North Dakota State University * Dickinson Research Extension Center
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GRASS FED BEEF

Current and future differences between feed grain prices and cattle prices seem to indicate that we may be forced into a beef production system utilizing all or nearly all roughage rations. With today's fast, efficient hay handling equipment, producing and feeding high quality hay make it possible to produce "grass" fat beef, using only limited amounts of concentrates in the ration.

This trial is designed in three phases, the calf wintering phase, the summer grazing phase and the feedlot finishing phase, to take steer calves from weaning to slaughter.

In the wintering phase Hereford and Hereford-Angus crossbred calves were fed a limited grain-high roughage growing ration to produce gains of 1.25 to 1.50 pounds per day. Actual average daily gain this year was 1.27 pounds. The wintering ration, bunk fed, included: 3 pounds oats, 2 pounds alfalfa, 9.8 pounds tame hay and 0.2 pound mineral mix. Gains and costs for the wintering phase are summarized in table 6.

The pasture phase is a three pasture grazing system using crested wheatgrass for spring and early summer, native range in mid and late summer and Russian wildrye for fall grazing. Beginning on May 1, the pasture phase lasted until November 13, a period of 196 days. Average daily gain for the entire grazing period was 1.23 pounds. Details of performance on the different pasture periods are shown in table 7.

At the end of the grazing period in November the steers were allotted at random for the finishing phase with each lot including 6 crossbred and 6 straightbred steers. Both lots were self fed chopped hay and minerals. In addition, one lot was fed ground oats at the rate of one percent of liveweight until the lot averaged 900 pounds. From 900 pounds to finish weight ground barley was fed at the one percent rate.

These steers were scheduled to be marketed at two weights, a light weight of about 975 pounds and a normal market weight of about 1070 pounds. This was done to provide a comparison of both lots sold under weight constant and time constant conditions. Steers were selected at random for each marketing period at the beginning of the finishing phase. Details of performance in the feedlot are shown in table 8 and 9. Table 10 summarizes the entire trial from weaning to slaughter.

Summary: Results from this trial show that these steers can be fed to acceptable carcass weights and grades on an all roughage ration.

Feeding the tow lots of steers to equal weights of about 1000 pounds required 42 more days in the feedlot, and feed costs were slightly higher for the hay fed steers. There was no difference in carcass grade at this slaughter weight but the grain fed steers dressed out about 30 pounds more carcass.

On an equal weight basis of 1050 pounds the grain fed steers reached market weight 56 days earlier. The hay fed steers graded slightly better than the grain fed group, but here again the carcass weight was heavier for the grain fed group. In this comparison feed costs were slightly lower for the hay fed steers.

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