Feeding Growing Bulls

[Muttley]

For years I have used oats as my grain in feeding my growing yearling bulls. This year I had to switch to barley as the availability of oats was questionable.
I feel this winter my bulls are not achieving quite what I expect of them , I am a little nervous about increasing grain to gain weight when there can be consequences to the future of a bull to my customers.
What I am wanting to know is what other rations folks are using on their bulls and what works best for them?
I am raising Angus as well as Gelbvieh bulls.

[countryguy]

Last spring I purchased a yearling bull and grew him out on free choice grass hay with 5 pounds of bull ration per day.When he left for the pasture he was by no means fat,and maintained,if not gained weight throughout the breeding season.I never before saw a bull that worked so hard and stayed in such great shape all season long.I will be doing the same with another this spring.I also know of bulls that were grown out on more barley based rations and the results were less than pleasing.

[ianben]

Yeah I am missing your imput too.

[Muttley]

Well Cowman did you ever figure you would have so much impact us?
And did you ever guess you would be missed by a bunch of strangers?

[cowman]

Just got back late last night, lads! Peurto Morales was tough to leave! The boy did a good job while I was gone... maybe he'll make a hand yet!

[cowman]

Muttley: I really hate barley for any animal that I have to keep! Having said this I well remember as a kid, when we fed bulls boiled barley until they were as fat as could be! And a lot of these bulls went on to be very sucessful breeders! My Dad always said if they couldn't cut the hot ration, then their steer calves wouldn't do well in the feedlot! Well, it was a different time for sure!

[thallg]

I find that oats frame our Angus bulls better than other grains. They end up like buterballs on barley, and I don't like the way their hooves form. Meadowbrome hay works best for me as well. In years when oat prices are over $2.50/bus. a pelletized non-barley ration with an ionophore pencils out better, and can offer some tremendous results