Adding pre-harvest flavor to a butcher cow ??

[Sir Loin]

Re:

I may be wrong SL, but only 2-4 lbs a day on a 1600lb animal is just a waste of time and grain

That all depends on what your goal is.
I have found that this amount adds the marbling I want without putting on layers of fat that is just trimmed and discarded or ground into the burgers making them greasy even with some wasted during cooking.
It's a matter of taste, I guess. It's just what works for me and my taste.

I don't use sack sweet feed because it makes the cow/feeders to hyper and it is to costly when you are feeding a dozen or more.
SL

 

[Jogeephus]

It would help if you can kill her in the pen so she won't get upset being moved to the slaughter house. Shooting her in the pen will also give you a deep sense of self satisfaction. (or it does me anyhow)

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

It would help if you can kill her in the pen so she won't get upset being moved to the slaughter house. Shooting her in the pen will also give you a deep sense of self satisfaction. (or it does me anyhow)

Would prefer NOT to kill her in the pen, just because of the mess and trauma to the rest of them (although it my bring some personal satisfaction). I think we'll just put her in the lot w/ the boys at about 30 days out from slaughter date. She really doesn't need to get bigger -- just needs to get "better."

 

[dun]

It would help if you can kill her in the pen so she won't get upset being moved to the slaughter house. Shooting her in the pen will also give you a deep sense of self satisfaction. (or it does me anyhow)

Would prefer NOT to kill her in the pen, just because of the mess and trauma to the rest of them (although it my bring some personal satisfaction). I think we'll just put her in the lot w/ the boys at about 30 days out from slaughter date. She really doesn't need to get bigger -- just needs to get "better."

The cow that I mentioned that got me down and pounded me several times was shot in a pen with another cow. She dropped like a rock, the other cow came over and sniffed her then went back to eating. Sure didn;t seem to tramatize ehr any. We had put the other cow in with her to "calm" her down. Didn;t work she was still a nut case 4 weeks later. As soon as she heard us she hid behind the barn. I waited and when she peaked around the corner I walked her. Because of her disposition she was tougher then wang leather, she was only 2 1/2 years old. Hung her for 2 weeks and cut a couple of steaks off of her to try and see if she was tender enough to butcher more or less normally. Could barely chew the rib eyes. Ground the whole cow and donated it to a local charity.

 

[vclavin]

Give her wet molasses. Friend of ours swears it improves the flavor,
Valerie

 

[Jogeephus]

I agree with Dun about the trauma. Dominant bulls tend to get upset but that's about it. I think a cow is only worried about their next bite. Here's a pic. I edited out a portion of the picture but you get the point. Oh, note the perfect target number two is allowing and number three had to step up and over to again give the same shot. Sure was better than hauling them off.

 

[Kingfisher]

It would help if you can kill her in the pen so she won't get upset being moved to the slaughter house. Shooting her in the pen will also give you a deep sense of self satisfaction. (or it does me anyhow)

lol

 

[3waycross]

I agree with Dun about the trauma. Dominant bulls tend to get upset but that's about it. I think a cow is only worried about their next bite. Here's a pic. I edited out a portion of the picture but you get the point. Oh, note the perfect target number two is allowing and number three had to step up and over to again give the same shot. Sure was better than hauling them off.

Caption for this picture..........."The night the lights went out in Georgia!"

 

[chippie]

 

[Sir Loin]

Re:

..........."The night the lights went out in Georgia!"

Good one!!
SL

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

Just called the custom cutter to get reservations for the 3 steers end-Nov. But if he has any room to get the big Mammer Jammer in there before then -- fine! I don't think 30 days will sweeten her up much, and in the meantime, we're JUST FEEDING her nasty self. And if we moved her in with the steers, she'd probably take lbs. off them, just being the bytch and running them out of their feed. Just waiting for the call . . . . . . .

 

[Jogeephus]

I bet if you explain the situation to them they will be more than happy to let you shoot her in their pen. It will be revitalizing I assure you. Like a day in a spa. ;-)

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

I bet if you explain the situation to them they will be more than happy to let you shoot her in their pen. It will be revitalizing I assure you. Like a day in a spa. ;-)

We'll see . . . . Shooting her in THEIR pen would mean fighting her into a chute/trailer. But I see no good reason to spoil her for an 30 extra days! :frowns: But, she was my FIRST cow.

I'd prefer NOT to do that with the steers. Last year, the custom cutter's mobile truck was down, so they loaded the steers up, hauled them away --- no fuss, no muss, no mess, no bother here.

 

[snickers]

i guy who raises beef for freezer said he gave alfalfa to some steers and he wouldnt do it again, he said he only feeds crappy hay when they are penned up. and grain of course. we fed our holstein last yrs hay and 30lbs corn/supplement for 100 days and boy is he good.

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

Snickers, pulling them off grass pasture, and then moving them over to alfalfa and grain has worked great for us for a couple years. And it must be working okay, as the steers are all pre-sold (mostly to previous customers), and there are folks on the list if anyone backs out.

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

Big Mammer Jammer goes to meet the cow gods today. Rest in white paper, BMJ, 'ya ornery 'ol bytch!!

 

[Anonymous]

I guess she's not gonna get that pre harvest flavor after all.haha

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

I guess she's not gonna get that pre harvest flavor after all.haha

Nope -- no extra rewards. She had a lot of fat on her! (A neighbor who feeds only "real meat products" to her dogs took much of the fat, and most of the gut pile.) Still waiting to hear what her hanging weight is. I figured she was (maybe???) 1,300 or so on 4 legs. I'll let ya'll know. She's going to be crockpot roasts, cube steaks and burger. Sold half of her (with those cutting instructions) to a co-worker, who was on the waiting list for a steer, for $2/lb. on the rail, plus C/W and kill fee share. That'll be more than I paid for her as a bred cow a few years ago, if I'm not far off on my weight estimate.

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

Hubby said they trimmed 40 lbs. or so of fat off the BMJ today, before she went away in the slaughter truck. Hanging weight at the shop: 907 lbs.