100% Grass Raised

[Frankie]

Yet one of the major complaints about beef from consumers and retailers is consistency, size of cuts, eating quality. Your mishmash of breeds and crossbreeds pays not attention to that.

IMO, that's one reason beef lost so much market in the past years, the mongoralizing of our cattle herds. We're starting to get that market share back, but I don't see how three, four, five way cross cows are going to help us out.

Surely you jest Frankie. :lol: When one of the more popular breeds can reach only a 13% rate of qualifying for "THEIR OWN" brand of beef, straight out of the feedlots, do you really think that "Going Purebred" is the way to go? :roll:

I think you mean THE MOST POPULAR BREED if you're talking about Angus. There are Angus cattle all over the country meeting the CAB specs at much higher percentages than the 13% from generic black catte.

For one to constantly be preaching "MARC" studies, (that show crossbreds have the ability to reach the target at a higher rate) you are going against their advice now? :lol:

I don't preach MARC. You have me confused with someone else. I think you've posted more MARC links that I have. They do some good work, but they aren't perfect either.

You haven't been paying attention lately either. Yield Grades and Quality Grades are getting WORSE, not better!

Among generic black cattle. Maybe it's those Char breeders chasing low birthweights and marbling. :lol:

Are you seriously doubting the effects of heterosis?

Which effects? We saw an OK State report that said heteroris had little effect on the more heritable traits like feed efficiency and carcass quality.

 

[OK Jeanne]

Jovid,


Being in Georgia, maybe you should consider Senepol
cows with a Murray grey bull??

Senepol is an interesting idea...I assume you mean because of their heat tolerance, right?

Yes, from what I've heard. The Murray bull should improve
the hindquarter on the calves ---- at least from the pictures
I've seen of the breed, a "beefy" hindquarter is not
one of their attributes. They are red, so all your senepol/
murray calves will be some shade of brown....all the way
from cocoa to dark hershey.

 

[lead_dog]

you might get $1200-1500 for the 15 finished calves ($20250)
you might get $400 for 50 weaned calves ($20000)

find someone who will pay a premium for the calves you raise and selling weaned calves looks even better.

Aero, thanks for the analysis. Yeah, I understand, but, as you said, that's what everyone is doing. Not sure where my competitive advantage is there.

Instead of finding someone to pay a premium for the calves, I'll find someone to pay a premium for the meat. I expect to get about $2,500 for a finished product, sold in smaller packages of course than a side or quarter of beef. In that event, it's better for me to take it to market, and it fits better with why I'm doing this in the first place.

Anyway...that's the plan.

 

[3MR]

How are you set up to sell these smaller packages of meat. Who is goign to cut and package them. Who are you going to sell them to and have you checked intrest. How are you going to market them? What about USDA food lic? Mind you im not doubting you, Im just curious and would like to know the details.

 

[lead_dog]

I'm still finalizing many of those details, and, honestly, don't have to have those finalized for over a year. There are small processors around, but I'm not sure how I'll do the packaging yet.

There is definitely interest, if you market to the right group. I don't know much about maximizing heterosis, but I know marketing and reaching affluent customers.

There are others doing this (selling smaller cuts in 20 pound packs or so) on a small basis, charging in the range of $6.50-$7.00 per pound for packs that include ground beef, roasts and steak. If you can get close to 400 pounds of meat, you can do the math of what that works out to.

 

[MikeC]

Dr. Harlan Ritchie:

"When calves were fed to Low Choice finish and priced on carcass value and no penalties for light or heavy weight carcasses:


A. Among 2-breed rotations, those using either 1 or 2 Continental breeds were more economically efficient than British x British crosses.

B. Among 3-breed rotations, it made little difference whether 1, 2, or 3 Continental breeds were used in the cross."

Which effects? We saw an OK State report that said heteroris had little effect on the more heritable traits like feed efficiency and carcass quality.

 

[Frankie]

So? Got a link so we can ead the entire article, not just what you pick and choose?

 

[MikeC]

 

[Frankie]

So? Got a link so we can ead the entire article, not just what you pick and choose?

I guess that's a "no." Not a surprise.

 

[DOC HARRIS]

Mike-

She won't believe this either!

DOC HARRIS

 

[oakcreekfarms]

A lot has changed since 1984, how much do you feel that study still applies. Just wondering

 

[MikeC]

A lot has changed since 1984, how much do you feel that study still applies. Just wondering

You could be right. Since the Angus and Hereford cowherd have grown so much larger frames, they are prolly less efficient than shown here. :lol:

Just kidding of course! ;-)

 

[MikeC]

 

[Aero]

I expect to get about $2,500 for a finished product...

if you can get that, you should be in pretty good shape. i imagine this means you will be selling individual cuts like a grocery store meat counter or at least bundling them in relatively small packages. it sounds like a lot of work, but it might be worth it.

 

[lead_dog]

if you can get that, you should be in pretty good shape.

No, not packages that small. No smaller than 20 pound packs. It's being done by others, as you can see here: http://www.hodgeranch.com/grassraisedbeef.asp

 

[Keren]

Its probably a bit late, but . . .

IMO the best cross you can get from a murray grey cow is by putting a good black limo over her. From my experiences, the calves will either come out 'murray grey type' - looking like a murray but with limo muscling - or 'limo type' - looking like a pretty typical limo. The murray grey type cross does very well on grass, the limo type takes a bit longer to finish, as would be expected.

 

[VanC]

It is fascinating study, and I am sure that you can benefit from the information, whether or not you decide to delve into "Maximum Heterosis" or not.

DOC HARRIS

DOC- I always read your posts with great interest and always learn a lot from them, but now I'm confused. Everything I've read up to now says that crossing a bull of breed C on F1 cows (breeds AxB) gives you 100% of maximum possible heterosis. How can adding more breeds to the mix increase that?

 

[BAGTIC]

Jovid,


Being in Georgia, maybe you should consider Senepol
cows with a Murray grey bull??

Senepol is an interesting idea...I assume you mean because of their heat tolerance, right?

SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE ABOVE POST!
I DID NOT MAKE THE POST ATTRIBUTED TO ME.

The post I directed to Jovid was an enquiry for the source of the FDA tenderness data so I could see how other breeds fare. I have never SEEN a Senepol or Murray Grey in my life.

 

[S.R.R.]

It is fascinating study, and I am sure that you can benefit from the information, whether or not you decide to delve into "Maximum Heterosis" or not.

DOC HARRIS

DOC- I always read your posts with great interest and always learn a lot from them, but now I'm confused. Everything I've read up to now says that crossing a bull of breed C on F1 cows (breeds AxB) gives you 100% of maximum possible heterosis. How can adding more breeds to the mix increase that?

Doc made a mistake. Your best heterosis is a F1 cow or bull to a straight/pure blood of another breed.

 

[Frankie]

I don't think a purebred bull on F1 cows gives you MAXIMUM heterosis. I think you can still get a bit more heterosis by adding additional breeds. You just have to be careful and not wind up with a bunch of mongrels in chasing maximum heterosis. Sometimes optimum is better than maximum.