More on raising your own beef

[moday]

There was a great string on raising your own beef.

My question is what type of cow is recommended? Is it always the steers, and should it only be a beef cow? I'm a goat and sheep guy who would like to expand the horizons.

I see feeder calfs that are often dairy breeds, so I'll assume that they are steers. Is that correct, but are they for human food or other purposes?

If I was going to raise a cow year, with a companion to sell, what breeds are suggested? Is it worth the time to buy the more expensive breeds, such as a Dexter, or just go with whatever the neighbor farmer will sell cheap?

Thanks in advance!

[Cotton Picker]

Hi Moday,

The type of calf I would recommend would be a live one... But seriously, any breed or gender will be edible. As for quality of meat from dairy vs. beef breeds.. well... we could debate that one till the cows come home.....

IMHO, Cheap, healthy, calves, eat just as good as expensive ones. It's not the breed of bovine, or gender, so much as it is how you care for it and what you feed it, that makes the difference, once it hits the plate.

Male calves are bulls until they are castrated.... Then they are steers. Cattle are commonly raised for breeding, beef (both the discription of bovine flesh and the type of husbandry discipline), dairy, draft (Oxen) and veal.......

[sammyd]

Originally Posted by moday

There was a great string on raising your own beef.

My question is what type of cow is recommended? Is it always the steers, and should it only be a beef cow? I'm a goat and sheep guy who would like to expand the horizons.
The type of animal raised is up to the viewers discretion. Everyone has their own preference. We like the holsteins, they are cheap and put on weight fairly decent. We normally buy bull calves and castrate them to raise them as steers but have eaten young (18 month) heifers and they are pretty darn tasty as well.

I see feeder calfs that are often dairy breeds, so I'll assume that they are steers. Is that correct, but are they for human food or other purposes?
Feeder calves can be steers or bulls depending on how young or even who's selling them. Typically around me the calves are sold as bulls, bigger animals will be sold as feeder steers if they are steered. And yes they are for human use. Won't bring the big money if sold as finished cattle since they have a tendancy to be a little bony for their weight but will fill a freezer.

If I was going to raise a cow year, with a companion to sell, what breeds are suggested? Is it worth the time to buy the more expensive breeds, such as a Dexter, or just go with whatever the neighbor farmer will sell cheap?

If you are looking for beef I would look at an animal that will get big. If you are in an area that has dairy farms holstein bulls can usually be had fairly cheap and will make a decent amount of beef. If you don't need as much a pair of jerseys may fit the bill. Don't see many beef calves as they usually stay on the dam all summer and are sold as steers. If looking to resell at something like a sales barn there is usually a difference of 5-15 cent a pound from beef to holstein, around here anyway. We sell halves to private parties and use our growing methods to sell rather than the breed, haven't had any complaints about quality.

Thanks in advance!

So all in all I would recommend you get the cheapest animal you can that will make good beef. I highly recommend the holstein.

[steff bugielski]

I have always gotten Holsteins because that is what is avail cheap,$50 ea at the dairy. Maybe not as much meat as the other breeds but more than enough for us.