Butchered a Gelbvieh Steer

[3waycross]

This is the steer I posted back in Dec. He went to slaughter 2 weeks ago tomorrow. He weighed 1389lbs and went 880 on the rail. Butcher says no more than YG 1.5 and maybe a little less. Right between select and choice. I will try to post a picture when I get the steaks in a couple of weeks. This is what he looked like. He was on nothing but grass and hay until the last 45 days. Probably coulda used another 2 weeks but I am satisfied with the results. Butcher says he will need to add some trim from my friends Angus steers to get to 85/15 on the GB.

 

[angusdave63]

was he a purebred and if so do you think some english genetics would have helped he is a nice looking steer but needs a little fat in my opinion David

 

[hillsdown]

was he a purebred and if so do you think some english genetics would have helped he is a nice looking steer but needs a little fat in my opinion David

The picture was of him 2 months ago, he was on grain since . BTW the taste and texture is in the marbling, not the fat on the outside. 3way said he graded select and choice which is great for a grass finished young animal .

Save me 2 rib steaks 3way and Mr HD and I will join you for dinner ...

 

[Kingfisher]

was he a purebred and if so do you think some english genetics would have helped he is a nice looking steer but needs a little fat in my opinion David

The picture was of him 2 months ago, he was on grain since . BTW the taste and texture is in the marbling, not the fat on the outside. 3way said he graded select and choice which is great for a grass finished young animal .

Save me 2 rib steaks 3way and Mr HD and I will join you for dinner ...

Show us the beef........

 

[3waycross]

Like I said when I pick up the meat I will post a couple of steak pictures.

 

[3waycross]

was he a purebred and if so do you think some english genetics would have helped he is a nice looking steer but needs a little fat in my opinion David

Yes he was a purebred Gelbvieh. Yes I think he would have marbled better with some British influence but then he probably wouldn't have yielded as good. He really was close to a YG 1. I guess we will just have to see how he eats.

 

[Santas and Duhram Reds]

Did you request 85/15 Ground? I prefer it leaner.

 

[3waycross]

Did you request 85/15 Ground? I prefer it leaner.

yes i did. I actually prefer 80/20, but I was overuled on that one by the head chef.

 

[VanC]

3way- In my experience I've never had a problem with low choice to high select meat so I'm guessing he'll eat just fine. Plus at a YG of 1.5 or less I'd say you're coming out ahead.

I do have a question, though. Hillsdown called him grass finished but you say he was fed something else (I assume grain) the last 45 days. Is there a point where an animal stops being grass finished and becomes grain finished? Maybe a certain # of days on feed or a certain amount of grain fed per day? Just curious.

 

[TexasBred]

grass fed.....grain finished (horse and mule feed). :hide:

 

[cattleman99]

Grain fed = Good Eating. Just my personal preferance. I've had both and simply much prefer the taste of grain fed.

 

[3waycross]

3way- In my experience I've never had a problem with low choice to high select meat so I'm guessing he'll eat just fine. Plus at a YG of 1.5 or less I'd say you're coming out ahead.

I do have a question, though. Hillsdown called him grass finished but you say he was fed something else (I assume grain) the last 45 days. Is there a point where an animal stops being grass finished and becomes grain finished? Maybe a certain # of days on feed or a certain amount of grain fed per day? Just curious.

The were on a Ranchway feed designed to develop heifers and bulls with steamed corn added. Protein value 12 to 14% also some REAL good 3rd cutting Alfalfa. I still consider them grassfed since they were on grass 20 out of the 22 months they were alive. Like I said my calf could sure have used another 2 weeks but the others were straight angus and judging by their carcasses they were ready to go. My calf was just starting to develop some cod fat and did have some moderate deposits on the tail head area.

 

[MO_cows]

Sounds like he did as good as you could want with Continental genetics. If he would have went to market he would have made somebody money, isn't that the point of it all? Look forward to the photo's.

 

[fit2btied]

We kept a March 3/4 Simm - 1/4 Gelb steer to butcher this year. He'll have all the grass he can eat but will be grain fed. We usually go with a 5/8 Simm - 3/8 Red Angus but this was the fastest growing calf this year. Regardless of how the homegrowns turn out, I haven't had one yet that I would trade with the local grocers!

 

[3waycross]

We kept a March 3/4 Simm - 1/4 Gelb steer to butcher this year. He'll have all the grass he can eat but will be grain fed. We usually go with a 5/8 Simm - 3/8 Red Angus but this was the fastest growing calf this year. Regardless of how the homegrowns turn out, I haven't had one yet that I would trade with the local grocers!

How long are you planning on graining him? I bet he was a fast grower with those genetics.

 

[hillsdown]

Since the steer is blk doesn't that already mean that he has some British influence in him ... :hide:

I have a pb red GV steer here that hubby refers to as "steaks" .. He was injured on the trailer in 09 so we just kept him for ourselves rather than give him away. I will be butchering him this Summer just before 30 months old, my plan is to grass him only, but will have to see how he fattens . I may end up barley feeding him for 2 months. If he is half as good as the grass finished Holstein we did last year I will be more than happy . :nod:
I am also getting him graded so I have a reference to go by in the future.

 

[VanC]

3way- In my experience I've never had a problem with low choice to high select meat so I'm guessing he'll eat just fine. Plus at a YG of 1.5 or less I'd say you're coming out ahead.

I do have a question, though. Hillsdown called him grass finished but you say he was fed something else (I assume grain) the last 45 days. Is there a point where an animal stops being grass finished and becomes grain finished? Maybe a certain # of days on feed or a certain amount of grain fed per day? Just curious.

The were on a Ranchway feed designed to develop heifers and bulls with steamed corn added. Protein value 12 to 14% also some REAL good 3rd cutting Alfalfa. I still consider them grassfed since they were on grass 20 out of the 22 months they were alive. Like I said my calf could sure have used another 2 weeks but the others were straight angus and judging by their carcasses they were ready to go. My calf was just starting to develop some cod fat and did have some moderate deposits on the tail head area.

Yes, they're grass fed, but are they considered grass finished? I was just wondering if there's some criteria where an animal can be fed a certain amount of grain for a certain amount of time before slaughter and still be considered grass finished. It's no big deal, just wondering. :tiphat:

 

[3waycross]

I would have to say they were not grass "finished" that would have required a lot more grass and age, and I for one did not want either. If I want meat that is totally grass finished I get out a package of Elk.

 

[hillsdown]

I would have to say they were not grass "finished" that would have required a lot more grass and age, and I for one did not want either. If I want meat that is totally grass finished I get out a package of Elk.

We had Elk always eating our silage at the dairy, I am sure that those buggers tasted like a good grain finished steer . Was very annoying when you went out in the morning and found your calf starter bin completely pilfered and licked clean . What an expensive mess they made. :roll:

 

[3waycross]

I would have to say they were not grass "finished" that would have required a lot more grass and age, and I for one did not want either. If I want meat that is totally grass finished I get out a package of Elk.

We had Elk always eating our silage at the dairy, I am sure that those buggers tasted like a good grain finished steer . Was very annoying when you went out in the morning and found your calf starter bin completely pilfered and licked clean . What an expensive mess they made. :roll:

I am pretty sure I would have done a taste test if it was me......... :cowboy: