How to Feed Steer for Slaughter

Feeding a steer for slaughter is referred to as "fattening out" the steer. This process takes between 1 and 3 months, depending on the breed, age and starting weight of the steer. Feeding a steer on a progressively higher-grain diet needs to be done in conjunction with changes in lifestyle for the steer to lessen the chance that it will burn off all the extra food and stay lean.

Things You'll Need

  • Fattening stall or small pen
  • Water trough
  • Salt lick
  • Grain molasses mix feed
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Instructions

    • 1

      Prepare a fattening stall or a small-sized pen for the steer. It should be clean, warm and have excellent ventilation. This limits movement and environmental stresses, and lets the extra feed fatten out the steer.

    • 2

      Install a water trough that can hold at least 12 gallons of water in the pen, as a steer drinks that amount daily. Water should be fresh and positioned so as to avoid contaminant such as droppings or misplaced feed.

    • 3

      Hang a salt lick in the stall or pen to ensure the steer takes in adequate salt during its fattening period.

    • 4

      Transfer the steer to the prepared pen when it is between 1 and 2 years old. It will be coming from pasture if you have raised it from a calf or from the stockyard if you have just purchased the steer.

    • 5

      Give the steer access to as much dry hay as it wants. Alfalfa or other legume hay is ideal for fattening.

    • 6

      Add 1/2 gallon of grain and molasses mix feed to the steer's diet after about a week in the pen, then gradually increase the amount of grain by 1/2 gallon every couple of days until the steer is happily consuming around 5 gallons of the grain feed daily. Depending on how much weight you want the steer to gain, you can up the grain ration by another 5 to 10 gallons gradually over the fattening out period.

    • 7

      Take the steer to slaughter when it is between 1000 and 2000 pounds. If possible, have the steer held overnight at the place of slaughter after transferring it so the stress of moving it leaves the meat before slaughter. Ideally, have the steer processed at the location where it has been fattened so no stress is endured.