raising beef quesion

awoodwaring · #1 10/02/12, 08:53 PM

Someone was telling me that they are buying a weened calf/steer and raising it until the grass in the fields are gone. (We are in Northern California) They butcher the animal before they need to feed hay. Who have done this, what are the positives and negatives.

Also who are raising dairy bulls up and harvesting the in 1 about the same age.

francismilker · #2 10/02/12, 09:48 PM

If you want all grass fed beef it will work out just fine with little input. I'm personally not a fan of grass fed but it's just personal preference.

I raise a dairy bull or two every year for my freezer and we love it. My kids are 18 and 12 and to my knowledge have never eaten anything from my wife other than a jersey or holstein. They actually complain about the so called "certified angus beef" they get when they sleep over at a friends house!

suzyhomemaker09 · #3 10/03/12, 08:15 AM

Seems that'd be a bit young to process a grass fed beef. My 1st was 18 months and came out very nice....the 2nd was just about a year old...( yes bad weather conditions and needing to buy hay for feed prompted the decision ) and he didn't dress out well at all, way too lean.

topside1 · #4 10/03/12, 08:44 AM

Butchering to young robs you of potential muscle growth, marbling and flavor. Years ago I butchered a 1000# holstein @ one year old, light colored meat, less flavor, chewier, never again. 18 months or older is rule #10 in old Topside's rule book....

francismilker · #5 10/03/12, 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by topside1

Butchering to young robs you of potential muscle growth, marbling and flavor. Years ago I butchered a 1000# holstein @ one year old, light colored meat, less flavor, chewier, never again. 18 months or older is rule #10 in old Topside's rule book....

OK ol' topside, if that's #10 I'd love to hear the others before it (1-9) I admire your knowledge on raising quality jersey beef so I'd like to know.

topside1 · #6 10/04/12, 11:00 AM

Francis, rules 1-9 pertain to those tricky bottle calves....Love Jersey beef there is no finer....Take care, ol' Topside.

oregon woodsmok · #7 10/04/12, 01:07 PM

If you want to do that, I suggest that you buy feeder cattle in the very early spring and then butcher when the grass is gone. Weaned beef calves are pretty big, but not ready to butcher that same fall.

Buy cattle who just turned 1 year old and then they will be ready to put in the freezer in October or November. Just be aware that you will be buying the most expensive cattle that you can buy. Because lots of people want to buy feeders in the early spring and keep them just until the grass is gone. So there is a lot of demand for them at that time for that size.

oregon woodsmok · #8 10/04/12, 01:10 PM

Additional suggestion:

Buy weaned beef calves in late fall. Price will be at it's lowest just as the grass is gone because nobody wants to feed them over the winter. Feed them over the winter. They are small-ish, so that limits how much they eat. In early spring, they are worth a lot more money.

If you can afford it, buy 4, sell 2 in the spring and keep two for your own grass. Butcher in the fall, buy more weaned calves as soon as you butcher.

Dreamfarm · #9 10/04/12, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oregon woodsmok

Additional suggestion:

Buy weaned beef calves in late fall. Price will be at it's lowest just as the grass is gone because nobody wants to feed them over the winter. Feed them over the winter. They are small-ish, so that limits how much they eat. In early spring, they are worth a lot more money.

If you can afford it, buy 4, sell 2 in the spring and keep two for your own grass. Butcher in the fall, buy more weaned calves as soon as you butcher.

That's a great idea!

awoodwaring · #10 10/04/12, 10:39 PM

I will start looking for calves now. I wanted to wait until it started to rain here before getting calves, I will just take my time. I was thinking 18 months was about time to harvest the steer/bull. I love the advice. I have done a milking cow and did not enjoy the time needed to milk/process all the milk.

What is the ratio of meat coming off of a dairy cow vs. a beef cow? just wondering.

When do you start fattening with grains to finish off?

topside1 · #11 10/05/12, 07:39 AM

48-52% dairy. 60-64% beef. 60-90 days prior to slaughter...Topside

chester5731 · #12 10/05/12, 08:41 AM

[QUOTE=awoodwaring;6179836] I was thinking 18 months was about time to harvest the steer/bull.

I just took two steers in on wednesday. They were 18 months old and averaged 1260 live weight. They were polled herford on grass, oats and ground open pollinated cob corn.

homsteddinmom · #13 10/05/12, 10:08 AM

I buy jersey bull calves and raise on bottle, i dont know what mine are at weight right now but will be taking them to butcher at 18 months just cuz that is when i will have some extra money...lol

oregon woodsmok · #14 10/05/12, 12:26 PM

Personally, I would prefer to butcher at 24 months, but that involves carrying them through 2 winters. So I butcher in November at about 20 months.

I feed cattle grain every day of their lives. A small amount. It keeps them coming in when I call them and it puts fat in the muscle instead of on the outside. When they are young, they get a handful and we work up to a pound a day by the time they are going to the butcher. The grain that you feed to calves gets used for growth and has a pretty good return in weight gain per pound of grain.

The amount of grain given is small because I don't want to fill them up with easy feed. I want them out there in the field working to harvest grass.

The cattle come in every evening and put their face down into a feed tub and I can walk around them and use pour-on wormers and insecticide. It makes care very easy. I only have to put them through the chute for vaccinations. They come in when i whistle. Nobody ever has to chase them (much to the disappointment of the cow ponies)

awoodwaring · #15 10/08/12, 10:18 PM

oregon woodsmok~
They come in when I whistle. Nobody ever has to chase them (much to the disappointment of the cow ponies)

That is funny!

We had a guy who brought out long horn cows to eat down the grasses here since they were so high. Before we got the other animals. He was using them for roping practice. By the time they left I had them all coming when called and a couple would come by name. Needless to say he was not very happy with me. I have trained almost all the animals to come when called way easier to deal with them.