Animal groups

Beef cattle nutrition

From arrival to slaughter: receiving and adaptation, step-up to the finishing ration, growing and finishing, and the digestive problems to prevent.

Feeding plan by stage

Overview

Profitable fattening means fast, efficient gain without digestive upsets. The share of concentrate rises gradually through the stages. The values below are typical ranges for intensive fattening of young bulls and steers; breed, starting weight and target market change them.

Key points

Weigh animals at arrival and at least monthly; feed conversion is the key cost figure.
Group animals by weight and keep group changes to a minimum.
Feed at the same times every day; consistency prevents digestive problems.

Typical values by stage

Stage	Concentrate in DM	CP (% DM)	Daily gain
Receiving (2–3 weeks)	30–50%	13–14	Variable
Step-up (3–4 weeks)	50 → 80%	13–14	1.0–1.3 kg
Growing	60–75%	13–14	1.1–1.4 kg
Finishing	80–90%	12–13	1.3–1.6 kg

Target

Steady daily gain with feed conversion of about 6–8 kg DM per kg gain in the finishing period.

Receiving and adaptation

First 2–3 weeks

Newly arrived cattle are stressed by transport, mixing and a new diet. Intake is low in the first days and the risk of respiratory disease is highest.

Key points

Give clean water and good-quality long hay first; water troughs should be easy to find.
Start with a low-concentrate ration (about 1% of body weight concentrate) with good protein, vitamins and minerals.
Health program (vaccination, parasite control) as agreed with your veterinarian.
Check animals twice a day for coughing, nasal discharge, dullness and low appetite.

Target

All animals eating and drinking within a few days; treatment rate for respiratory disease kept low.

Step-up to the finishing ration

~3–4 weeks

Rumen microbes need time to adapt to starch. Moving too fast from forage to grain is the main cause of acidosis in fattening units.

Key points

Raise concentrate in 3–5 steps, each lasting about 5–7 days.
Do not move to the next step until intake and manure are stable.
Ionophores (where permitted), buffers and live yeast can help keep the rumen stable.

Target

Reaching the finishing ration without drops in intake or loose manure.

Growing period

Growing

In the growing period the animal builds frame, muscle and bone. Protein and minerals matter as much as energy.

Key points

Ration of about 13–14% crude protein with good-quality forage (for example corn silage) plus concentrate.
Enough physically effective fibre to keep rumination going.
Calcium, phosphorus and trace minerals balanced for growth; vitamin A especially when forage is poor.

Target

Daily gain of about 1.1–1.4 kg without over-fattening.

Finishing period

Finishing

In the last months, gain becomes more expensive as more fat is deposited. The aim is to reach the target weight and carcass finish efficiently.

Key points

High-energy ration with about 80–90% concentrate and 10–15% forage for rumen health.
Read the feed bunk every morning: a small, consistent amount of leftover is the target.
Enough bunk space and water for all animals.
Track cost per kg gain; keeping animals too long after the target weight lowers profit.

Target

Target slaughter weight reached on time with good carcass yield.

Digestive problems to prevent

Health

Most nutritional losses in fattening come from a few problems that start in the rumen.

Key points

Acidosis: drop in intake, loose manure, lameness. Prevent with gradual step-up, enough effective fibre and consistent feeding.
Bloat: swollen left flank. Can occur with finely ground grain or lush legumes; act fast and call your veterinarian.
Liver abscesses and laminitis are often consequences of repeated acidosis.
Urinary stones: keep the calcium to phosphorus ratio at about 2:1 and ensure plenty of water.

Target

Few digestive cases and low condemnation of livers at slaughter.

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Educational content with general guidance; targets vary by breed and farm. Diagnosis and treatment of sick animals are your veterinarian’s job.

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