Size large steer

jon f mn · Apr 3, 2021

While reading about the feeder prices below I was reminded of a steer I saw go through the sale barn a couple weeks ago. You should be able to see the weight on the screen, but that's over 2800 pounds of Holstein steer. Was taller than me at 5-10. Quite a sight. There was also another there at over 2400 pounds. I had no idea Holstein cattle would get that tall.

ss55 · Apr 3, 2021

Makes you wonder what it cost to feed it to that size, how long it takes and if it pays off. Slower gains and lower feed efficiency could mean it takes a lot of feed. Five months a year of summer pasture could reduce feed costs, but seven months a year of winter feed would be expensive, especially over several winters.

GordoSD · Apr 3, 2021

What did it sell for? How old was it? Want to put a pen cil on it.

DeltaSteve · Apr 3, 2021

Aren't big steers like that what used to be used as oxen?

jon f mn · Apr 3, 2021

Looks like it sold for $.75/pound. Just over $2100.00

Tony in SD · Apr 3, 2021

As much as it weights, it looks skinny to me. I think its backbone could saw you in half if you were to ride it.

showcrop · Apr 3, 2021

Frank Scruton, the patriarch of a the Scruton dairy farm in southern NH, was known far and wide for his Chianina steers that he pulled in the oxen pulling competitions at all of the agricultural fairs. Babe and Tom, in 1984 went undefeated at 32 fairs, and Bill, a.k.a. Big Bill, at 3,450 pounds with his 2,450-pound teammate Ned, pulled 19,800 pounds at the Northampton Fair competition in '58?

Mike(NEOhio) · Apr 3, 2021

Holsteins, yes big and bony. We used to get all our beef from my father in law when he would raise the bull calves to slaughter weight. An old cow would go for hamburger. He would occasionally replace his bull and they went to the freezer too. He always had the tenderloins pulled, they make a great roast.

wisbaker · Apr 3, 2021

My parents moved to a farm when I was about 12. Neither had been raised on a farm. Part of the learning curve for dad was learning when it was time to send steers off to slaughter. He bought a Holstein steer when we moved to the farm and we fed and fed it. When asked if it was ready to ship he kept on replying He's not big enough yet. He finally decided to slaughter the steer but it was more a function of money was tight and the freezer was empty. Live weight was a tad under 1,900 pounds. He soon learned that you can't or shouldn't try to feed a Holstein until it's round, we trimmed about 18 months off the feed time for a steer after that one. Don't get me going about what happened when he broke his first sheer pin in the baler.

Tgrasher · Apr 3, 2021

Remember having one tall like that as a kid on the farm in a pen that height. We were trying to fatten him up by himself, giving him extra feed. That sucker could clear that fence like a deer, trying to get back with the other cows. Ended up sending him off as he was.

Gary Mitchell · Apr 3, 2021

For years a HUGE Holstein bull was on exhibit with the Holsteins at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia. Our day was never complete until we looked in on him. gm

paul · Apr 3, 2021

Were the needles welded or bought new replacements?

Paul

muleman51 · Apr 3, 2021

I t appears no corn was wasted on that steer. I'll bet that even made tough ground beef. If you had that steer on full feed corn it would probably eat 50 pounds a day, as it looks it was getting air, water and straw.

Bruce from Can. · Apr 3, 2021

Back when I had Holstein cows, the biggest cow I ever sent to market weighed 1950lb . Thanks to Holstein bulls like Marquis Ned and Quality Ultimate, dairy cows got the genetic ability to grow to too big.

Brown Swiss · Apr 3, 2021

My neighbor after he sold the cows kept a couple youngstock from the herd, he had a steer that was his pet! Was quite the site cause my neighbor was a whopping 5 foot at best and his pet steer ( Loius) was around 6'6 but was a gentle giant!

Olyj1947 · Apr 4, 2021

While I had beef cows, one Angus bull topped out at 2620 when he was culled. Heck of an animal but hated fences. His off spring added a lot to our herd for the 6 years we had him. And he wasn't fed a lot of grain either, just grass during the breeding season and full feed of hay and 20 pounds of corn silage the rest of the year.

Size large steer

jon f mn

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ss55

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GordoSD

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DeltaSteve

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jon f mn

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Tony in SD

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showcrop

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Mike(NEOhio)

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wisbaker

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Tgrasher

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Gary Mitchell

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paul

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muleman51

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Bruce from Can.

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Brown Swiss

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Olyj1947

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