I have holsteen bull calfs that are 7 months old. They won't be ready for another 5 months for meat. They have not yet been casterated will this make the meat taste different, or can they still be done?
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Tina, we routinely get large older animals that have not been castrated and usually band them. At 7 months cutting them may be a little risky due to excessive bleeding. Using bands though may be a good option at this time of year. Due to the cold temperature, flies will not pose a problem. Depending on the conditions where you keep them, you may want to give them a tetnus vaccine if you band them. <p>
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Tina, <p>I would recommend castrating the calves only because it will be safer for you to be around them as they grow. Holstein bulls are not known for good temperament. <p>As for flavor of the meat, we have butchered both bulls and steers and don't see much of a difference - as long as the bull is not around cows, his hormones aren't as strong and don't affect the meat. If the bull is around cows, taking him away from them for a couple of months will make sure the meat tastes fine. <p>In my experience raising Holstein steer calves from birth, mine weren't ready for processing before 18 months of age. Before that time, there just wasn't enough meat in comparison to bone to make it worthwhile to butcher. <p>In addition, if your calves are castrated, they probably won't spend as much time fussing and fighting with each other, and the meat will tend to be more tender. If they are eating, instead of fighting, they are growing faster and aren't building as much tough muscle.
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