Alternative freezer beef cattle

[traderaaron]

I just wanted to bring up the topic of feeding out an animal other than a young feeder steer or heifer.

I've noticed many on here butchering a steer at 1000-1100 lbs and at 15 months or something similar even though the mature frame size of that animal might not be until 1300 lbs and 18 or 24 months of age.

The French swear by a 3 year old+ animal for the beef flavor and many beef gourmands say a 3 yr. old heifer that never had a calf is the best beef animal.

If you are attempting to grass finish these 3 year old heifers will work much easier and will actually finish on grass better than nearly any other animal from what I have seen. If you are feeding them they will get to fatten relatively efficiently given you are starting with a nearly mature framed animal.

Buying a heiferette for .55-.80/.lb at 800-1000 lbs. means that a lot of the work is done and you just get to put on the finishing weight.

In our freezer all we currently have is a heiferette that was fat for commercial slaughter but fell and broke her leg last winter and an old grass fat Cow made into ground beef.

Any other thoughts/experiences on these alternative butcher animals.

 

[piedmontese]

i just had a 3 year old piedmontese heifer butchered and she is the best we have ever had and all on grass.we butchered her because she didnt breed.

 

[TexasBred]

Aaron we've butchered several 3 yr. old holsteins even after calving one time and milking for a few months. You could already see milk production dropping and the cow putting on weight. We simply dried them quit milking them and kept them on feed for another month or so and butchered them. The meat was always out of this world.

I don't know about the french...they think horse meat is good too.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Got to remember TB France is where Limousin cattle come from. We both no that its pretty tasty. :lol:

 

[3waycross]

Got to remember TB France is where Limousin cattle come from. We both no that its pretty tasty. :lol:

Oh boy, it's gettin deep now :lol: :lol:

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Don't knock it till you tried it!

 

[3waycross]

Don't knock it till you tried it!

OK fine RBB I will PM you my address and you feel free to send up a nice box of Limo steaks. They will be properly prepared and greedily consumed. It might take a day or two to get back with the results tho, so keep those steaks a comin till you hear from me. :lol2:

 

[Kingfisher]

Too bad we ain't in France!

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Don't worry about not being in France Kingfisher. We have been importing french cattle breeds for years. Limi, Char,Saler and a few more.

 

[Howdyjabo]

I bought a short butterball steer at 650lbs- .70
Put him in with the backgrounding calves on a TMR

He may not finish perfect but he won't be alot of work either.
A heifer would have finished better- but I didn't want to throw a female out with the steers and the neighbors bull.

 

[dieselbeef]

thats gonna be dam expensive finished product...and to use a animal that could produce for a good 10-12 yrs seems rediculous to me..grass finished or any other kind for that matter will never bring ya the kind of returns keepin the animal to breed would have..even if it was cull quality

 

[hayray]

That was my first thought also, the expense and the needless length of time.