yearlings / bullocks / weight gain

mrbrendank

hi,

I have 7 bullocks that are going to the mart in 2 weeks prob around the 350kg mark, i am feeding 3 times daily, feed in the morning of nuts and meal, a bucket of meal in the afternoon and then a feed of nuts and meal in the evening, so they are averaging about 3kg each per day.

question is, i have them in a field, would it be worth my while putting them in the shed for the last two weeks? or would they gain much weight over the two weeks?

normally i would keep them until they were 2 years old but this year i am doing 50/50,

thanks

CloughCasey1

mrbrendank wrote: »

hi,

I have 7 bullocks that are going to the mart in 2 weeks prob around the 350kg mark, i am feeding 3 times daily, feed in the morning of nuts and meal, a bucket of meal in the afternoon and then a feed of nuts and meal in the evening, so they are averaging about 3kg each per day.

question is, i have them in a field, would it be worth my while putting them in the shed for the last two weeks? or would they gain much weight over the two weeks?

normally i would keep them until they were 2 years old but this year i am doing 50/50,

thanks

Are the out in fresh grass atm?

mrbrendank

CloughCasey1 wrote: »

Are the out in fresh grass atm?

yes,

I said

mrbrendank wrote: »

hi,

I have 7 bullocks that are going to the mart in 2 weeks prob around the 350kg mark, i am feeding 3 times daily, feed in the morning of nuts and meal, a bucket of meal in the afternoon and then a feed of nuts and meal in the evening, so they are averaging about 3kg each per day.

question is, i have them in a field, would it be worth my while putting them in the shed for the last two weeks? or would they gain much weight over the two weeks?

normally i would keep them until they were 2 years old but this year i am doing 50/50,

thanks

Would ya not feed them once a day at 3kgs, yer only wasting your time going up and down 3 times a day.

mrbrendank

I said wrote: »

Would ya not feed them once a day at 3kgs, yer only wasting your time going up and down 3 times a day.

i was advised on that routine, does it make a difference feeding all in one go rather than
multiple feeds?

I said

mrbrendank wrote: »

i was advised on that routine, does it make a difference feeding all in one go rather than
multiple feeds?

Only if your finishing stock at 10kgs a day then split it but at your rate of feeding once a day is fine

Bass Reeves

mrbrendank wrote: »

i was advised on that routine, does it make a difference feeding all in one go rather than
multiple feeds?

Not sure would I bother with it three times/day but there is supposed to be a better response to split feeds. Most only split the feeding morning and evening. You would be crazy to put them back in grass or no grass. If short of grass give them access to hay or silage out side. However hot cattle like this tend not to sell at the price expected.

Feeding 3kg/day at 25c/kg (250/ton or 625/bag expect that it is costing more) is 75c/day. We will say they are gaining 1.2kgs/day then if they make 2.4/kg they would need to be gaining 0.4kg/day more than on grass alone. Now it dose not end there hungry cattle often sell at a higher price/kg than very hot cattle. If that was the case you would need to be gaining 0.6kgs/day more from the ration. Even the 0.4kgs/day difference is unlikly

Cavanjack

I remember reading a couple of years ago that meal to cattle on good Spring grass is a waste of time.
I presume they are getting meal all winter? If I were to buy them for grass (with no meal) they would melt and I'd get no thrive out of them for a good while.