For various reasons (lost my buyer and then my slot at slaughterhouse), I have a steer that will be butchered at ~20 months of age. We were going to make all ground beef but have now been contacted by one of our 'freezer beef " customers. I've never sold one at this age before. Would you be comfortable selling a half to a previous customer?
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freezer beef question
- Thread starter jnm303
- Start date
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Son of Butch
Well-known member
Yes.... and I sure wouldn't grind a steer into all burger just because he's over 20 months of age.
What is your concern about this individual steer that you think so little of him?
What is your concern about this individual steer that you think so little of him?
Luckiamute
Well-known member
It's not uncommon to butcher a steer at 20 months of age, especially for small producers. I actually do it regularly, though it's not always by choice ... sometimes I have to wait longer to get a kill date at the butcher I use because they are so busy (like this year; my oldest steer will be 20 months when it is butchered). You should have a good quality carcass. If the steer is "grass-fed" waiting a little longer to butcher sometimes pays off with better marbling. I know there is a large grass-fed operation here in Oregon that butchers most of its steers at 18 to 24 months.
i had a few 26 month olds butchered in the spring.
they taste amazing. I let them go a little longer as I manly let them on pasture.. grain them when they are weaned, back on pasture, then grain them again for about 60 days until slaughter date.
they taste amazing. I let them go a little longer as I manly let them on pasture.. grain them when they are weaned, back on pasture, then grain them again for about 60 days until slaughter date.
farmerjan
Well-known member
I regularly butcher at 22-28 months. Basically all grass fed jersey and jersey crosses. Butcher here says mine have some of the best marbling. We don't do alot of grain, a few lbs per head per day to keep them coming in the catch pen. Last one was 30 months, heifer that was open. Had beautiful fat/marbling through the steaks and they tasted pretty d....d good. The flavor comes from some maturity and marbling. Marbling comes from maturity.
farmerjan":3swrsbnq said:I regularly butcher at 22-28 months. Basically all grass fed jersey and jersey crosses. Butcher here says mine have some of the best marbling. We don't do alot of grain, a few lbs per head per day to keep them coming in the catch pen. Last one was 30 months, heifer that was open. Had beautiful fat/marbling through the steaks and they tasted pretty d....d good. The flavor comes from some maturity and marbling. Marbling comes from maturity.
I have a 27 month old heifer who hasn't calved. She's going to be in the freezer if the blood test comes back neg.
