Holsteins used for butcher beef

[Bignick50]

Have an acquaintance that raises Holsteins to butcher for sale. If raised correctly, are they worth the cost to produce good beef cuts?? Advantages/Disadvantages for you knowledgeable cattle guys out there. Thanks in advance!!

 

[Dave]

I have eaten lots of Holsteins over the years. It can certainly be good beef. Probably not great beef but good. Advantage is less expensive start up cost to buy a Holstien steer. Disadvantage is it takes more grain to raise a good Holstein. You can't run them on pasture alone to 800 pounds and then go to a feed program to finsih like you can with a beef calf. You pretty much have to feed them all the way up. Certainly at a lower level of feed while growing them out but there is still feed needed.

 

[SBMF 2015]

I'm eating my way through a half a Holstein are now. He tastes great! The steaks are huge. This particular are had been on a self feeder from about 200lbs. With Covid it pushed his butcher date back. He weighed 1,870 live. Not sure how many bushels of corn he ate.
Biggest problem with Holsteins is how much bone they have. Pretty low yielding compared to a beer str.