Pasturing Holstein Steers?

Question

I'm toying with the idea of feeding some Holstein steers.

I'd like to pasture them. I have about three acres of grass around a barnyard.

Is 10-15 steers about right for three acres of unimproved pasture? I know I can bump up efficiency if I fence them off into paddocks. How big should each paddock be? I guess I should get them in March, April and May, after they're off the bottle. My source can supply about 5 bull calves per month.

I live in Michigan and would have to take them off pasture in late Sepetember. Should I sell them in September when they're 300-500 lbs.? Or finish them out? Just looking for some options.

Answer 1

I think that 5 head per acre is a little thick. You'll also have to supplement the grass. You'll probably do better to sell them in September. Finishing out holstein steers is tricky. They'll never look finished even when they weigh 2000 lbs.

Answer 2

Holstein steers are not the most desirable animal for someone feeding them out.  They're a dairy breed and the dressing percentage isn't as good as beef breeds.  I don't know what your idea of unimproved pasture is, but if that means weeds and brush, they're going to starve to death.  To get a Holstein to grow decently, you're probably going to have to supplement them with concentrates (grain), which is pretty expensive at this time.  Instead of jumping in so deep, maybe you should start out with 5 or so.  If things go well, add a few more next year.  Financially, you're better off having too much pasture and not enough animals instead of too many animals and not enough pasture.  With the former, you don't make as much money but with the latter, you lose money.    

Answer 3

This is a tricky question to answer.  The carrying capacity of 3 acres of unimproved pasture is hard to estimate.  If it is a cool season grass, not weeds and brush, you should be able to graze 2 small calves per acre for most all the growing season. Even at that rate you may need to supplement them with some grain to stretch the grass during dry periods, or to give the grass some rest.  Fencing it off into paddocks, so that each paddock can have about 30 days of rest between grazing periods, will greatly increase the carrying capacity.  

Getting the calves started on grass will be tricky.  Holstein bull (steer) calves are weaned off milk replacer, onto a grain diet, at an early age.  Many times this is before the rumen is functional and therefore they will not grow and perform well on a diet of forages (grazed grass).  Be sure to get through this portion of their life carefully.  

Whether to feed them out or sell them as feeders in the fall needs to be carefully considered.  Holstein steers need to be fed a high concetrate diet until they weigh 1500 lbs. to be properly finished.  This means they will still be on feed when it is time to get new calves next spring.  Will your finances handle this?  Do you have sufficient room for two groups at once.  Do you want to provide daily care through the long Michigan winter to feed out six steers?  Would it be better to sell the steers as feeders in the fall, and reinvest any profits into next year's group, until you can afford to feed a group out?  

Many of these questions can only be answerered by you, not someone else.  Your local county extension office should be able to help you with feed budgets, diet formulation, pasture improvement, etc.

Answer 4

Ten to fifteen steers on three acres of the best pasture is overstocked. If you put in temporary electric fences so you can rotate the pasture plots and it will help, but not enough for that many calves. Try no more than six and for six you will have to have good management of your grass. Holstein will fatten out OK but will not bring you as much money as beef steers. You are getting them a lot cheaper than beef calves, but you will have to sell them a little cheaper as well. If you are raising one to kill for personal meat they are a great choice. Try one or two this year and see how it works out for you. If it works out well and you like the experience, work on improving your pasture and increase numbers next year.