Buddy’s dad has space to feed out a steer or two for meat, so we are throwing the idea around. Forgive the ignorance, but I’ve never been around livestock.

What type of cow is best?
How long do you have to feed it?
What do you feed it?

This seems like something I’d be asking the guy who has space to feed out a steer. If he can’t give solid advice, I wouldn’t do it.

Black Angus to me is the best. We have 6 right now that have been on sweet feed and all the hay they want for about 3 months now. They are registered and they are going to be sold as breeders. Folks have been asking about getting them but son says no. As a boy growing up we always fed ours out for two months before we took them to the packing house. I assume you now have to get an appointment with the processor so just plan a date and start feeding two months before the date. Alot of folks now just want grass-fed beef. I cant figure this one out.

I have heard the same about scheduling ahead of time with a processor.

Damn, why didn’t I think of that?!

He just bought the place and does has never done it.

2-3 months feed time is a good estimate on time depending on starting size of the steer or heifer (either one is fine meat quality wise). Guy I used to work for would feed (2) 5 gallon bucket fulls per day per head when he was feeding out his own (If I remember correctly). One in the morning and one in the afternoon. Believe he used a mixture of Casey’s bull feed and sweet feed. About 50/50 mix

Angus or Brangus with 90days of finish feeding (grain/sweetfeed) and it will be the best beef you’ve ever eaten that wasn’t A5

If they don't weigh around 1000+ you'll be wasting your time and money. !200 -1400 is ideal. Hide, guts and bone weigh a lot but don't put meat in the freezer.

Cotton Seed are what we always used to feed them out. They would look like the Michelin Tire Guy after about 3 months on this!!

If you wanna fatten on up start feeding him bread and sweet feed

Make sure they have access to all the fresh water they want to drink. That and plenty of sweet feed maybe some good quality hay. Cuts of meat like steaks and roast will still be pretty lean compared to what we're used to eating, so they'll be a little tough if over cooked.

I guess the old way of giving a 5-gallon bucket of corn a day for 6-8 weeks is to simple these days.

I feed out, finish and sell beef as part of my making a living, 99% black Angus calves. It ain't rocket surgery for sure but, you can kill one too. I like to get mine to 900-950 pounds on grass before they go into the finish lot for roughly 120 days. I feed an 12% finish ration that is over 50% corn and not so great hay. They hay is only to slow the digestion down so they can process the feed. Calling ahead and getting a processing date booked is a smart move. I have mine booked months in advance, and keep a backlog of orders.

Black Angus turned into a marketing scheme in the late 90's early 2000's. What you buy in the grocery store that is labeled black Angus just has to have black skin, so it may not be the real deal. I wouldn't buy a registered beef for the slaughter house, but getting someone that knows what to look for and what to stay away from would be worth a small fee. I would stay away from jersey or holestein among others. Angus, Hereford, charolais or any of that combo would be what I looked for. Be prepared to pay, as 6-900 lb calves are high right now. The smaller the lot, the better. Don't let any weeds grow for them to eat. Trust me, you can tell if weeds were a big part of their diet, especially milk week and summer cedar. If you haven't seen a feed lot out west, imagine a football field or two packed with beeves so thick a dog could barely walk through them. Clear as mud now?

Got my mouth watering.

I also recommend researching a good butcher. The beef can be fed out perfect and a bad butcher can eff it all up. Simply making the suggestion bc I learned the hard way and it doesn’t sound like the person you are getting it from has experience.

Do you dry lot your calves for the last 120 days? Back when we showed steers, the last 3-4 months before the shows, they never stepped foot in the pasture again. The only thing they had to eat was the feed we blended. We made it according to the AU Bull test ration. That is by far, the best beef, I've ever eaten.

To the OP, I'd buy a yellow calf, or a black calf. Both will yield great beef. Yellow calf will be a Charolais cross calf. The other half of the cross would be Red Angus, Hereford, or some brand of red cattle. Don't buy a calf with a short slick coat of hair. I don't like much or any Brahman in feeder calves.

The cheapest, good calf you could probably buy would be a red baldy. Pure Hereford, or a red baldy cross. They'll make great beef.

Yellow or white calf with a black nose!!

Yes sir.