How to Fatten a Steer for Slaughter

A rancher begins fattening a steer for slaughter when it is a yearling. A steer is slaughtered when it is 18- to 20-months old and weighs between 1,000 to 2,000 pounds. Fattening a steer to this weight requires extra attention to its diet and living conditions, and usually necessitates its removal from free-roaming pasture.

Things You'll Need

  • Hay
  • Grain
  • Molasses
  • Salt lick
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Instructions

    • 1

      Confine your steer to a small pen or fattening stall 6 to 12 weeks prior to the desired date of slaughter. Roaming during the fattening stage burns fat and keeps cattle lean. The less exercise at this stage, the faster the steer fattens out.

    • 2

      Keep the steer and its environment clean, warm and stress-free. Stress and cold contribute to weight loss in cattle. A dirty environment leads to diseases.

    • 3

      Supply the steer with fresh water all times. According to Charles Sanders of "Backwoods Home" magazine, a steer drinks up to 12 gallons of water a day.

    • 4

      Give the steer access to as much high-quality alfalfa hay as it can eat. Supplement the hay with grain, molasses and a salt lick. Make a supplement mix of grain, molasses and salt to feed with hay instead of giving separately. Add the supplemental food at 1/2 gallon per day to start. Gradually increase the amount of supplemental food to 5 gallons per day.