Butchering Corrientes

[Pnw Farmer]

I saw some 800-900 open Jersey heifers sell for $0.75. They were in decent shape. It wouldn't take too much feed before butchering. It would be better meat for probably less dollars by the time you feed an old roping steer enough to get him into condition.

Which sale barn was that at Dave. I don't know any of them south of the Washington line. Somebody is selling what looks like yearling Jerseys in Mattawa for $500 a piece but I was holding off on that one, it's a long drive with scenery that doesn't quite appeal to me. Part of my curiosity was getting more meat instead of those heavy dairy frames but the Jerseys sure do taste great.

I don't know that I would buy them and feed them out as a business model but I did one here awhile back and have a thread on here somewhere about it. It is pretty good eating and surprisingly tender with a nice flavor. Mine was a roped out steer that got retired to good grass for about 12 months. Was about 800# if I remember right. I would eat another one.

Thanks for the input Smokin, it's not really a business model per se, we have some friends and family that can't afford a fed out beef animal with all the costs associated with it so we just help them butcher their own animal they buy from us. We charge enough to cover the cost of the animal, feed and medical costs and squirrel away a little for the kids. Some like the experience of home butchering but it's mostly just something we can do to help neighbors out. Something about the sense of community when we get a half dozen folks together having a meat cutting party appeals to me, I feel like that's something that once was common has been lost to the pages of history. Did you feed any grain or was he strictly retired to pasture until butcher time?

 

[Dave]

Which sale barn was that at Dave. I don't know any of them south of the Washington line. Somebody is selling what looks like yearling Jerseys in Mattawa for $500 a piece but I was holding off on that one, it's a long drive with scenery that doesn't quite appeal to me. Part of my curiosity was getting more meat instead of those heavy dairy frames but the Jerseys sure do taste great.

Up until about 5 1/2 years ago I lived in your part of the world. I was out of Rochester for over 30 years. My kids still live up there. Now I live in far eastern Oregon. That sale was in Caldwell Idaho. Be too far for you to drive for a couple heifers. Going south into Oregon the closest sale to you would be Lebanon which is south of Salem.

 

[Pnw Farmer]

Up until about 5 1/2 years ago I lived in your part of the world. I was out of Rochester for over 30 years. My kids still live up there. Now I live in far eastern Oregon. That sale was in Caldwell Idaho. Be too far for you to drive for a couple heifers. Going south into Oregon the closest sale to you would be Lebanon which is south of Salem.

I'm actually due north of you in Dayton. Half hour or so past Walla Walla. You are right though, Caldwell is too far from my current location. I did drive to Ellensburg once though for some Jersey heifers, the ad said 4 but the gal forgot to mention to my wife in their correspondence that she loaned one out to a friend for roping. Wouldn't of made that trip for 3 but since I was already there I figured I'd take what I could. Ended up making a little money off those girls too. Our local vet bought them for lawnmowers, bred them to another neighbor's wagyu bull. I joked it's gonna take him 5 years to feed them out but that oughta be some of the tastiest meat ever raised.

 

[50/50Farms]

Char over corr doesn't matter, you'll never pull a calf.

 

[Warren Allison]

That's why I'm here asking those who know, I know very little about cattle in general, let alone getting into the caveats of specific breeds. This is a very knowledgeable forum and as I've gotten older I've learned to ask lots of questions. I've always been fond of the saying "learn from others mistakes, you won't live long enough to make them all yourself." Common knowledge to the old timers on here is what I'm hoping to soak up.

We've got summer pasture for 6-7 head without supplementing until mid to late October depending on the first hard frost. I've got 3 animals already, our milk cow's calf from last spring that's an Angus/Jersey cross, my oldest daughter's open class Angus steer and a calf from Sept. that seems to be gaining nicely still on the cow. It'd probably be in that 3-4 range since our kids are carnivores and it'd probably take 2 just for our household and my cousin wants to try filling his freezer and likes the pea fed meat we put up this year. Do corriente cows have large pelvises? A big ol' Charolais calf just sounds like calving nightmare but then again I don't know squat. Lol.

Corriente are about as maintenance free as they get. Never have I ever seen nor heard tell of anyone having to pull a calf, even from a heifer. We breed our herd to Brangus and/or Ultrablacks every year and never have lost a one. Maybe some of the western/west coast people who say that out there everyone uses Char bulls will speak up about how they calve.

I got my fill of the cow -killer Char and Simm bulls in the late 60's early 70's. I thought they should be shot on site. But today, both breeds have bred out the pallet-heads and have CE bulls. But heck, use an Angus if you want to. I suggested Char or something else cheaper than a black Angus since you weren't going to be selling them, so didn't need black calves. Just breed them to the Angus bull you breed your Jersey milk cow to.

 

[tex452]

Corriente are about as maintenance free as they get. Never have I ever seen nor heard tell of anyone having to pull a calf, even from a heifer. We breed our herd to Brangus and/or Ultrablacks every year and never have lost a one. Maybe some of the western/west coast people who say that out there everyone uses Char bulls will speak up about how they calve.

I got my fill of the cow -killer Char and Simm bulls in the late 60's early 70's. I thought they should be shot on site. But today, both breeds have bred out the pallet-heads and have CE bulls. But heck, use an Angus if you want to. I suggested Char or something else cheaper than a black Angus since you weren't going to be selling them, so didn't need black calves. Just breed them to the Angus bull you breed your Jersey milk cow to.

This.
We have never had to pull a calf for the Corrientes we had, no matter the bull, brangus, charolais and angus.
We still have 2 because they are such good little cows, one is black, one is brindle.
Their calves get as tall as they do and they are always solid.
Last year the one cows calf brought the most out of a bunch we sold, 600# heifer solid red ( red angus bull) and muley.
My cousin has Brahman bulls on about 200 corriente cows now, I need to check with him to see how that is turning out.
If you can find the really good calf raiser's corriente cows can make money. They are survivors.

 

[SmokinM]

Mine was just retired to pasture. Only grain he got was what I feed the whole herd to catch them or when I have extra brewers grain to get rid of when it is warm.

 

[callmefence]

A few years ago I bought two black Corriente steers from a neighbor. He bought them for the kids to rope and it never happened. Couldn't get them interested. They spent the entire winter on wheat pasture until I bought them. I fed corn for around 6 weeks and had them slaughtered. The hamburger was ok but needed more fat. Steaks and roast where pretty much inedible. My wife is quite good at cooking less than prime cuts and making it chewable. I'll never butcher another one unless things are really bad.lol

 

[Pnw Farmer]

A few years ago I bought two black Corriente steers from a neighbor. He bought them for the kids to rope and it never happened. Couldn't get them interested. They spent the entire winter on wheat pasture until I bought them. I fed corn for around 6 weeks and had them slaughtered. The hamburger was ok but needed more fat. Steaks and roast where pretty much inedible. My wife is quite good at cooking less than prime cuts and making it chewable. I'll never butcher another one unless things are really bad.lol

Thanks Fence, I kinda figured if it turned out that way I'd just end up with 100 lbs of taco meat. We've got a decent grinder that'll make lots of burger in a short period of time. Part of me just wants to try one on the cracked peas to see if it can be made to taste good.

Corriente are about as maintenance free as they get. Never have I ever seen nor heard tell of anyone having to pull a calf, even from a heifer. We breed our herd to Brangus and/or Ultrablacks every year and never have lost a one. Maybe some of the western/west coast people who say that out there everyone uses Char bulls will speak up about how they calve.

I got my fill of the cow -killer Char and Simm bulls in the late 60's early 70's. I thought they should be shot on site. But today, both breeds have bred out the pallet-heads and have CE bulls. But heck, use an Angus if you want to. I suggested Char or something else cheaper than a black Angus since you weren't going to be selling them, so didn't need black calves. Just breed them to the Angus bull you breed your Jersey milk cow to.

What is the Ultrablack line, is that just a particular lineage of Black Angus or an off chute? I've heard folks mention it on here but haven't looked into it at all. We do have access to a handful of Angus bulls that a family friend has, he's the one we rented a bull for our pet herd the last 60 days. I'd have to chew on a lot of guff from him though if I put one of his bulls with corrientes. Very knowledgeable, one of the few people I know I could call in an emergency and he'd show but he sure is an ornery ol' cuss. I learned that flipping it right back at him has been the best way to get along with him. He could ruffle my feathers in a hurry when I was little, like to think I've gotten a bit smarter as I age. How many head of corriente vs an average 1000-1100 lb beef animal can a guy run, I don't think it'd ever happen but curiosity has me.

 

[puzzled in oregon]

Thanks Fence, I kinda figured if it turned out that way I'd just end up with 100 lbs of taco meat. We've got a decent grinder that'll make lots of burger in a short period of time. Part of me just wants to try one on the cracked peas to see if it can be made to taste good.

What is the Ultrablack line, is that just a particular lineage of Black Angus or an off chute? I've heard folks mention it on here but haven't looked into it at all. We do have access to a handful of Angus bulls that a family friend has, he's the one we rented a bull for our pet herd the last 60 days. I'd have to chew on a lot of guff from him though if I put one of his bulls with corrientes. Very knowledgeable, one of the few people I know I could call in an emergency and he'd show but he sure is an ornery ol' cuss. I learned that flipping it right back at him has been the best way to get along with him. He could ruffle my feathers in a hurry when I was little, like to think I've gotten a bit smarter as I age. How many head of corriente vs an average 1000-1100 lb beef animal can a guy run, I don't think it'd ever happen but curiosity has me.

How many head of corriente vs an average 1000-1100 lb beef animal
1.25 Corrientes per 1000 -1100 lb. beef animal

 

[Pnw Farmer]

Thanks Puzzled, you got that on here quick, do you run any corriente?

 

[50/50Farms]

Thanks Puzzled, you got that on here quick, do you run any corriente?

When you reduce weight while increasing foraging ability the figure that gets tossed around once you reach a certain point is 25-30% percent more efficient. I can't remember how this equation works, but that math checks out. That doesn't always equate to better beef faster, though. I agree with Greg Judy about the increase in efficiency of 1,000-1,100 pound cows vs 1,500-1,800 pound cows. My own hip pocket math is around 1.3 but 1.25 is safer. I don't currently have a stake in the corriente/longhorn debate that never stops, I'm just keeping the conversation lively.

 

[Warren Allison]

What is the Ultrablack line, is that just a particular lineage of Black Angus or an off chute? I've heard folks mention it on here but haven't looked into it at all. We do have access to a handful of Angus bulls that a family friend has, he's the one we rented a bull for our pet herd the last 60 days. I'd have to chew on a lot of guff from him though if I put one of his bulls with corrientes. Very knowledgeable, one of the few people I know I could call in an emergency and he'd show but he sure is an ornery ol' cuss. I learned that flipping it right back at him has been the best way to get along with him. He could ruffle my feathers in a hurry when I was little, like to think I've gotten a bit smarter as I age. How many head of corriente vs an average 1000-1100 lb beef animal can a guy run, I don't think it'd ever happen but curiosity has me.

UltraBlack is a registered Angus x reg Brangus. Books are kept by the Brangus Association.

3 Corrs will thrive on forage for 2 beef cows. Best of all, you can buy anywhere from 3-6 Corrs for the same money you'd paid for an Angus cow.

 

[gcreekrch]

UltraBlack is a registered Angus x reg Brangus. Books are kept by the Brangus Association.

3 Corrs will thrive on forage for 2 beef cows. Best of all, you can buy anywhere from 3-6 Corrs for the same money you'd paid for an Angus cow.

Let's do that math Warren…. Feed three for one.. last fall every calf off this ranch averaged $1345. At our sale barn, three average Corriente x calves would not bring those dollars together. There were some 400 lb calves last fall that brought a top of 80 cents. The straight bred Corrientes brought under 50 cents.
They may work in some places where feed is very limited but they are not worth owning where better performance is possible.

 

[Ebenezer]

This thread just keeps on going! I am so amazed that every farm and ranch doesn't have some Corrientes out in the herd.

 

[Warren Allison]

Let's do that math Warren…. Feed three for one.. last fall every calf off this ranch averaged $1345. At our sale barn, three average Corriente x calves would not bring those dollars together. There were some 400 lb calves last fall that brought a top of 80 cents. The straight bred Corrientes brought under 50 cents.
They may work in some places where feed is very limited but they are not worth owning where better performance is possible.

He is not selling these calves, he is eating them. He asked if Corr cows would eat less than pure beef cows, and the answer is yes. Here I can raise 3 Corrs easy on what it would take to keep one Simm or Char in good condition. Down here this fall, your 400lb black calves would have brought $1.50. Any 400 lb black beef type would bring $1.50, including Ang x Corr. Your red, white, yellow, smoky or whatever calves you brought down would bring 20-30 cents less.

 

[puzzled in oregon]

Thanks Puzzled, you got that on here quick, do you run any corriente?

 

[Pnw Farmer]

This thread just keeps on going! I am so amazed that every farm and ranch doesn't have some Corrientes out in the herd.

Ebenezer, I know from previous posts that you've brought a lot of valuable discussion to many different threads on here but I can't help but note a bit of antagonizing sarcasm in that post. I'm the first to admit that I don't know squat when it comes to cattle which is why I'm here reading and engaging with folks that do. I started this post to see if a corriente steer was worth feeding to put in the freezer on the cheap. Yes it has snowballed a few different directions but the main goal of the thread is still about meat in the freezer. If you have knowledge to bring to the table then by all means please contribute.

 

[Pnw Farmer]

Let's do that math Warren…. Feed three for one.. last fall every calf off this ranch averaged $1345. At our sale barn, three average Corriente x calves would not bring those dollars together. There were some 400 lb calves last fall that brought a top of 80 cents. The straight bred Corrientes brought under 50 cents.
They may work in some places where feed is very limited but they are not worth owning where better performance is possible.

Hey Creek, it was not my intention for this to turn into a marketing thread. Like Warren said I'm just looking at making a steak for cheap and whether these were a viable option. I know everybody is going to have an opinion on preferred breeds especially from different regions. We are very limited on pasture, 10 acres of irrigated and another 20 with some sub irrigated ground on it. We've never beat to the mainstream drum with farming, always what's worked best for our operation and best for the ground itself so that's my mindset coming into the few head of cattle we have. We didn't do great with the calves we sold as a cow/calf operation, the numbers for the inputs, fuel mainly travelling to where the animals are at, made us almost break even. So if I considered an alternative such as more corriente cows crossed to beef then I'm always willing to listen. I can't knock anything I haven't tried first hand myself, I'm not saying I'm going to dive into it but it's definitely worth talking about. I do appreciate your input, I'm just trying to keep this from just turning into another pissing match thread that I've seen a lot of them go down.

 

[mwj]

Feed it butcher it and report back. Keep track of the kill charge and meat yield. Please check back with a full report.

If you have been here on the board for any length of time you were aware that threads do not always stay on the straight and narrow. If you do not want OPINIONS do not ask questions.