How large to 'normal' steers get to be? I have no idea. What does the big bull at the fair usually come in at? I was thinking not even as big as Cletus?
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I'm pretty sure that testosterone and other sex hormones play an important role in closing the growth plates of bones. Hence, you stop growing taller after you've passed puberty. Therefore, steers (a castrated male) can continue to grow long after a bull stops growing.
It is a steer. Look at his head, not masculine at all and you don't make a bull the lead animal as all they want to do is fight. Look at what the size of the bulls at the state fair usually weigh and the record is larger than that many years ago, had it in class at ISU. Just can't remember the animals name.
Ave. size steer at slaughter is generally 1350 lbs., range of 1200 to 1400. Ususally 1 1/2 yrs. old. Mature bulls are 1800 to 2100 lbs. at 4-6 yrs. old. Different breeds have different frame sizes and maturity levels so these numbers can vary accordingly. Yes, steers can get very large if they are fed hard long enough and given time to grow similar to older bulls.
Had to have been pumped up with some kind of drugs and pulled off the cow at an early age and fed seperately to get that big. I grew up on a farm that raised cattle, a steer around 16 months is going to weigh around 1200-1500 probably if feed well. Even a fully matured bull on the large side is going to have a hard time topping 3000 pounds even if it is well fed. The largest cow we have on the farm now weighs around 1700 and average cow on our farm maybe 1100-1200 when we wean the calf off them.
BTW, impossible for it to weigh 725 when born. (says animal science-major husband who works in beef industry)
Yeah, it wasn't that big, even the heaviest calves are slightly over 100 pounds but most are between 70-90 when born. You get much over 100 and chances are the cow is going to need assistance when giving birth. Wonder when it was born because it said 725 as an april calf, well maybe it born in the winter? Our March/April calves even the heaviest ones are maybe 600 when weaned in the fall, most are around 500 give or take and that's with a little feed in the last month or 2.
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Originally Posted by bugs4cy 
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