Holstein ready for slaughter?

CrabbyChicken · #1 03/04/13, 07:34 PM

I have a two year old FreeMartin heifer. We are feeding her about 20lbs of sweet feed a day. I am thinking of having her processed in two months. Just wanted an idea if you guys thought she was close. Thanks!!!

myheaven · #2 03/04/13, 09:35 PM

I personally would like to see more angles. Head on rear on. She looks good to me. But that is only one angle

CrabbyChicken · #3 03/04/13, 09:42 PM

I will try and get some more pics. She is very thin in the hips for sure from the back look!

unregistered41671 · #4 03/04/13, 09:58 PM

Welcome Crabby Chicken

topside1 · #5 03/05/13, 06:57 AM

I'd take her in now, 20 pounds of feed per day can get costly and not even beneficial. The comes a point when all you are doing is making the cow fat. Loads of this fat is sold to rendering companies for whatever. So with this in mind, are you adding marbling to the meat or are you now just adding excess fat to the carcass? Fat is weight that you are paying for, if it's in excess then you are paying for waste at the slaughterhouse. I've toured many slaughterhouses and excess fat is piled high. Hope I made myself clear, just woke up, and haven't read what I wrote...Coffee here I come...Topside

topside1 · #6 03/05/13, 07:39 AM

Growth rate and metabloic rate eventually meet somewhere on a bell curve...Topside

CrabbyChicken · #7 03/05/13, 08:34 AM

Thank you for the welcome and the replies! I can make the call and see when the truck can come on out. This is only our second animal we have raised for the freezer, and she is built a lot different than the half charolais steer was. Thanks again!

tinknal · #8 03/05/13, 09:23 AM

I think another 2 months of feed will do her a world of good. I assume she is getting free choice hay or pasture, right?

CrabbyChicken · #9 03/05/13, 05:05 PM

Thanks Tinknal! It will probably be that long before I can get the slaughter truck to get out this way anyway! I appreciate the help.

tinknal · #10 03/05/13, 05:29 PM

BTW, a couple of pounds a day of beef finisher concentrate a would be well worth the money. It will allow her to use the rest of her feed to it's full potential.

CrabbyChicken · #11 03/05/13, 06:17 PM

Thanks again, Tinknal. She is getting a general sweet feed now and orchard grass and local grass hay. As much as she wants.

I will try the beef finisher, was going to start adding some more corn. But that might work better!

tinknal · #12 03/05/13, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrabbyChicken

Thanks again, Tinknal. She is getting a general sweet feed now and orchard grass and local grass hay. As much as she wants.

I will try the beef finisher, was going to start adding some more corn. But that might work better!

Before yo go with the concentrate compare the prices between sweet feed and complete finisher ration, it may very well be cheaper to just get complete feed.

CrabbyChicken · #13 03/06/13, 12:14 AM

Does beef finisher make that much difference compared to just a sweet grain mix? I am interested in this stuff!!! Thanks!

tinknal · #14 03/06/13, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrabbyChicken

Does beef finisher make that much difference compared to just a sweet grain mix? I am interested in this stuff!!! Thanks!

Sweet feed is relatively low in protein, that's what the concentrate provides (for the most part). More protein means more muscle.

CrabbyChicken · #15 03/06/13, 06:55 PM

I have already bought about 500lbs of the sweet feed. Can I just get a bag of Calf Manna to add to this to up the protein? Thanks!

topside1 · #16 03/06/13, 08:41 PM

I'm not trying to start a food fight here, but at 2 years old proteins drop out of the equation, muscle growth at that age is minimal. Concentrate on energy foods like you already bought (sweet feed), it's the energy foods that add marbling...low protein, high carbohydrate....Topside

CrabbyChicken · #17 03/07/13, 08:32 AM

Nope no fighting! I appreciate everyone helping me out! Thank you!

tinknal · #18 03/07/13, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrabbyChicken

I have already bought about 500lbs of the sweet feed. Can I just get a bag of Calf Manna to add to this to up the protein? Thanks!

Calf manna is a complete feed, instead find a "beef finisher concentrate" to add to your sweet feed.

francismilker · #19 03/07/13, 07:18 PM

At that weight, I'm a straight corn with free choice hay feeder. As topside said, "High carb, low protein" produces better marbling. Straight corn is my finisher of choice.

topside1 · #20 03/08/13, 07:02 AM

Crabby, for future reference I'd also recommend finishing with corn, cracked corn is the best in my opinion. Sweet feed is fine but it contains an assortment of by-products. Nothing to worry about, feed the 11% sweet feed but my first choice would have been 6-8 pounds of corn per day for 60 days. Of course everyone's situation is different...We are what we eat====Topside