# Adding weight to Jersey steers



## Coniberty Acres (8 mo ago)

We have a couple Jersey steers my kids bottle fed and we are wanting to take them I. To butcher in April if we can. I have appointments booked at the locker. They are 12-15 months old and are only about 600 pounds. We just started giving them about half a 5 gallon bucket of cracked corn and they are on pasture. Do we need to get a better feed? Any tips on how to bull them up this winter so they are ready for the processor?


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## Trillium Farm (Dec 18, 2014)

Coniberty Acres said:


> We have a couple Jersey steers my kids bottle fed and we are wanting to take them I. To butcher in April if we can. I have appointments booked at the locker. They are 12-15 months old and are only about 600 pounds. We just started giving them about half a 5 gallon bucket of cracked corn and they are on pasture. Do we need to get a better feed? Any tips on how to bull them up this winter so they are ready for the processor?


What are you trying to do?
Jersey are not beef cattle, they are the smallest of the 2 channel islands breeds, they'll never metabolize food in the same way as beef cattle,
I'm told the meat is good.


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## Ox76 (Oct 22, 2018)

We always used to have either a Jersey or a Brown Swiss at the farm because they were so high in butter fat and the milk testing always was better because of this. But for beef? Meh. Sorry! Probably delicious but not weighty.


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## IH 1586 (Oct 16, 2014)

Meat is great. Any high quality feed will put weight on but again they are not beef. I feed ours all the best forage based feed I have and have a finishing pen. I buy no grain and currently have none of my own corn to feed them


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## Coniberty Acres (8 mo ago)

Just trying to put some pounds on them. I know they aren’t “beef” cattle but I’ve seen some jerseys finish out nice and I’ve heard that they make awesome beef. Just didn’t know if anyone had some tips or tricks. Just want to maximize the time I have left. The boy is all in on the hay business so probably the last ones we will be fattening up


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## Ray 54 (Aug 2, 2014)

I need to know where your going before I give you directions to get there. The in thing is grass fed. Not at my house, my wife can tell it will not let it in the door. We want grain fed well marbled meat. I know nothing of Jerseys, they may never marble well. The old time reason to stay away was, it was said the fat would look yellow it it was next meat from beef breeds. As far as I know nothing with taste just looks. Which is a problem for some. 

If you want almost grass fed keep good hay in front of them all the time. I don't want grass fed and don't keep up what the "experts" will call grass fed so I put the almost in. If you want better( in my option) start upping the amount of grain your feeding. There have been discussions here about how to get to mostly grain without putting them off feed for days. But once up to good amount of grain keep it in front of them, along with hay.


I don't know costs in your area to buy mixed or "balanced feed" meaning having mineral and vitamins added will help them grow faster than just corn.


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## Coniberty Acres (8 mo ago)

Ray you were typing at the same time I was. Not trying to do grass fed I know it’s the new “in” thing and I’m not against it I just like the taste of grain fed beef. We also do feeder pigs and they eat grain. I will say we do but non gmo grain and do feed them minerals from Agridynamics.


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## Trillium Farm (Dec 18, 2014)

Coniberty Acres said:


> Ray you were typing at the same time I was. Not trying to do grass fed I know it’s the new “in” thing and I’m not against it I just like the taste of grain fed beef. We also do feeder pigs and they eat grain. I will say we do but non gmo grain and do feed them minerals from Agridynamics.


I stay away from all the "labels" as in "Grass fed" for I don't know if the grass was brought in or if they were aout to pasture, either would qualify for grass fed, but the results will vary, same for organic as they may fit the legal qualification, but perhaps not mine. Same for grain fed, I like grain fed if it does not contain corn, but only barley and oats. This is ONLY one side, the other side is butchering age, for myself I never butchered anything over 16 months. So as you can see there are so many views.
FWIW to feed beyond the genetic make-up doesn't produce good results, feed them well a balanced ratio and let genes & nature do their job.
Good that you don't use GMO grain IMO.


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## HardnoseCattleCo (Jan 3, 2022)

I would start out with getting a good grain on top of the flake corn and I didn't see anything about having salt blocks? Come winter time keep hay in front of them don't let them run out. They'll never amount to a beef cow but they'll grow for ya


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

You should of been pushing the corn a long time ago.
up the corn gradually to 2.5% of body weigh,dont go to fast or you will founder them.
At 2.5% they they I’ll be on full feed of corn,adjust so they clean the bunk each day.
A lb of beef mix daily with that.
A couple pds of hay per day to keep the guts working also.
I fattened up a lot of Jersey/ hol cross for butcher beef this way.Sent a few grade and yield and a lot would make prime doing it this way.


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## Coniberty Acres (8 mo ago)

Picked up a mix at the mill today. 500 pounds of their stockman special feed. Looks good and the boys liked it. It’s cracked corn a pellet and mineral. We shall see if it does them any good


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

Have these steers been wormed lately? 

When I was much younger my Dad keep a Jersey cow that I got the task of milking twice a day. He always slaughtered this cows calf for meat. Fat on Jersey meat tends to have a yellowish tint.


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## Coniberty Acres (8 mo ago)

No sir they haven’t been wormed. Never had any kind of shots or anything. They really like the new feed and here is a pic. They are like big dogs


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## Trillium Farm (Dec 18, 2014)

Coniberty Acres said:


> No sir they haven’t been wormed. Never had any kind of shots or anything. They really like the new feed and here is a pic. They are like big dogs
> View attachment 92425


I'd deworm them, They don't look wormy, but they may still have them and if so you're feeding those worms too.
You'll get your money back in adde weight.


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## Coniberty Acres (8 mo ago)

Just an update the boys are really liking their new feed. they are getting about 6lb a day. not sure if I should bump that up or not. They look like they are really gaining and filling out some.


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## Ray 54 (Aug 2, 2014)

The big yards feed them all they clean up. Keep giving more over time to not have them over eat and get a belly ack. If they over eat they then don't eat much for a week or 10 days. But the more they eat the quicker they are ready for the freezer.


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