feeding for marbling

[dj]

Speaking with a person in the butchering business last week the comment was made that I would want/need to feed a 3 y/o to increase the marbling. I feel after a point it's too late to develope the carcass and all you would be doing is covering the carcass with fat increasing the costs. Am I wrong? Can you develope marbling in older animals by feeding corn for 30-90 days?

 

[Tully]

usualy more to do with genetics than feeding ,you can get a shorthorn or angus to marble but i duobt if you can get a limousin to marble if you fed it for 2 yrs.
In wagyu cattle the marbling starts to be evident from about 14-15 months & cuts out about 14 months later & it will not improve after that.
regards
Tully

 

[dun]

Can you develope marbling in older animals by feeding corn for 30-90 days?

Might could to a degree, but external and KPH fat would be the more evident result.

dun

 

[alabama]

What is the best age to feed for marbling in angus cattle?

 

[SCRUBS620]

I have been thinking about this. I think you need to limit their movement to increase marbling. Here is my reasoning. Fat is only deposited into the muscle when there is an overabundance of calories. If they are walking long distances every day the muscle will stay lean so it can work efficiently and the energy reserves will be placed elsewhere. If the muscling is already there, you pen it up so that it can just lay down and stand up, pour the corn to it, I think the muscle will be replaced by fat. Use a high energy/lower protein feed. The cow will use protein from the muscle to supply its needs (this may be why you can't marble beef on dried distillers grain - too much protein) The body is usually very efficient when it comes to resource usage. If the muscles are not being used it will be broken down to provide protein (think of an arm after a cast is removed). If the protein deficiency was coupled with calorie deficiency the cow would just waste away but with the extra calories fat starts to get deposited into the muscle. Plus the time spent not moving will increase feed efficiency and increase tenderness (muscles that are not being used all the time will not be as tough). Feedyards accomplish this by crowding the pens so they can move some but not much. I have not tried this myself, it is just some thoughts I had. Please let me know if you have tried it and I am way off base.

 

[MrBilly]

For those Angus sired calves that we feed out for customers, we start shortly after weaning. Start with three pounds of grain per day and very slowly increase it up to 3% of body weight max. We feed for 5-7 months and all of our's grade choice. We ultrasound them at 8 months and often the test reveals devoid of marbling at that point, so they need longer feeding to bring them to their full potential. Our bulls and the AI bulls we use have good EPDs for marbling, but sometimes the Momma cow has a greater influence on what the final product will be. Large feedlots don't feed for 5 months because they like to.

It the heifers that we fed out seem to marble easier and quicker, had a prime last year.

These are just our observations, but when I hear of people thinking of feeding only for 30 to 90 days and hoping to get a great steak, I really wonder.

Billy

 

[hayray]

For those Angus sired calves that we feed out for customers, we start shortly after weaning. Start with three pounds of grain per day and very slowly increase it up to 3% of body weight max. We feed for 5-7 months and all of our's grade choice. We ultrasound them at 8 months and often the test reveals devoid of marbling at that point, so they need longer feeding to bring them to their full potential. Our bulls and the AI bulls we use have good EPDs for marbling, but sometimes the Momma cow has a greater influence on what the final product will be. Large feedlots don't feed for 5 months because they like to.

It the heifers that we fed out seem to marble easier and quicker, had a prime last year.

These are just our observations, but when I hear of people thinking of feeding only for 30 to 90 days and hoping to get a great steak, I really wonder.

Billy

That is great info. Mr Billy. How do you get the ultrasound? Does someone bring it out or do you have one?

 

[MrBilly]

Hey Hayray,

We use a certified Angus tech that comes from Iowa. He makes a loop down here once or twice per year. We share with others his travel and then I think it is $15 per head. It gives us ribeye size, back fat thickness, degree of marbleling and for the registered Angus all the stuff that the association requires for the registry. There are many other techs in the area too.

I think you put in a pod irrigation system last year? I just completed putting in the K-line system here, but haven't needed to turn it on yet due to rain and cold weather. How's your's working for you?

Billy

 

[hayray]

Hey Hayray,

We use a certified Angus tech that comes from Iowa. He makes a loop down here once or twice per year. We share with others his travel and then I think it is $15 per head. It gives us ribeye size, back fat thickness, degree of marbleling and for the registered Angus all the stuff that the association requires for the registry. There are many other techs in the area too.

I think you put in a pod irrigation system last year? I just completed putting in the K-line system here, but haven't needed to turn it on yet due to rain and cold weather. How's your's working for you?

Billy

I thought that was you, I remember corresponding to you about that. We still have some issues to work out with moving the system around, moving the pumps, and had a lot of issues because the pumps are not self priming. Also the pumps which are Robin Engines over heat in hot weather and stop siphoning gas from the tanks, we use researve tanks because otherwise you have to fill them up every couple of hours and that does not work out in the schedule. We assumed because we had been told that you can pull the lines around with a three wheeler, no-way with ours anyways.

What are you using for pumps?