Brown Swiss steers.

[Ky hills]

Was at the stockyards today, and 3 700+ lb Brown Swiss steers sold for .78.
Some similar sized real good Holstein steers sold for $1.22.
Kind of wondered about buying either group for finishing out for beef.
I'm assuming with a good finish both breeds should be good, just less yield and more feed intake than beef steers?
I reckon the Brown Swiss especially would be large boned and not very feed efficient is why they sell so cheap?
I also reckon their actual take home pounds of meat would be significantly less in comparison to hanging weight than a beef breed?
Back in the fall before they went up I saw 2 400 lbs BS bring .50.
On a different note, saw a few good 950 lb Hereford steers sell for $1.25 if I remember right.
Also a group of mixed mostly Char cross with a few reds and a blue roan in the bunch outsold a similar size lot of black and BWF heifers.
The Chars are now selling right up with the black cattle it seems, and solid reds aren't far behind. Not long ago their was a noticeable difference.

 

[Son of Butch]

36% price difference in average Brown Swiss vs real good Holsteins, seems like a good buy on the Swiss.

 

[farmerjan]

I wouldn't feed out a swiss unless I had silage to pour to him. They are slow growing, and the 3 I have finished were all tough. I did not have silage to finish them, hay and grain and grass and they ate alot of grain. They grow bone before they think about putting meat/muscle on.
I am a dairy person, and I have been eating jersey and jersey x meat for over 40 years. But one of my farmers I test for, had swiss and I got a couple bull calves over the years from him and after the third one, I just said never again. I can take a jersey to 3 yrs., and it will still be very tender meat.... and they have smaller bones so also put on meat compared to bone.... but the swiss were killed at 24, 25 and 27 months (different years) and I just was not impressed.
Several of my dairy farmers finish out some holsteins and they pour the silage to them and get them over 1200 at 18 months with some pretty good tasting meat.
This is just my experience.....

 

[Travlr]

Was at the stockyards today, and 3 700+ lb Brown Swiss steers sold for .78.
Some similar sized real good Holstein steers sold for $1.22.
Kind of wondered about buying either group for finishing out for beef.
I'm assuming with a good finish both breeds should be good, just less yield and more feed intake than beef steers?
I reckon the Brown Swiss especially would be large boned and not very feed efficient is why they sell so cheap?
I also reckon their actual take home pounds of meat would be significantly less in comparison to hanging weight than a beef breed?
Back in the fall before they went up I saw 2 400 lbs BS bring .50.
On a different note, saw a few good 950 lb Hereford steers sell for $1.25 if I remember right.
Also a group of mixed mostly Char cross with a few reds and a blue roan in the bunch outsold a similar size lot of black and BWF heifers.
The Chars are now selling right up with the black cattle it seems, and solid reds aren't far behind. Not long ago their was a noticeable difference.

From what I've heard BS in Europe are considered an all purpose breed. Milk, meat, and they were used a lot for oxen. I think they tend to grow before putting on fat so would probably not finish unless at heavy weights. If I was to choose between Holstein and Swiss I'd go for the Swiss. Pretty sure the average BS would dress out at a higher percentage than the average Holstein.

I had a couple of BS cows when I was working with a cross breeding program and they made some really good calves. But I never fed to finish a BS so take this for what it's worth...