finishing dexter beef

[lakeviewwalker]

I am working on finishing a dexter steer for my freezer looking for input on how everyone does it the last 2 I did (the only 2) I did 100 percent grass butchered 1 at 30 months the other at 24 the taste was good but my family is used to beef we buy from the neighbor that is grain fed so wondering how much grain I would need to pump into him to get closer to that

[Laura Workman]

What are you trying to accomplish with grain? I've finished Dexters on good pasture that had a very nice fat layer, according to the butchers (who were a bit surprised). Another steer was finished on alfalfa hay, same result. In all instances, the beef was excellent - tender, juicy, and very flavorful. One of the beauties of Dexters is that they will, in fact, finish very well on forage, providing there's enough in terms of quantity and quality. (Note that a poor butcher can wreck anything, and butchers aren't used to working with these smaller carcasses. I limit aging to 10 days after getting one back that had a bit of that off taste after 14 days of aging.)

[goodhors]

The grain finish gives a bit of fat layer to the meat, which makes it more tender. Grass fed is fine, but can be "chewier" without the fat layering thru the meat. People used to "store bought beef" expect that fat layering in their meat, so having it chewier is off-putting.

We fed our steer a helping of a corn mix from the local elevator, he got about 2 gallons daily, after starting with smaller feedings and building up to the larger quantity grain mix. At that time I wasn't really into cattle, it was just a half bucket for him, about 4" deep, and I had to wait while he ate it or the horses would chase him off and eat the feed. He was fed this corn mix, for six weeks before going to the processor. He was the BEST eating beef I have ever had. Everything off him was fork tender, hardly needed a knife to cut any of the meat for eating off your plate.

I know the corn mix was cracked corn, had a little molasses, probably a bit of soybean meal, but not much. Not sure about oats in it after all this time. It was the Steer Feed Blend, recipe of the Elevator. He liked it very well, cleaned it up readily.

The six weeks feeding time allowed him to get the fat thru his body systems, he still was grazing and getting plenty of exercise walking hills and horses chasing him from the best spots! The addition of the steer feed wasn't very expensive for using it over that short time. My mom was directing things concerning the steer, and this extra feeding was part of her expertise as a Food Specialist, knowing ALL ABOUT food in every form, in real life. She was a Home Economics Teacher, Masters Degree plus, and those people KNEW so much more on food, meat, any kind of home related thing, than what is taught now. I just was the kid, taking care of him!

I would do the last six weeks of grain again, for any steer we would raise to finish again. Tender beef comes from having fat in the meat. I don't think the breed makes as much difference to flavor, as what the animal eats does. Grass fed is great, but probably won't give quite enough fat to the meat, without that little extra grain at the end of his time with you. Big savings with only feeding small amount of grain over 6 weeks the time you finish the animal, instead of graining him the WHOLE time you have him. Small amount at the end is not going to make a lot of wasted or extra fat on the animal either, with wide thick layers in the carcass to be trimmed off.

[genebo]

There seems to be a confusion between fat layering (fat cover) and marbling, which is the distribution of fat within the muscle tissue. Dexter cattle have an above average ability to marble the meat, but put on less fat cover than most. The fat cover gets trimmed off, but helps to protect the meat during the aging process.

Late graining, after a lifetime of being grass fed, will add fat cover, but marbling takes longer to happen. If you're having trouble getting your cattle to marble on a diet of grass, then you may have to grain them from the time they are weaned.

That is how store-bought beef is done. It is fed flaked, steamed corn, as much as it can eat, from weaning until 17 months old. You can't duplicate that taste in a couple of months of augmenting their diet with grain.

The biggest problem with grass fed beef is the inconsistency of the grass you feed it. Pasture composition, time of year, and weather conditions all enter into the equation. Plus the heredity of the cattle. Some have been bred to do well on corn and some have been left to do well on grass.

Feeding heavy grain to a steer that was raised on grass can lead to problems, from diarrhea to acidosis. Steers introduced to a feed lot quite often lose weight at first, until they adjust to the steady grain diet. It may take more than 60 days of feeding grain to show a net gain in the steer.

I wouldn't do it unless it was because of the problem told of here, that they didn't like the taste of their grass fed beef. Then I'd look to raise the steer more like they do in a feed lot, to get the same taste.

At least your home grown beef can be kept hormone and antibiotic free. You'll know it's safer for your family to eat.

Read Mark Schatzker's book, "Steak". It covers the subject quite well.

[montysky]

I don't raise Dexters, So getting that out of the way. But I do raise BA and BB, start slow and let him get used to the grain 3 to 5 pounds then slowly add more then hold him on a full ration for 90 to 120 days for our cattle it is 20 to 25 pounds a day (over two feeding a day), and give him hay not a lot plus all the fresh water he/she wants to drink. My guess the holding amount would be less in a small Dexter just make sure he/she gets some barley in the mix imho it adds a lot to the taste, based on the carcass age from 7 to 28 days.

[prairiegirl]

My DH finishes out our Dexter steers on a bit of cracked corn the last few weeks (usually 6)
Done this way, the meat is perfect for us and everyone that's purchased from us.

[G. Seddon]

How much is a "bit?" One pound? Two pounds?

The only Dexter steer that I fed cracked corn to ended up way too fat and I found that didn't do anything for the flavor.

I now provide a beef steer with all the pasture (or hay) plus 1-2 pounds of 12% textured stock feed (depending on the size of the animal) and they seem to do well on this. They aren't confined in a pen and have access to other cattle at all times. It's hard (for me) to load them on the trailer knowing where they're going. I really should not be a carnivore.