote: »

Lads I have a question for some of you wiz kids I have a few weanling bulls mar and apr about 320kg, I'll probably be keeping them till next october and sell them as stores i'm just wondering should I squeeze them now or wait till the spring when there getting out. Would they trive better as bulls in the shed more so than being squeezed

Squeeze them now that they are still burdizzoable! They would grow better as bulls initially but you then have to cut or band them with all the risk that goes with it.
They tend to go back or at best stand still. As bullocks they'd go out of shed and hit ground running and wind up every bit as good this time next year.

CloughCasey1

Willfarman wrote: »

Squeeze them now that they are still burdizzoable! They would grow better as bulls initially but you then have to cut or band them with all the risk that goes with it.
They tend to go back or at best stand still. As bullocks they'd go out of shed and hit ground running and wind up every bit as good this time next year.

What's max you'd squeeze at?

Willfarman

CloughCasey1 wrote: »

What's max you'd squeeze at?

Never after 5.45 Clough! Always like to be cleaned up and in for home and away!

CloughCasey1

Willfarman wrote: »

Never after 5.45 Clough! Always like to be cleaned up and in for home and away!

You would ya auld perv!!!!! ;-);-)

Dunedin

west79 wrote: »

I will have a number of chx bullocks between 420 and 450kg. These are Feb and March born and have not got any meal yet.

you'd be doing well to get to these weights for that age of weanling (steer) with no meal.

Are you sure they are that weight?

in any case, you would be better wintering this winter and finishing next year as 24 - 26 months out of the shed or even better let them on to the grass and finish in August as under 30 months.