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finishing cattle or mart?

  • 24-06-2013 04:22PM
    #1
    1chippy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,716 ✭✭✭


    i have 2 batches of yearlings around the 360 kg mark. the first is a bunch of friesian bullocks. thriving ok and getting 1kg of meal per day on grass the last few weeks. would i be realistic to think i could have them finished out of the shed by March if i kept the kilo of meal to them until the last six weeks and bump them up to4-5kg for that period. these are genuine british friesain.
    The second bnch are a group of heifers i was going to put to the bull in November, however have decided to only keep a few for cows and buy in springers instead.Mianly limos, sim and charlaois. I was just going to keep 1kg of meal to these till september october and try pull them all up over 410-20 kilo mark and move them on. has anyone any better ideas of what to do with either of these. i have thought about finishing the heifers but it would probably mean holding them till this time next year.
    cheers.


Comments

  • #2
    Sam Kade
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,297 ✭✭✭✭Sam Kade


    Why are you feeding cattle 1kg meal at grass?


  • #3
    1chippy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,716 ✭✭✭1chippy


    Sam Kade wrote: »
    Why are you feeding cattle 1kg meal at grass?
    the friesians just to keep them pushed on a little bit and the heifers the same. I dont like selling anything under 400kg especially after they go over a year so i'm reckoning i should get some bit of return once i bring them to the mart. Or am i just throwing away money here.


  • #4
    mf240
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,927 ✭✭✭mf240


    if they are not short grass stop the meal then reintroduce in for 6 weeks before sale.


  • #5
    locky76
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 869 ✭✭✭locky76


    1chippy wrote: »
    the friesians just to keep them pushed on a little bit and the heifers the same. I dont like selling anything under 400kg especially after they go over a year so i'm reckoning i should get some bit of return once i bring them to the mart. Or am i just throwing away money here.

    you're better off giving short sharp bursts of meal, cattle respond better rather than long term feeding...


  • #6
    nashmach
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,183 ✭✭✭nashmach


    A lot depends on the quality of the grass though.

    For the FR's I would keep the meal to them but you can forget about finishing them by March if they are 350kgs now, they would need to be closer to 420kgs.


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  • #7
    NewBeefFarmer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 544 ✭✭✭NewBeefFarmer


    Dont know how it pays to feed meal/nuts. . When grass is available. . .


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