feeding out/butchering 3 yr old heifer,steer (update)

[Toby L.]

Tomorrow I'm going to pick up a 3 year old heifer and a 3 yr. old steer. There both around 800 pounds, which bothers me as to why there not bigger, must be a nutritional issue. The guy I'm getting them from has been feeding them 5 pds. of corn each and free choice hay. What I was going to do is feed them 16 pds. of ground corn with molasses, and free choice late cutting hay for a month then butcher. What I was wondering, is that going to do any good? Or should I just butcher them right now? There not filled out to my standards, I'm picky anyways, but I don't want to keep them around for 3 months either. I need the beef now... I was reading about the 6 year old cow butcher thread and wondering if the same applied to an animal that's 3 years old. What I was planning on doing is selling the 3 halves to pay for my 1 half, but I want decent steaks also.


We butchered the steer today, and his hanging weight was 430 pounds. So if I were to sell the meat for $2 a pound it would come to $860. The heifer I sold to a neighbor that really likes her because she is small, for $250 and 200 square bales of clover/timothy hay. He had the hay listed for $3 a bale, so even at that it would come to $850. The bales are light so I figured there probably worth $2 a bale. I needed the hay anyways because I was going to run out a the end of April. So I spent $1000 for the cattle and fed around #1500 pounds of corn, at $10 a hundred, so there's $150 so that's $1150, plus hay, and I made $1710, $560 profit. In actuality I made $250 which will pay for the processing, and some extra hay. At least I'll have some meat in the freezer, probably 200 pounds. I'll let you know how it taste in a couple of weeks. Boy, now that I put it that way I really feel ripped off.

 

[Angus Cowman]

Tomorrow I'm going to pick up a 3 year old heifer and a 3 yr. old steer. There both around 800 pounds, which bothers me as to why there not bigger, must be a nutritional issue. The guy I'm getting them from has been feeding them 5 pds. of corn each and free choice hay. What I was going to do is feed them 16 pds. of ground corn with molasses, and free choice late cutting hay for a month then butcher. What I was wondering, is that going to do any good? Or should I just butcher them right now? There not filled out to my standards, I'm picky anyways, but I don't want to keep them around for 3 months either. I need the beef now... I was reading about the 6 year old cow butcher thread and wondering if the same applied to an animal that's 3 years old. What I was planning on doing is selling the 3 halves to pay for my 1 half, but I want decent steaks also.

I would say if they have had nutritional issues in the past feeding them will make a lil differnce but not alot
also with them being three yrs old they won't be any Tbones because they can not cut the spine and my processor also told me that Feb 1st they are issueing more regulations on anything older than 30 months so you might check with them before you purchase these animals

 

[Toby L.]

Tomorrow I'm going to pick up a 3 year old heifer and a 3 yr. old steer. There both around 800 pounds, which bothers me as to why there not bigger, must be a nutritional issue. The guy I'm getting them from has been feeding them 5 pds. of corn each and free choice hay. What I was going to do is feed them 16 pds. of ground corn with molasses, and free choice late cutting hay for a month then butcher. What I was wondering, is that going to do any good? Or should I just butcher them right now? There not filled out to my standards, I'm picky anyways, but I don't want to keep them around for 3 months either. I need the beef now... I was reading about the 6 year old cow butcher thread and wondering if the same applied to an animal that's 3 years old. What I was planning on doing is selling the 3 halves to pay for my 1 half, but I want decent steaks also.

I would say if they have had nutritional issues in the past feeding them will make a lil differnce but not alot
also with them being three yrs old they won't be any Tbones because they can not cut the spine and my processor also told me that Feb 1st they are issueing more regulations on anything older than 30 months so you might check with them before you purchase these animals

Is that the u.s.d.a. issuing out these regulations? And I don't think my butcher cares how old they are. New York strips and tender loins sound pretty good to me about now.

 

[Toby L.]

I was just wondering about tenderness and marbling or is 3 years old to old to worry much about that. And if a month isn't going to matter much maybe I'll just save my money and do them in sooner.

 

[Angus Cowman]

if he is a processor for the public he has to be USDA inspected if he is just some good ole boy then it probably won't matter and I myself would rather have the KC strips and ribeyes than a T bone anyway
I just butchered 1 3yr old and 2 about 30 months and I have never had any problem with tenderness or marbling although they have always been in good flesh and I feed them for about 90 days
I pick them up next tuesday will let ya know on wenesday :lol:

 

[Toby L.]

I got this transfered from the feedlot board so it could get some more views

Tomorrow I'm going to pick up a 3 year old heifer and a 3 yr. old steer. There both around 800 pounds, which bothers me as to why there not bigger, must be a nutritional issue. The guy I'm getting them from has been feeding them 5 pds. of corn each and free choice hay. What I was going to do is feed them 16 pds. of ground corn with molasses, and free choice late cutting hay for a month then butcher. What I was wondering, is that going to do any good? Or should I just butcher them right now? There not filled out to my standards, I'm picky anyways, but I don't want to keep them around for 3 months either. I need the beef now... I was reading about the 6 year old cow butcher thread and wondering if the same applied to an animal that's 3 years old. What I was planning on doing is selling the 3 halves to pay for my 1 half, but I want decent steaks also.

 

[LoveMoo11]

I wouldn't even bother buying them unless you are getting a good price on them. I don't think a month is going to make a huge difference, you might get some meat on them, but you should do out the calculations and see if it will be worth it at the end. Since they have nutritional problems to begin with, they probably aren't going to get any more frame, you'd just be adding bulk.

 

[Limomike]

If you need the beef now, as you say you do; why bother with anymore expense on them? I would just take them in and let the butcher get busy.

 

[Dave]

It might not be just nutritional it could be genetics that has them small at this age. There still are some sorry cattle around that just don't grow too well. I would look more at the condition of the cattle than their size when deciding to feed more or butcher now. At three years old you aren't going to had to their size but you can certainly improve their condition.

 

[alftn]

It seems to me that quality is of importance , if you plan on selling 3/2. I would clean them out(feed them myself for 6 weeks) just so I would feel that they were right tasting...I have kill grass fatten cattle will just a little corn and killed other that were much cleaner(feed off) there is a taste difference but all eat well.

 

[Toby L.]

The guy that I bought them from was told by his neighbor that their size is due to improper nutrition when they were calves. So the general consensus around here say's that after 3 years old their frame is done growing , about the only thing that I can do now is bulk them up a little. Is that correct? I brought them home today and I would say that they weigh 650 to 700 pnds. Even if that, I paid $500 each for them. I figured that I got a good deal, if you compare local auction prices, there around the same. And i've got healthy cows that haven't been run through a sales barn, being exposed to god knows what. I figure what I'll do is butcher one now, because I could really use the meat. And butcher the other one a few months from now. I'm waiting for my processor to call and I'm going to have him come out here and give me his opinion on the whole deal.

 

[grannysoo]

You paid plenty for each of them, that's for sure...........

Butcher one now and feed the other for a few months. When you need beef, you need beef. Might want to consider making mostly hamburger out of the first one.

 

[mnmtranching]

Toby those people that have been advising you about the frame/bone being there at 3 years old, and all you will be doing is adding bulk, are giving you good advice. Normally cattle that have the frame growth will add pounds efficiently. Did you mention the breed? That would make a difference.
On average I would say it would be to your benefit to feed them up for a couple months.
Only if you want the steaks and roasts, for grinding meat, process asap. IMO.

 

[Toby L.]

Toby those people that have been advising you about the frame/bone being there at 3 years old, and all you will be doing is adding bulk, are giving you good advice. Normally cattle that have the frame growth will add pounds efficiently. Did you mention the breed? That would make a difference.
On average I would say it would be to your benefit to feed them up for a couple months.
Only if you want the steaks and roasts, for grinding meat, process asap. IMO.

Their Black Angus, Accually I got them somewhere up by where I think your from, Mizpa, I was reading one of your posts a couple months ago and you said that your ranch was 60 miles up the Crow Wing river, I'm not sure where that river dumps into, but I was thinking then that you were around the Blackduck area.

 

[Toby L.]

You paid plenty for each of them, that's for sure...........

Butcher one now and feed the other for a few months. When you need beef, you need beef. Might want to consider making mostly hamburger out of the first one.

I just looked up the Bagley livestock report from the 22nd. 550-800# X-bred Steers 84 To 110 so even on the low end, that steer if he wieghs out at 700# would cost me $588. 550-800# X-bred Heifers 72 To 98 So the 700# heifer would have costed me $504. These cattle were all black, and in good health. I've heard of a lot of bad expirences of people bringing home sick cattle from salebarns. I've even brought sick ones home from dairies that die easily. My wife was happy about the purchase so I guess thats all that matters

 

[grubbie]

Im no expert....But I have generally harvested cattle while they are on the gain (learned from Grandpa). Catch them while they are gaining weight and they seem to turn out great. So if it were me, I would surely try and put some weight on them before harvesting the meat. We have even done this before with a pretty old cow that came up dry, even the steaks came out good. We could wait and put a few more pounds on them, but taking them while they are still gaining good weight seems to be the key for us.

 

[dun]

You paid plenty for each of them, that's for sure...........

Butcher one now and feed the other for a few months. When you need beef, you need beef. Might want to consider making mostly hamburger out of the first one.

I just looked up the Bagley livestock report from the 22nd. 550-800# X-bred Steers 84 To 110 so even on the low end, that steer if he wieghs out at 700# would cost me $588. 550-800# X-bred Heifers 72 To 98 So the 700# heifer would have costed me $504. These cattle were all black, and in good health. I've heard of a lot of bad expirences of people bringing home sick cattle from salebarns. I've even brought sick ones home from dairies that die easily. My wife was happy about the purchase so I guess thats all that matters

The thing to remember is that the prices you were looking at are for young cattle, not 3 year olds. At 3 the prices would be closer to the cutter/canner cow prices. Depending on the condition the latest report I saw has them at $24 - $54 cwt depending on there yeild potential.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Yes, you are comparing ripe juicy oranges to dried up prunes :shock:
You are buying CULLS. They have ALREADY had health/nutritional issues. You BOUGHT someone else's problem. IMO you just wasted your money. I sure wouldn't want to be responsible for selling the "quality" meat to anyone.
I think you are going to get some good high price hamburg out of the first one. 2nd one on feed for 60 days may be better.
You should have asked questions on here SOONER - before you spent your money.
In case you aren't aware of it - a 6-8 month old calf should weigh that much and would be super TENDER to harvest right away if you were desperate for it right away.
Real rough figuring - A 600# 3 year old, might hang a 300# carcass, and you lose about 1/3 of that weight, so you are looking at about 200# of hamburg for how much money?? + kill & processing fee.

 

[Toby L.]

What's done is done, I'll let everyone know how it turns out.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

What's done is done, I'll let everyone know how it turns out.

Sorry, I should not have come across so "nasty" sounding. Didn't really mean to be MEAN.
Just is frustrating to have someone make a mistake (if it was one) that we could have prevented. Just like to help people avoid pitfalls.
Might be purrrfect!