First Jersey steer in my freezer

[rhaige9]

Two years ago, in May of 2011, we brought home our first freebie Jersey bull calves from the dairy down the road. The neighbor raised them at her house, and I started two pigs. We were going to swap at butcher time. I didn't have to deal with the bottle feeding twice a day, finding pasture, overwintering. It sounded perfect to me. The pigs grew fast and went to the butcher in September of that year.

First year's calf, 2011


Andrea kept both the calves at her house. She bottle fed them, taught them to drink from a bucket, de horned them, wormed them, castrated them, and found pasture for them to spend the summer and fall. I didn't get to take a lot of pictures of them because she had them pastured off her property.
Fast forward to 2012
First year steer, Feb 2012



I kinda felt like I was missing out though. So in April of 2013, I brought home a little bull calf of my own to raise up.




I got to do all the bottle, bucket feeding, castrating, and even taught the new one to walk on a leash. In June, Norman (second year calf) got to go out in the pasture with the horses to eat grass. I had to rework the fence a little. In late June 2013 we moved the first year calves out.


Norman meeting Andrea's calf in Aug.


The steers in Nov 2013



We moved them up to a pen by the house in Dec so I didn't have to bust ice anymore and start them on corn.
Norman and the two older steers Dec2013


Saturday two weeks ago they went to the butcher. We let them hang for two weeks and then this last Sat we went back over and helped cut and wrap. I think he said the weighted just under and just over 400 pounds, hanging weight. We didn't weigh up how much beef we ended up with at home.

T-bones


I am so amazingly pleased with the way these boys turned out. I kept telling DH that yeup, they sure are smaller than an angus steer, but truuuuust me. The meat is going to be so much better. We made burgers the first night and they were eat over the sink juicy. Ribeye steaks on the grill last night. OMG heaven on a plate. DH says hell yeah, we'll keep doing one or two of these little guys every year.

[CrabbyChicken]

THAT looks fantastic!!! We are sending our first jersey in, in April. I keep looking at him and thinking there cant be many steaks on that skinny butt!! I hope he looks like yours.

Is Norman still around? Or did he go too?

[farmmaid]

Have been raising a Jersey for the freezer for years. The BEST beef you will ever eat........

[rhaige9]

Originally Posted by CrabbyChicken

THAT looks fantastic!!! We are sending our first jersey in, in April. I keep looking at him and thinking there cant be many steaks on that skinny butt!! I hope he looks like yours.

Is Norman still around? Or did he go too?

That's what hubby thought too, especially since our steer looks a bit smaller than the other. I was amazed at the amount of meat he had hiding in there.

Norman is still with us. We'll start another calf or two in April. Norman won't be processed till Jan next year.

[topside1]

Very nice, thanks for the photos...Topside

[CrabbyChicken]

rhaige9 About how much corn did you feed them? Do you feed corn all year? I am really not sure about a yearling jersey I have with our two year old.... I am thinking I may keep feeding him grain and send him in the fall so I dont have to buy so much hay...He would be about 18 months and I already have two Hol X Jersey yearling calves for next year...

[rhaige9]

I should have corned them longer, but it was the neighbor's deal to do with the first two steer. That's why I got Norman to do all myself. We gave them free choice grass hay from the get go while they were still bucket feeding milk. Once they started eating the hay they got half a large coffee can of grower feed morning and night. Then we started weaning them off the milk replacer, I wanna say about 4 months old? Out to pasture and all the fresh green grass they could eat. Overwintered they got alfalfa/grass hay the first winter.

We didn't bring them up to the house till November I believe. The first four bags of grain were corn and I think barley or oats? Hubby and the neighbor went to buy it. We started them on half a coffee can twice a day for a week and kept increasing until they were eating about 3 cans- twice a day. After that it was straight rolled corn, three large cans, twice a day plus a large couple heaping flakes of alfalfa hay. I gave Norman a handful of corn to keep him busy while the bigger boys snarfulled up theirs. He also helped the chickens clean up whatever the big steers spilled on the ground. He's back to just grass/alfalfa hay now that the others are in the freezer. I'l start him on rolled corn probably mid October this year, and butcher again in January.

[CrabbyChicken]

Thank you for all the great details! This is a great post that you are sharing!

[CrabbyChicken]

This is our two year old Jersey, photo taken today. I have been giving him corn and beef plus for a month... Do you think he has about 6 weeks to go? I am trying to plan when to send him in... Than you for the help!

[Dixie Bee Acres]

Thank you for posting. I have been thinking about getting a jersey bottle calf this year, I have only found bull calves for sale so far.
I had no desire for a bull calf thinking there wouldn't be enough meat, but I guess I am wrong.

[farmmaid]

We get the calf in the spring, winter him over and harvest him the next fall...he is 18 months. If you get a spring calf you only have to over winter for one winter. We feed cob corn, gleaned from neighbor's field, for 6 weeks and some drop apples from our orchard. A suggestion: you want to vaccume pack the meat, it will last much longer........enjoy!

[WadeFisher]

OP, nice post. Nice pics. To all, good feedback. I have raised jersey heifers in the past but now I am thinking about a jersey steer. My uncle also told me it was 'good' eat'n.

[cshire]

Originally Posted by Dixie Bee Acres

Thank you for posting. I have been thinking about getting a jersey bottle calf this year, I have only found bull calves for sale so far.
I had no desire for a bull calf thinking there wouldn't be enough meat, but I guess I am wrong.

I would not hesitate on a bull calf. They are cheap as dairy herds have no use for extra bulls. You can castrate and make a steer or keep as a bull.
I have read some reports that keeping a bull calf intact until sexual maturity will promote faster growth over a steer.

The only issue is that at some point a bull is likely to become aggressive. Hopefully this is about the same time that he is ready to go to the freezer.

Here is a June 2012 Jersey bull (along with his mother) that went to the th butcher a week and ahalf ago. This butcher hangs them for 3 weeks so I have not picked up yet or have a final weight. Iam guessing he was approx. 1000 lbs. Much thicker overall in the neck, shoulders, rump, than his mother.
Did not look like the typical skinny dairy steer.

[65284]

i leave my Jersey bull calves intact, and I think they do better than steers. Mine go to slaughter before they are old enough to become aggressive. But I still keep close watch on them. Jersey is our beef of choice.

[Donna from Mo]

65284, at what age do you slaughter them?

[Wren - TN]

I know many people who buy a bull calf to raise on their milk cow. Once he is weaned and matures, they keep him just long enough to breed the cow, then send him to 'freezer camp'.

My neighbor says Jersey beef is the best he has ever had. I haven't had it, so I can't say. I have a half Angus half Jersey steer that I got too attached to, and now he is a LARGE pet. My cow was in milk for 4 years, but is now due again in June. This calf is spoken for, but any future bull calves I will have to harden my heart to, or farm out for someone else to raise in exchange for part of the meat. No more room for any pets.