4-H Market Steer Handbook: Nutrients and Feeds

4-H Market Steer Handbook:
Nutrients and Feeds

Feeding Your Steer Vitamins and minerals are important in bone
4-H members should "keep the feed better than the development and maintaining the general health of
cattle". A balanced ration, plenty of clean, fresh the animal. The daily vitamin requirements of your
water, regular feedings and clean feed troughs and steer would usually be met by feeding normal feed
watering tubs are essential to produce top quality sources.
show steers. Champions are not grown on
shortcuts, magic potions, formulas or "super secret Minerals and salt should be provided on a free
feeds." choice basis. Use a small box with two
compartments, one for salt and the other for a
Nutrients and Feeds mineral mixture. The mineral mixture should contain
one part salt and two parts of dicalcium phosphate
To do a good job of feeding your steer, be familiar
or steamed bone meal.
with the different types of grains, protein sources
and roughages that could be used in feeding steers.
Water is also essential for the market steer. An
Grains belong to a group of feeds called
adequate supply of clear, fresh water is necessary
concentrates.
for good growth and the health of the animal.
Although water may not be thought of as a nutrient,
Concentrates are feeds that are high in energy and
it is the most important and cheapest nutrient you
low in fiber. Some common grains fed to steers are
can furnish your steer. Steers limited to 90 percent
corn and oats.
of the water they need often have their gain reduced
25-50 percent.
Corn is the most common ingredient in
steer rations. Corn is a feed high in energy and
Protein is essential for good muscle development.
moderate as a protein source for finishing steers.
Protein supplements and high quality legume hays
Steers like to eat corn and will do best when it is
are major sources of dietary protein. In most cases,
cracked or very coarsely ground. If you live on a
protein supplements must be added to the steer's
farm, you will probably have homegrown corn
ration. Soybean meal and cottonseed meal are the
available.
most commonly used protein supplements. These
protein supplements are also high in energy and are
Oats are another good feed grain for cattle. Oats
also called concentrates. Steers on a balanced full-
are not as high in energy as corn and can't be used
feed ration may consume one to two pounds of
to fatten cattle by themselves. Oats are palatable
protein supplement per day (see Table 4).
and a better source of fiber than corn. So when cost
allows, oats should be included in the ration.
Table 4
Recommended Protein Levels and Approximate
Roughages round out and make up the smallest
Daily Feed Intake (As Fed Basis)
part of the steer's ration. Examples of roughages
fed to steers would be hays and silages.
Roughages are high in fiber and low in energy. Hay Growing
& Average Average Ration Ration
is the roughage most often fed steers. Good grass
Finsihing Daily Feed % %
hay would be adequate for the steer. Roughages Calves Gain Intake Protein TDN
help to keep the steer's digestive tract in working
order and helps prevent scours. In some situations, 400 lbs 2.0 10.5-11.5 11.5-12.0 66
it may be easier to buy a commercially pre-mixed 600 lbs 2.5 12-15 11.0 66
ration. A 12 to 14 percent protein "calf finisher" or
"bull test" ration would work well. 800 lbs 3.0 19-22 10.5 70-72
1000 lbs 1.5 23-26 10.5 70-72

Feeding Management Place the feed trough and hay rack where they will
be protected from the weather. A watchful eye and
Cleanliness is necessary to keep steers healthy and good judgment prevent many problems. The
gaining. Clean feed, clean water troughs and clean droppings are an excellent indicator of the steer's
feed troughs are essential. If the feed trough well-being. Beware of scours and loose or sour-
becomes dirty and caked with moist, spoiled feed, smelling droppings. Droppings should never be
steers may refuse to eat or may become sick. To hard, but should be thick enough to "pile-up" and
keep fresh feed available, moist leftover feed look oily. Overfeeding drastically changes the ration.
should be removed from the feed box at least once Feeding excess protein or irregularity of feeding are
a day. some causes of scours.
Quality and freshness of feeds is very important. Do Changes in the ration are necessary as the animal
not use feed that is musty or moldy. Do not grind grows and fattens; however, make changes in the
feeds too fine. Finely-ground feeds are too dusty ratio gradually to keep the steer eating and gaining
and are not palatable. weight.
Starting the steer on feed is very important. Weight gain should be checked every 30 to 60 days
Gradually start the calf on feed. The first few days, with scales to determine how the ration should be
feed one to two pounds of grain and all the grass adjusted. If your calf is not finishing rapidly enough,
hay he will clean up. Then increase the concentrate increase the percentage of corn in the ration. Corn
a half pound daily until the steer is receiving one furnishes the energy necessary for the marbling and
pound per 100 pounds body weight (600-pound finish required for that animal to grade Choice.
steer = 6 pounds). This should take a week to 10
days. Now, slow down to a gradual increase of two Reduce the amount of corn if your calf is getting too
pounds per week until the calf is receiving two fat at a lighter market weight than desired; however,
pounds of grain per 100 pounds body weight (700- do not deliberately withhold feed from your calf to
pound steer = 14pounds). Feeding half of the feed make him look "modern". That is not an
in the morning and the remainder at night should economically sound practice because:
prove satisfactory for most steers. However, 1. His average daily gain will be less;
extremely fast-growing calves may need to be fed
more often. 2. More pounds of feed.will be required
to put on a pound of gain; and
Make sure the calf cleans up the feed in 30 minutes
to one hour after feeding. Remove feed left in the 3. The carcass may not be as desirable
trough, because it may spoil and contaminate the if it lacks the marbling required to
fresh feed. When feed is not cleaned up, "back off" grade choice.
a small amount, then start slowly increasing grain
again. Above all, use feeds that are available locally at
reasonable prices. Then, feed a ration according to
Don't stand over the calf while he is eating. Nervous the weight of the steer, environmental conditions
calves may either leave the feed trough or not eat and desired goal for your project.
when people are around. After the steer has
finished eating his concentrate, give him a flake (2-3
pounds) of good quality grass or grass-legume hay.
While legume hay can be satisfactory, it has a
laxative effect, and over-consumption can cause
bloat. However, two to three pounds per day should
not create problems.

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Nutrients and Feeds

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