grass fed beef ?

[Suzie Q]

SCORE!!!

We found some rib eye fillet in the freezer that we didn't know was there. Grass fed for us means grass and hay that we make ourselves. She was a droughtmaster and talk about B E A U T I F U L and tender to eat and it had been in the freezer for over a year.

I am trying to imagine how the Bazadais can be any better.

 

[RD-Sam]

most of it actaully...our cattle require less maint on grass only..no hay..no feeding out..no barrage of hormones or meds unless needed..and thats not often...

forage yes..only finish during season of peak production..and i believe it to be only to need an abundnce..not of poor quality..not necessarily super high unobtainable quality thru fert or seeding

hang time..ours is fork tender at about 20 mos and 900-100 lbs deending on animal hung at 14-16 days

It takes you 20 months to get them up to 1000 pounds?

 

[dieselbeef]

on grass w/no supplements at all..yep...i know its ferever but thats about avg time for us.

 

[Brute 23]

I can't tell the difference. We have always just pulled the bulls right off pasture and butchered them. The few times we put them on feed the only thing I noticed different was more work and more $$$.

 

[dieselbeef]

yep....

 

[grubbie]

The first rule to grass fat beef is having enough grass to make them FAT. If not, you will have to supplement. As far as management practices and extra work,...for us it is less work. Let them eat grass and drink water. Pick the heaviest animals, load them in a trailer and off they go. Ours are about 1100 lb at 28-30 months, and we are happy with the taste. But it is a different taste than store bought.

 

[BRYANT]

Maybe its what you get used to but as for me I don't like grass fed beef.
I think all the talk about " grass fed beef " is because so many people are into this health food thing now days. and there is noyhing wronge with that , I just like lots of fat on my beef that is the best part.

 

[dun]

As far as management practices and extra work,...for us it is less work.

The management and extra work is farming the forage properly to provide the leel of nutrition needed for them to finish on grass. Most of us have to scramble to have high qualiry forage, I guess some folks are just lucky enough that ti's available with no effort.

 

[Suzie Q]

No offence meant, but we make our own luck.

 

[dcara]

Studies at Texas A&M determined that grain fed beef was healthier for folks than grass fed beef. Here's the link.

http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1934

 

[dieselbeef]

we eat it for peace of mind and price..my animals are obese

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Yes, when I stated it took more management, I was referring to the management of their feed - GRASS. Not trying to offend, but IMO, a good grass fed program is finishing cattle at that 1000-1100# range at closer to the 16 month age - not letting them get to 2 1/2 years old. There is an "art" to feeding quality grass fed beef.
Diesel, I'm not saying you can't be enjoying your own beef. I'm just referring to what the "industry" is trying to educate producers that want to sell grass fed beef to consumers wanting a "pleasureable eating experience" :shock: Universities are putting on seminars all over the states educating how to manage grasses.
Our "cowherd" is all grass fed. We butchered an old cow that was in about a 7 BCS for hamburg, and told the butcher to pull the loin for steaks. Butcher was so impressed with the carcass marbling, he packaged sirloin steaks & some others. NOT what I would ever serve to guests :shock: :shock: The loins are great, but the rest have to be marinated to tenderize them. Great flavor - just too tough for us.

 

[Brute 23]

As far as management practices and extra work,...for us it is less work.

The management and extra work is farming the forage properly to provide the leel of nutrition needed for them to finish on grass. Most of us have to scramble to have high qualiry forage, I guess some folks are just lucky enough that ti's available with no effort.

Really........ you make your own luck.

 

[TexasBred]

As far as management practices and extra work,...for us it is less work.

The management and extra work is farming the forage properly to provide the leel of nutrition needed for them to finish on grass. Most of us have to scramble to have high qualiry forage, I guess some folks are just lucky enough that ti's available with no effort.

Really........ you make your own luck.

Then it's no longer luck. It's work as dun said. What's the old saying? "The harder I work the luckier I get"?

 

[dieselbeef]

Yes, when I stated it took more management, I was referring to the management of their feed - GRASS. Not trying to offend, but IMO, a good grass fed program is finishing cattle at that 1000-1100# range at closer to the 16 month age - not letting them get to 2 1/2 years old. There is an "art" to feeding quality grass fed beef.
Diesel, I'm not saying you can't be enjoying your own beef. I'm just referring to what the "industry" is trying to educate producers that want to sell grass fed beef to consumers wanting a "pleasureable eating experience" :shock: Universities are putting on seminars all over the states educating how to manage grasses.
Our "cowherd" is all grass fed. We butchered an old cow that was in about a 7 BCS for hamburg, and told the butcher to pull the loin for steaks. Butcher was so impressed with the carcass marbling, he packaged sirloin steaks & some others. NOT what I would ever serve to guests :shock: :shock: The loins are great, but the rest have to be marinated to tenderize them. Great flavor - just too tough for us.

are you saying that store bought (we all know what that means) is better....i dont know what you mean then..what would you serve yer guests..my guests get what i eat and end up being my customers..maybe im just lucky!!!!!!! :banana:

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

No, I don't buy beef at the store - or pork or lamb or venison or goat :shock:
Everyone has their own preferences, I prefer grain fed beef (PRIME). I buy back a side of beef from my feedlot buyer (one of our own steers). Actually, it usually ends up we trading a fall steer for a side of beef.
I'm not saying the way you are doing it is wrong or that your customers aren't happy. Maybe I would love your beef - I'm just saying my experience with grass fed does not convince me to switch :banana:
"Supposedly" the younger grass fattened steers are better than the ones that take 30 months - according to those smarter than me.
That's the way it is with grain fed - the younger the more tender - maybe not as flavorful - but the modern consumer really doesn't care about taste - they cover everything with sauces.

 

[dieselbeef]

thats cool..but i want control over what theyre eating and what (if any) vacc they get.

i cant usually grow mine out to 30 mos cuz people cant take 1000 lbs of wrapped beef. i like to sell ea person a half so they get a good variety of cuts. the fat is yellow..yep.. its a 20 mo steer about 1000 lbs so they get about 300 lbs wrapped per half.

mostly this works for us.

ive never fed one out with grain so i cant bias against it but my biggest advantage is that i know exactly whats goin in that cows belly...once they get to a feedlot of any kind then youve lost that control.

also to me...i think it offsets the costs to the point its not really a cheaper way to get your beef which is also imp to us at this point in time esp. pasture is cheaper than grain fer sure

btw..i think im getting into the hiefer finishing biz for a nieghbor. well see how his do against mine on the same pasture...

gary

 

[Suzie Q]

Really........ you make your own luck.

Yes people make their own luck.

"You are lucky because your horses are quiet" - My horses are trained to be quiet.

"You are lucky that your horse can jump" - Trained again. He couldn't jump a log when we first met.

"You are lucky because you have grass for your cattle" - When we bought this farm there was not one blade of grass on the whole property. Not one. It was overgrazed and not worth anything. We did not put cattle on right away. We irrigate where we can. We feed out hay so as the cattle do not strip the grass to the ground. The feeding out of the hay is not work. I LOVE it. I LOVE being able to feed out as many round bales as I like. I LOVE interacting with the cattle and seeing the new calves. It is only a couple of times a week, so is not work.

"You are lucky because your cattle are quiet." - They are quiet because we feed them out hay twice a week. They know us.

The list can go on.

So look at the bad luck

First year we lost our bore. Ouch that hurt. But we got out a diviner and put in a new bore, where he said 2 streams met. The next year during a severe drought people ran out of water. They could not water their crops. People had to sell their entire herds as the cattle had no water to drink. We did not run out of water. We could still irrigate. We could fill the dam with water for the cattle to drink.

Losing the bore was a blessing in disguise.

The next year we lost our hay shed to a massive whirly wind. It went in and punched up through the roof. The water drenched the hay. We removed the hay. Sold what we could, fed out the rest. Without the shed we can't store hay. Without the hay we can't have cattle. Without the cattle we don't need the farm.

Insurance came through we put in a bit of extra money. We put up a hay shed and a machinery shed and updated the farm in one fell swoop. Our machinery is now not in with the hay, which can cause fires, etc from mouse nests in the tractor. We bait the rats and mice and losing the shed was a blessing in disguise.

 

[char]

HI. I JUST WANT TO THANK DUNN AND ALL THE OTHER WHO POSTED ABOUT FEEDING TO FINISHING A COW. IT IS VERY HELPFULL.
I REALLY INJOY THIS CATTLE BOARD. THANKS TO ALL OF YOU


CHAR

 

[Brute 23]

The management and extra work is farming the forage properly to provide the leel of nutrition needed for them to finish on grass. Most of us have to scramble to have high qualiry forage, I guess some folks are just lucky enough that ti's available with no effort.

Really........ you make your own luck.

Then it's no longer luck. It's work as dun said. What's the old saying? "The harder I work the luckier I get"?

If you try to raise cattle on the side of a hill, on rocks, or in a place that has winter 9 months out of the year.... you have made your own luck.