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Utilizing Bluestem Grass in Fattening Young Cattle for Market

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station

Abstract

Fattening three-year-old and older steers on bluestem grass alone has been an important phase of the beef cattle industry in Kansas for many years. Changing economic conditions brought about two situations that created an interest in the possibility of utilizing bluestem grass in fattening younger cattle, particularly yearlings. These two situations were: (1) a constantly decreasing supply of three-year-old and older steers; and (2) a constantly increasing demand for lighter carcasses.

The first attempt of the Kansas station to help solve this problem consisted of full feeding yearling steers on bluestem grass. These steers (which had been roughed through the previous winter) were full fed during the entire grazing season. This method produced well finished light weight cattle but at a rather high cost.

The next year two lots of steer calves were wintered well, receiving approximately five pounds of grain per head daily. One lot was then full fed 180 days on bluestem grass and the other grazed 90 days without grain and then full fed 90 days on blue-stem grass. The second group proved to be decidedly niore profitable than the first.