Baby beef? Input?

wolffeathers · #1 12/30/10, 09:44 PM

We currently have a dairy cow and her little bull calf. He was born the first week of September and is growing like a weed. He gets all the milk he wants and whatever feed he steals from momma.

So here's the a dilemma. We really don't have room for two cows for very long. I was going to leave him on the cow for a while(I use him as the relief milker) and then eventually he'll meet his destiny as steak.

How long do you usually wait before butchering? (Keep in mind, I don't have the space or pasture to just leave him alone to grow) I'm thinking by the time he's weaned(or we dry momma off for her next calf, whichever comes first) will be his graduation date(if not earlier). He should produce a good bit of meat by then, correct? He's growing so fast I think he'll be almost the size of his dam in just a few more months.

We have a large stand-up(can't think of the correct term at the moment) freezer as well as a small chest freezer out in the barn. The chest freezer is empty, and the stand-up is fairly empty. Between the two, there should be sufficient room to keep what comes back from the butcher, I hope?

They are my first cattle and he will be the first thing I ever send off to the butcher. We have processed rabbits and poultry and once a hog here, but nothing the size(or specific cuts) of a steer.

Suggestions? Input?

tinknal · #2 12/30/10, 11:00 PM

Sounds like a good plan to me. I would add a creep feeder and start him on oats. Add some corn and work him up and pour the grain to him.

tinknal · #3 12/30/10, 11:02 PM

I would keep him on the cow until you are ready to dry her off.

Cheribelle · #4 12/31/10, 03:48 AM

Around here it takes months to get a butcher date. Call around, you may need to schedule it now.

myersfarm · #5 12/31/10, 09:45 AM

you will be suprised just how small a steer looks wraped in paper......yes it will work either way you do it...but when you wean unless you add grain or do it real slow he will lose weight

wolffeathers · #6 12/31/10, 10:10 AM

Okay, just making sure it all sounded good. Thanks for the headsup on the butcher, I'll have to get on that. We planned to let him nurse until the cow kicks him off or until we take him off when we let her dry off.

Thanks.

oneokie · #7 12/31/10, 10:21 AM

From my personal experience; baby beef has vastly different taste and texture compared to aged beef. 2 years ago, I had a weaning calf (6 months old) butchered. Off the cow to the packer. Never again.

Gabriel · #8 12/31/10, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oneokie

From my personal experience; baby beef has vastly different taste and texture compared to aged beef. 2 years ago, I had a weaning calf (6 months old) butchered. Off the cow to the packer. Never again.

I did that this year and we're enjoying it. The taste is not as pronounced as an older one, but it's certainly tender. Besides, if you don't have room... what option is there?

tinknal · #9 12/31/10, 11:12 AM

Just an idea, but if you prefer more mature beef you might be able to trade the calf to a local farmer for a half of beef.

wolffeathers · #10 12/31/10, 11:19 AM

If it goes as planned(he nurses until we pull him) he will probably be about 8-9 months old. ((If my math is right, mom was rebred Thanksgiving, thanks to the neighbors amorous fence jumping angus and the calf we have now was born September 8.))

If we had a satellite pasture somewhere, I wouldn't mind turning him loose for a while longer. But he's in the backyard(about 4-5acres) with the other animals. I guess the only other option would be to sell him, but we were really hoping for some homegrown beef. I just figured that it would be easiest to use him as the relief milker until it came time to dry her off for the next calf, then ship him off. That way we take care of weaning, drying off, and butchering all at the same time. Since our pasture is only crossfenced once, he would have to be weaned in the barn in a stall or with the horses on their side of the 3 strand electric fence(don't see him staying over there).

Oneokie- Was it simply not what you were used to or was it just nasty? I've never had it, I heard it would be more tender, but didn't hear anything on the taste.

oneokie · #11 12/31/10, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wolffeathers

Oneokie- Was it simply not what you were used to or was it just nasty? I've never had it, I heard it would be more tender, but didn't hear anything on the taste.

It was mostly a very different taste. Closest I can come to describing the taste would be it was bland and had a sweet aftertaste. The hamburger was rubbery, even the kids did not particularly like it. Only good point was the tenderness, any cut could be cut with a fork, no knife necessary.

Trisha in WA · #12 12/31/10, 02:01 PM

We raises several Holstein calves in 2009. They were not grain fed at all, but got LOTS of great Jersey milk and alfalfa hay. They were butchered at 6 months of age. To me they tasted gamey, but some of my friends who got shares of the beef liked it. I think it's all about personal tastes. True, they were VERY tender...almost too much so when it came to the hamburger, but if we mix it with regular beef burger, it's fine.

ozark_jewels · #13 01/08/11, 11:15 AM

We butchered a Jersey steer straight off his mother several years ago. He was 8 months old. The beef was delicious.

cowkeeper · #14 01/08/11, 04:44 PM

I put a 4 1/2 month Jersey steer calf straight off his dam into the freezer in the fall. He had all the milk he could hold and the best quality second cut mixed hay I was feeding the cow. I was surprised at the quantity of meat I got back and melt in the mouth tender and great flavor.ck

TamBerk · #15 01/10/11, 05:41 AM

If you can keep the calf with the mother for another few months getting milk and hay and can get exercise ,you will have what they call a "rose veal" calf.. The meat tends to be a rose color and taste delicious.Slaughtering should be between 8 and 10 months old.