Carcass data

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It sounds complicated but with all the programs that have and are being created it will be very simple to do, and should not be an added expense either.

Similar to the dairy database LIC run? There's a lot of annoying things about that programme, and it's expensive to get the most use out of it, but having the data instantly available is a brilliant management tool.
http://www.lic.co.nz/lic_MINDA1.cfm

This is the dairy version:
http://www.lic.co.nz/lic_MINDA.cfm
It costs enough that dairy producers who keep beef cattle will record the tags then transfer them out of the system (into 'limbo') so that they don't need to pay the per animal fee each month.
 
donnaIL":2xj09nuc said:
No disrepect intended but..

My question is who cares? No one I sell beef to cares about carcass data..they just want it to taste good.

We bought a bull from a sale that had test data, like any pure bred animal had...the people here didn't like him...infact that banned person made a contest of it. Pictures can be enhanced or even staged. Plenty of frame 4 perfect animals out there...when I saw a future direction, perfect register bull go through the sale barn weighing 1250 lbs at 3+ yrs old knew it was not for me. Yes he looked good.

I pay to collect data on our slaughter animals that we sell for beef. I was happy that they graded choice and were a YG2. Last year was select with YG1. I am working for the YG1 choice or better. Our bull that no one liked is in the 1 percentile for IMF..he was a 6 percent..so this years calves will tell if it works.

I personally think this last "choice" animal we harvested was too fat and I mean I am the chef*L*


If no one would care why are YOU talking about yield and grade on your harvested cattle? The most important thing to the beef bis. is ''beef''. A slaughter show would be a very good way to see how your cattle do in the real world. As Dun has said before, people should own there cattle thru to the rail at least once to see how they do. Some people would be very shocked to see there cattle graded and cut up.
 
First of all, I would only say that when I posted I was having an incrediable bad day...But I must have hit a nerve, wisteria and mjw.

Yes we purchased and animal that would be considered a carcass bull and do not slaughtering him, it does not make him worth more. We pay for carcass data to evaluate what we are producing and evauate the cost and feed like any producer should do. I am just stating I wonder if all this carcass data, i.e., ultrasounds etc is really worth it. I guess if you can be a big supplier (we are not) or you truely have a specialize market then maybe. Also most people only care about appearnce, except maybe a bull buyer, and well then most the time they care about appearance. Around here a small framed animal does not sell well period.

And yes mjw, i collected data from slaughter animals that i raise and feed for my own records. SO I UNDERSTAND I really believe this thread was something different. Sorry I hit ur nerves.

Edited to add that it seemed the question was the "value of ultrasounds". I don't ultrasound..my data is slaughter data, slightly different.
 
Donna, please don't jump on the defensive...you didn't hit a nerve with ME... as I stated, I didn't mean to offend you EITHER and I was just "making conversation"..but no the post was not about the value of ultrasounds..I was trying find out how to get my breed involved in carcass competitions here in the U.S. After getting input I then asked about ultrasounds as an "afterthought"..I'm sorry you were having a super-bad day...have had a few of those recently myself...but if you're going to come onto my post and ask "Who cares" then you have to be prepared for some to answers....
 
Come to think of it we used to use ultrasounds to monitor the amount of fat on an animal so say a month out we could see if we needed to increase or decrease protein content in order to make the animal fall within the acceptable fat measurement.

What breed do you have btw?
 
They normally do well as long as they aren't too fat because they ace the marbling. We had some chargreys that were way up there. One of my favourite crosses that. What made you want to get into carcass comps?
 
aussie_cowgirl":p6ze5unx said:
They normally do well as long as they aren't too fat because they ace the marbling. We had some chargreys that were way up there. One of my favourite crosses that. What made you want to get into carcass comps?

Here in the U.S. we always hear they do so well ... (in Australia)..and since a lot of us here use Australian genetics I can't see why we can't do as well here. I personally am tired of people asking "whats THAT" when I say I raise Murray Greys. So, because I do love them so much I'm constantly trying to think of ways to promote them. I do GeneStar test, etc. and I thought since I'm doing that ANYWAY, then it would be a natural progression to maybe try to get some of breeders to enter any competitions here...(just to see where we fall)...anytime you can win ANYTHING its a good promotional tool...especially for a lesser-known breed as ours (they're not near as prevalent here as they are in Australia). I'd love to see the day when people STOP calling my animals "smokeys"...
 
You know it's so weird to hear the MGs described like that. They're up there with angus here. I'd say go for it. You have nothing to lose. If you're using Aus genetics I dare say you will do well there. Best of luck. Which Aus MG lines are you using?
 
aussie_cowgirl":qnfc5mia said:
You know it's so weird to hear the MGs described like that. They're up there with angus here. I'd say go for it. You have nothing to lose. If you're using Aus genetics I dare say you will do well there. Best of luck. Which Aus MG lines are you using?

I currently have 3 Katuna-bred females and am waiting on Lerwick Park Buckley (all Orcadia Park) to come in (just ordered)...my current bull is out of Lindsay Elect (Willalooka Java son) and his dam was a Willalooka Power daughter... He had the best overall ultrasound from the Midland Bull Test...

My other cows have a strong Monarch Oak (outstanding U.S. breeder) presence.

Willalooka is strong here and other breeders I know have a lot of Banksia Ridge...
Happy to have suggestions though!!!
 
Monterey is good. I don't know if they have any available to the USA. I know one of his bulls is available to canada... their cattle are worth looking at even if it just to admire them :)
http://www.montereyonline.net/

Keren is probably the best person to advise on this because she is involved a lot more with the breed. You should PM her and ask.
 
aussie_cowgirl":12il17te said:
Monterey is good. I don't know if they have any available to the USA. I know one of his bulls is available to canada... their cattle are worth looking at even if it just to admire them :)
http://www.montereyonline.net/

Keren is probably the best person to advise on this because she is involved a lot more with the breed. You should PM her and ask.
Yes, I've spoken with Keren a lot before... she has a great bull, "Cappa"..
 
Frankie":2gw9rkkd said:
Wisteria Farms":2gw9rkkd said:
OK folks...here's a new "pondering" of mine...
In Australia, Murray Grey's kick butt in carcass competitions (I think they have in Canada as well). How could this be done in the U.S....I mean... I'm totally unfamiliar with that aspect of owning cattle but can someone explain to me:
1. Who holds Carcass Competitions? State Fairs?
2. Do you enter as you would a show class?
3. Can you get carcass data from a butcher?
Any info is greatly appreciated...I'm admitting my ignorance on this subject so please only well-meaning advice...

Our local fair doesn't have a carcass competition. The kids usually take the calves on to the state fair.

But some counties do. The Pontotoc County Extension Office runs a carcass program for youngsters:

http://www.adaeveningnews.com/agnews/lo ... 20600.html

Talk to your extension agent and see if he/she knows of any place that does this type of thing.

Also here in OK, the Noble Foundation sponsors a program for kids. They take the calves in and weigh them at weaning (has to be halter broke), take him home and feed him, and on a certain date they bring him back for a last weight and he's shipped for processing. The packer sends the results back to the Noble Foundation who has some sort of awards program. We've never been involved, but one of our neighbors did it a couple of years with his Herefords.

Noble: http://www.noble.org/Ag/JrBeef/index.html

But you should know that feeding and management are as important in carcass competitons as actual genetics.

The Nobel program sounds very interesting. I wish they had more competitions like that for kids with steers. It sounds like it teaches kids what raising steers is all about and not who can grow the most hair.
 
Wisteria I am about 100 miles north of you. The main reason no one pushes the carcass classes is it takes several head if you want to do more than one show. The other reason is you can not ''groom'' a dressed beef to make it look good :cboy: We do see some carcass shows for hogs around here and they go over well. I would really like to see them do some group class slaughter steers that are shown in the pen and judged on the rail. It would do a lot of breeders and growers good to see a before and after for several groups of cattle. With the hide off it is hard to hide poor cattle.
 
twistedxranch":33b1b85g said:
Wisteria Farms":33b1b85g said:
Also, how about the value of ultrasound...
I'm asking because my bull WAS ultrasounded at the bull test... I know his REA, IM Fat, etc.
With regard to breeding for carcass qualities how do you select the FEMALES...do you just "wait and see" which matings produce the best steer's carcasses or rely on GeneStar/Igenity results? If I put my bull on 15 females I'm trying to decide which calves might be "prospects" for the competitions...Do you GeneStar the steers and send the ones with the best results? I understand when talking Hoof & Hook that I'm only referring to the "Hook" part but thats where I'm the most "lost"... :oops:

Geesh I hope I'm making myself clear..


This is simple. Igentiy/genestar test the cows and ultrasound them as well then breed them to a comparable or better bull.
Twisted...I do have Igenity/geneStar on most of the cows (still have to test a few) but its the ultrasound thats missing... Thanks...I'll look into that...
Actually I'm going to have to RETEST everyone due to the new GeneStar system just so I can make an apples/to/apples comparison of my cows....
 
I just want to make a formal apology to DonnaIL....I received a PM from her saying that she obviously hit a nerve with me by saying "who cares" because I used so many capitals...
I'm probaby wrong here...but I tend to capitalize ONE word when I want to emphasize it....those who know me, know I'm not one to argue/pick fights with anyone...I was simply replying to her question of "who cares"...

This message goes on to say that she won't be around much because she sees this as a "club"....(which blew me away as well)....

I am sorry to Donna that my post has caused her to feel this way. I sincerely only thought I was responding to her question of "who cares"...again, I'm sorry.
 

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