Thinking about Getting Cows

[WindowOrMirror]

Next year. We would keep 2-3 cows year round, artificially inseminate, have them calve in early spring, and slaughter calves in mid-November. We'd graze the cows May- October and the calves would graze with, then wean and we'd put the calves ahead of everything else in the grazing rotation Oct-Nov to get them grass-finished.

Thinking about Devons... anyone got experience with them? Also, thoughts on the approach? It has us slaughtering pretty tender meat without the yield we "could" get, but the calves are almost free that way. We just have to keep the cows 12 months of the year.

R

[Hammer4]

I'm not sure where you live ( I bring that up due to the weather having a large effect on cost to keep animals over winter ), but if you slaughter 8-9 ( March-November ) month old calves, say they weigh 600-700, you lose half that to get to hanging weight, lose some more to get packaged meat...you end up with 200-300 pounds of meat for your effort. Seems to me like a lot of work for a little beef. And if you figure the cost of AI, vaccinations, hay for the cows over the winter, that is what your beef costs.

I don't know anything about Devon, can't help you there.

Personally I wouldn't slaughter them before 18 months, might as well get all the growth and beef you can out of them before taking them to the butcher. That will cost you to keep them over one winter, but you will be rewarded with probably twice the take home beef.

If you are only having 4-6 animals in your grazing rotation and then split that in half, you will have some mighty small rotation areas, and with having to have water in each one, it might be more trouble than its worth so split them up.

Let us know what you decide, and how it goes.

Oh, ( shameless Dexter plug ), we have Dexter cattle and really like them.

[WindowOrMirror]

I really don't want to feed them over winter... but I could. Then the cost goes up per pound.

I'm thinking 600-700 lbs slaughter weight, convert at a total of 50% on hoof weight... that's more than enough meat for us from 2-3 calves for a year.

Also, we'll have sheep/lambs, goats, pigs, horses and chickens in the pasture rotation (to within 30% of carrying capacity) so no worries there! ;-)

Also, we'll likely bring a neighbor in to do butchering this year, learn us to do it, and they'll take home some beef.

Thanks for the thoughts on vet / vaccinations... and, it'll take time to pay back the two initial cows as well (2-3 years likely) which is also something to think about.

R

[Hammer4]

That is a lot of meat for personal consumption. Ahh, I see north central WI is your location now, you will have to feed more hay and longer than I will near KC, MO. Still, that hay you feed ( 28 pounds a day if you figure 4 percent of body weight for a 750 pound 9 month old calf ) x 180 days ( 6 months of hay, very worst case ) thats only 3.3 1500 pound round bales, so say $65 of hay for each calf thru the winter. By doing that, if you butcher the following fall, you can easily get double the meat. Maybe you keep half of one beef for yourself, and barter or sell the rest....

Or you butcher one the first fall to get some meat in the freezer, and keep the other to grow it and sell...but as you say you have lots of other animals you are working with as well so you have lots of other ways to provide food for the table.

[Jena]

600 pounds hoof weight = 360 pounds hanging weight - cutting losses = 252 pounds of beef in the freezer. I used 60% conversion to hanging weight, but I don't know if calves will slaughter that well.

If you go with a less beefy breed, your yields will be that much smaller. If you were going this way, I'd go with one of the growthier breeds and creep feed. Use the Contintental breeds...Simmental, Limmies, etc. Creep feed the entire time, but then you won't have grass fed beef, if that matters to you.

I had SimAngus calves....3/4 Angus, 1/4 Simmi and they usually didn't weigh in at 600-700 pounds by 8 months of age. 500 or so pounds was more like it. I liked to slaughter by 16 months of age at 1200 pounds. I had ADG of 3 pounds or so, but then I fed silage.

Figure your costs of keeping those cows. It may be cheaper to keep one cow, along with her offspring from the previous year to get a larger animal to slaughter.

Jena

[WindowOrMirror]

It's true that keeping one cow and calving it each year, then slaughtering calves at the 18-20 month mark is "smarter financially". In fact, I'll consider it. I just think I need two cows to make all my mgmt intensive grazing work out correctly (wthout getting more of those difficult sheep) ;-)

I'll run the numbers, great ideas though! And yes, I want beef that's eaten almost exclusively grass and has been finished in fair weather on tender grass. Dense healthy meat with a good flavor is what I'm looking for... marbling is actually a downside from my vantage point.

R

[Up North]

Originally Posted by Red Devil

It's true that keeping one cow and calving it each year, then slaughtering calves at the 18-20 month mark is "smarter financially". In fact, I'll consider it. I just think I need two cows to make all my mgmt intensive grazing work out correctly (wthout getting more of those difficult sheep) ;-)

I'll run the numbers, great ideas though! And yes, I want beef that's eaten almost exclusively grass and has been finished in fair weather on tender grass. Dense healthy meat with a good flavor is what I'm looking for... marbling is actually a downside from my vantage point.

R

As we farm in similar climate to you, would suggest that you consider Galloway or Belted Galloway in preference to the Devon. Number one, Devons are small and won't even make the amounts of meat detailed in above posts. The Galloway are in between the small breeds and the large mainstream beef breeds. Number 2 Devons don't carry as much flesh or do as well in our severe winter extreme cold and wind. The Galloway have lotsa fur and take winters in stride. As you indicate a preference for grass-finished beef, the Galloway excel at this. Not to take away from the Devon - just think not best choice for your stated goals and location. Highlanders also do well in our climate.
We expect to feed stored feed for 180 days. Galloways or Highlands can hold their condition on round bales of modest protien and modest cost types of hay which is in plentiful supply in most of the N. part of state. What I'm saying is you don't have to buy expensive dairy quality hay for them to do well.
I completely agree with others that best to raise animals year and a half or so before butchering, especially so if you want a smaller phenotype beef breed.

[Rockin'B]

I believe that beef raised for 18 mos to 2 yrs has much better flavor also. Calves need some time or they will have a more bland flavor. More like veal.

Grass fed also adds Omega-3 fats wich is the good "cholestrol" and balnces much better with the omega-6 cholsestrol.

All in all, I'd take the longer growing grass fed cattle any time.

[WindowOrMirror]

Galloway eh? I'll have to look them up. I was under the impression that Devon's converted grass to meat better than about anything?

R

[Up North]

Originally Posted by Red Devil

Galloway eh? I'll have to look them up. I was under the impression that Devon's converted grass to meat better than about anything?

R

Devons are fine cattle and convert grass well enough. But Galloways give you both traits - good grass finishing and handle cold weathers no problem. My relatives' farm bought two Devon Bulls to downsize his large frame commercial crossbred beef herd. First hard cold in November, the two Devons huddled in shelter shivering while it was just another day to
his old cows. He is in N. Illinois south of you& I.
An alternate strategy would be to just forget about cows altogether, buy 2 400-500 lb. dairy steers in April, run them to fall then harvest them. Best Wishes.

[eross230]

What is a reasonable price for 400-500 lb dairy steers? And where would one buy them?

[milkinpigs]

There are mega dairies locating in Kansa, which means a lot od bull calves available. Talk to your local feed store or livestock auction who might have some available.I would advise you not to buy calves from an auction, rather by them from a dairy if possible. You might pay more but would have healthier steers

[eross230]

How do I find out where these mega dairies are? Will a dairy also sell me a heifer?

[Up North]

Originally Posted by eross230

How do I find out where these mega dairies are? Will a dairy also sell me a heifer?

The "Mega" or large dairies Mr. Milkinpigs refers to are mostly located in the western half of the state ,Lakin, Ulysses and such. There are family dairy farms (Under 150 Cows) located around Hutchinson, also Olathe to Kansas City region. So it just depends where you live. You could check farm papers for for sale ads and to watch market prices for your area.
Some dairies will sell a heifer, some will not. Just depends on if they are overstocked or their plans for the future. With the price of milk as it is , and following a hard drought, there will be some auctions of complete dairy herd sellouts.---UNFORTUNATELY........

[Up North]

Originally Posted by eross230

What is a reasonable price for 400-500 lb dairy steers? And where would one buy them?

A sampling of this week' Holstien steer(LIght Feeder) market:
St. Paul, MN--65-125
Stratford, WI--83-140
Monroe, WI--70-135
All prices in CENTS PER POUND, Prices may vary in your region. Generally, Holstein steers will bring 10-15 cents a lb. higher than colored breed dairy steers, so adjust for that. Hope this gives you some frame of reference.
At least in our area, Light Feeders can include from 300 to 650 Lbs. Heavy Feeders are 650-900 lbs. This, too, may vary by region.

[Kirby Greene, MscD]

There is a new web-site that discusses the American Milking Devon:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MilkingDevonTalk

I think you'll find them very desirable!

the Old Buck

[milkinpigs]

Originally Posted by eross230

How do I find out where these mega dairies are? Will a dairy also sell me a heifer?

There is a publication in Kansas calledthe "High Plains Journal".Get a copy, might can view it online; it has an extensive classified section.If it doesn't have what you need, it should give you a few leads.