8 yr old cow---tast OK?

ihuntgsps · #1 10/21/08, 02:12 PM

I bought an 8 yr old Dexter cow that was supposed to be bred. I have had her 7 months now and she was due in June or July I was told. She is absolutely huge and had a mucus plug come out in July but no calf. Looks hugely pregnant to me. I have a vet coming to ultasound her next week but am curious if she is not bred will she be OK to eat? Anyone evey butcher an 8 yr old Dexter fed grass it's whole life? Will it be tough? Make it all hamburger?
any advice would be appreciated.

Beaners · #2 10/21/08, 02:33 PM

Why would you butcher her rather than try to breed her again? It sounds like you took someone's word that she was bred, and she wasn't. That could be the fault of the previous owner rather than her not being able to be bred.

Kayleigh

ihuntgsps · #3 10/21/08, 02:47 PM

She has been in with my Dexter bull since April so if she is not bred the odds are strong she never will be able to get bred. I was really wanting a calf out of her but if that is not going to happen I was looking for options of what to do with her. Sending her to the butcher seemed about the other only valid option. Just not sure if the meat of a 8yr old grass fed cow would taste good or not?

ozark_jewels · #4 10/21/08, 02:48 PM

She should taste fine. Some burger, a few roasts, doubt I would do steaks. We did up an Angus cow who was well over 10 years. She made delicious burger and roasts.

Your vet should be able to preg check without using an ultrasound. They stick their sleeved hand up the cows rectum and palpate through the uterus wall for the calf. Its a *lot* cheaper than an ultra sound.

Beaners · #5 10/21/08, 03:09 PM

I've had roasts from older cows and they were fine, but I would agree with Emily to steer clear of the steaks.

Sorry I didn't know she had been in with a bull, I was just going by the information in the post.

Kayleigh

topside1 · #6 10/21/08, 03:40 PM

Emily is right, why waste the $$. Even an AI tech can preform palpation.

topside1 · #7 10/21/08, 03:41 PM

Has the cow come into heat in the last 8 months?

ihuntgsps · #8 10/21/08, 08:10 PM

We have seen zero signs of the cow coming into heat since we have had her.
I am really hoping she is bred but it is so past the due date that we are worried she isn't. I appreciate all the advice from this forum...Thank you!

MullersLaneFarm · #9 10/21/08, 08:45 PM

As others have said, you don't need an expensive ultra-sound. A simple pelvic check will tell the vet (or AI tech) what you need to know.

matt_man · #10 10/21/08, 10:54 PM

Did you ever notice her develop an udder? In July when you saw the mucous was it thin and slimy or thick and gelatinous? If it was thin, it was probably mucous associated with heat; if it was thick, it was probably a bit of pregnancy mucous, which they can shed small amounts of all through a pregnancy. Unless you saw stings of mucous that hang almost all the way to the ground, I don't think that she had the calf without you knowing and for some reason something drug it off; although that is a possibility.

Have you had the bull with the cow since you brought her home 7 months ago? If you have, I would at least give her a couple more months to produce a calf and/or have her palpated for pregnancy.

As far as being huge: A dry open cow will get very fat pretty quickly. So fat doesn't necessarily = pregnant.

ihuntgsps · #11 10/22/08, 07:37 AM

When we saw mucus it was thick and stringy and hung down about 12-16" off her. Checked pastures for other sign of calf religously for a week or two after that but no sign of a calf. We do have coyotes and even saw a mt lion a year ago so predators are possible even with the dogs we have.
Called the vet and she says the ultrasound will only be $6 plus the trip charge which is less than I can haul her in for. The vet regularly comes my way so is fitting in the day she is down the road with the neighbor.
She has been with the bull for about 7 months now so if she wasn't bred when we got her I am hoping he has her bred. Never once saw him trying to mount her or anything like that though. Will be nice to finally know though.

translplant · #12 10/22/08, 08:01 AM

Don't worry if you didn't see him mounting her. My Dexter bull was with the herd for 4 months and I never saw any action. Vet just came out two days ago and 10 out of 10 are bred. He obviously is the "Midnight Rambler" (or is it Midnight Stranger? how does that song go?)

Good luck and keep us posted!

stranger · #13 10/22/08, 08:18 AM

I don't know about Dexters, but we ate holsteins that were old enough to vote. just a matter of slow cooking them.

Patt · #14 10/22/08, 10:57 AM

I'd be willing to bet she is bred.

What does her udder look like?

copperhead46 · #15 10/22/08, 04:58 PM

Here's hoping she is bred for you, but if not and you don't want to bred her back, she will butcher just fine. I butchered an 8 year old last year and it was great meat. The steaks were fine, as was all of it. She was strictly grass fed, and one of the best we ever had. I told my butcher that she was grass fed and they said she probably wouldn't make good steaks, but after they had her on the rail, they saw how fat she was and called me to ask how I wanted my steaks cut!!!
Hope she is bred, I'll bet she is.
P.J.