finishing in the spring on grass

anvoj · #1 03/30/10, 12:05 PM

Hi all,
Any opinions out there about the right or wrong way to finish a steer on grass for spring butchering?

francismilker · #2 03/30/10, 12:41 PM

Never done it completely so I too am interested in the replies here. I'd think though you'd simply put him on full grass, water, and mineral and then butcher him when you have the chance. I don't think grass puts a final cover on them like grain though. Others with experience weigh in here.

tinknal · #3 03/30/10, 09:30 PM

Are you doing a straight grass fed, or are you giving grain too?

copperhead46 · #4 03/30/10, 09:54 PM

A lot depends on the breed and age of the animal. I finished a Dexter steer a year ago and all I did was wait till he looked pretty fat and took him to the butcher shop. He had free choice salt and mineral but no grain. The meat was dark and lean, very good taste and tender steaks. The one I finished this year went before I had any green grass for him, so he was finished on alfalfa hay, prarie hay and a couple of lbs of calf creep feed. He had a nice layer of fat and the meat is some of the best yet.
P.J.

anvoj · #5 03/31/10, 01:25 AM

Our steer is a 3/4 highland x herf. I don't want to give him grain.

We butchered a 3 yr highland bull last fall which had been in the bull pen for 10 weeks on just hay. Good flavor, but not the tenderest steak ever.

What I've heard is that you want 60-90 days of +/-2lb gain on grass for the best texture. I guess my question is whether the important thing is the 60-90 period, or more that they are gaining steadily (for at least a while) prior to slaughter. Maybe the gain loosens up the muscle tissue, where if there is no gain the muscle gets set and stringy?

Ronney · #6 03/31/10, 05:27 AM

Hi Anvoj, I completely grass farm other than supplementary feeding hay over the winter when grass growth slows or almost stops. I milk cows, and grow out beef both for our freezer and to send to the works under this regime.

Freezer beasts can be anything from Jersey to Jersey/Angus to Jersey/Friesian but they all have a layer of fat and the meat is marbled. There is no secret to it. As your spring growth comes away, rotate your freezer beast if possible, it doesn't matter if you can't but make sure that he is in a paddock with plenty of good grass. I run my freezer beast with the milking herd for the last month because the milking herd get priority grass. The idea is to keep them on a rising plane through the spring and then kill just before summer and things start to dry off. Look at the brisket - it should be plump. The ribs should be covered as should the hip bones.

Cheers,
Ronnie

bruce2288 · #7 03/31/10, 09:22 AM

The key is high quality grass. Not matured seeded grass,also not very short new grass. You need grass that is high in sugar content so the critter gains. New growth grass is very high in protein and short on sugar and starches. Mature seeded grass is short on protein and sugars.

agmantoo · #8 03/31/10, 11:54 AM

Personally I would not process for meat an animal coming off
Spring and Summer pasture for concern that some of the plants being consumed would leave a taste in the meat. I would either wait until the undesirable plants go dormant or I would take the animal to a holding lot and feed hay for 30 to 60 days before processing.

Farm 36 · #9 03/31/10, 01:35 PM

Agmantoo should I ask a question here or in the grazing sticky . The question is how to finish a steer to get the best taste. We can argue all day about grass fed and grain fed .I am interested in grain fed how long to be on grain how much to start and rate of to increase . For me I like to eat the best and if I want seconds I eat out .

wstevenl · #10 03/31/10, 03:31 PM

We finished a steer (grazing with the rest of the herd) on alfalfa/orchard/clovers. The last week or so he was on part of the pasture that was Bermuda/clover. The beef was very very good. I've been told to be careful when there is alot of wild onion/garlic. This would be early spring usually around here. I've also read alot like was already posted that the steer needs to be gaining when butchered. It would be best to harvest him when the grass is still good instead of when it starts to die off. To keep him on great grass you really need to rotate alot. We rotate every single day to a new, rested, paddock of grasses. Also... it is important to keep the steer pretty calm while loading and killing. Stress can make for more tough meat.

I have two that I'll be finishing soon. I don't expect to be able to finish them on the early spring growth, they probably won't gain well until the grasses get pretty tall and start to mature more. The early growth will go right through them.