Grass fed weights

[ddd75]

Yes Simmentals can eat grass, but Thousand Hills is warning producers that want to sell to them that their experience
has been continentals have been unable to consistently finish on grass to their grass fed standards and carcasses that don't grade to their standards are subject to heavy docks.

i called up thousand hills once and talked to some guy. Told him I could have a potload of grass finished beeves. He didn't care, wasn't interested. I was pretty blown away.. I figured they must have a million people calling them.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Thousand Hills has had a very interesting history. I toured their operation when Todd was still there. They had their own "certification" process. Their requirements were almost "organic".

When they were in Target stores - - they needed a lot of grass fed burger, not choice cuts. They were then dumped and replaced by a new house brand because grass fed is one of the few growth areas in grocery. I assume the house brand grind is imported from SA, like the vast majority of the grass fed we eat...

Organic and Grass Fed are both an enforcement and a labeling mess. There are a few regional brands that continuing the good food fight. I don't see a general solution unless small producers get much much better at lobbying. The big corporations are backing cheap imported stuff from TBA sources.

 

[farmerjan]

I bought their mothers and they were born on my place. They have not lost weight. The weaning weights were determined by tape measure as we didn't have a scale. I just got the scale set up. Had my wife on one end and my son on the other. Weighed with each on one end separately and then both together like a cow would stand. Was within 1 pound. Just weighed them. Their frame scores are nowhere near 5. Like I said we are only a year in and have lots to learn. We are trying to buy moderate sized cows and they are holding their condition scores well at 5+. Just think the calves are maturing slow.

In the process of "buying the cows" and having the calves born on the place, do you know what those cows were bred to? Are they purebreds or just simi cows that were bred commercial to "a bull"????
I raise jersey beef, used to sell some and have always eaten it myself for 30 years. I grass feed/hay in the winter, but the trick to good beef is continual gain of at least 1.5 or 2 lbs per day minimum. Serious dedication to good pasture and rotational grazing helps. The breed is very important. If these animals were on 5 acres of grass and hay, they were not being managed for weight gain, no matter the breed. It's not an easy process. I got tired of the people who wanted a beef or a half then didn't have the money when the time came, or had a dozen other excuses. Now we raise a few for friends that understand the process, and to give to a few of the landowners where we rent pasture, and for our own freezers. I don't have the patience to deal with the public anymore.
The thing is, if the weight gain is not consistent, the beef will not marble and will be tough. And honestly, bulls of some breeds will be tougher than other breeds. I am not picking on Simi's as I have never knowingly eaten one. Brown Swiss take too long to grow their frame, and then put weight on and can be very tough. Plus, once bulls get to a certain size/age, they have more on their mind than just eating so are not going to gain as well.

Good luck but I think you might need to readjust your program and change breeds, or something. Try to get in with someone who has been there/ done that and get some real hands on experience with it. It is a slow learning curve on your own.

 

[Chocolate Cow2]

So many things play into the efficiency of an animal. Environment, genetics are important. Each breed has it's place and purpose as part of the puzzle. Mother Nature will always win when man forces an unadapted animal/breed into a 'hostile environment'. Today,most Angus are genetically programmed for the feedlot. The high $-Beef number has been falsely misconstrued to mean 'you can have it all' as opposed to being used as a terminal indicator. I am not familiar with current Simmental EPD's but I am very familiar with the Simmental's that walked pastures in the 1980's.
Whatever breed you choose, you have to know your environmental strengths and limitations along with your financial abilities to support the animal you select.
tjmdo-your cattle are telling you something.....but you're not listening. Don't be offended with the statement. My cattle told me and I didn't listen either but a calculator got my attention. My feed bill was more than the calf sales check and the cows demand for more feed increased because of what I had selected for---growth and high milk. Don't be afraid to make changes. Don't be stubborn and think you can fool Mother Nature. Work with her and your life and your cattle will be amazing.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

"tjmdo-your cattle are telling you something.....but you're not listening. Don't be offended with the statement. My cattle told me and I didn't listen either but a calculator got my attention. My feed bill was more than the calf sales check and the cows demand for more feed increased because of what I had selected for---growth and high milk. Don't be afraid to make changes. Don't be stubborn and think you can fool Mother Nature. Work with her and your life and your cattle will be amazing."

Very good advice.
Choc Cow - the Simmental of the 80's are NOT the current Simmentals.

 

[tjmdo]

I'm in east Texas.

 

[tjmdo]

Pics from November. Grass fed and hay fed only with accuration protein and purina fly control minerals.

 

[farmerjan]

Do you worm your cattle? They look like their hair coat is a bit rough. Often an indication of parasites. That will definitely cause them to be "poor doers" and not gain weight also.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Jan - when I looked at the pictures, that was the first thought I had.
They look "pot bellied" and extremely small for 10-12 months of age.
The hair coat and pot bellied look indicates possible worm problem.
It sounds like you are trying to do good by your cattle, providing protein blocks & mineral. But, there is something lacking for them to be that small/light weight.

 

[tjmdo]

Ivomec back in sept.

 

[Allenw]

They look like bottle calves to me, calves have been hustling for a long time.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Ivomec is a great product. But, it does not get tapeworms. I use Valbazen on my calves along with pour-on. Very few dewormers get tapeworms and they are a major problem for calves. Your calves do not look good - especially for their age - no matter what you are feeding them.
You should be able to take a stool sample to your vet or just get a product to deworm them again that will get tapeworms.

 

[jerry27150]

you guys are forgetting where he is. summer is 120 degrees. not sure what kind of grass he has. when I was in northern pa it was nothing to have 600 lb weaned calves. when I came to Missouri, it was a different world, some of my cows from pa actually died here. I was ashamed of my calves the first couple of years, did good to make 4-5 hundred. some of you need to send some of your cattle down south before you criticize him to much. I have seen cattle in texas & Arkansas that look worse.

 

[wbvs58]

you guys are forgetting where he is. summer is 120 degrees. not sure what kind of grass he has. when I was in northern pa it was nothing to have 600 lb weaned calves. when I came to Missouri, it was a different world, some of my cows from pa actually died here. I was ashamed of my calves the first couple of years, did good to make 4-5 hundred. some of you need to send some of your cattle down south before you criticize him to much. I have seen cattle in texas & Arkansas that look worse.

Yes but these are 12-14 months of age they have been through the whole 4 seasons and almost another one. Apart from drought conditions which was never mentioned every place that I know of has their growing season and the season where things are dormant. If you are growing bulls it is imperative to keep a close eye on their weight if you want something to sell and adjust their feed if things are not going to expectation. It may require some destocking to ease the grazing pressure or to plant some forage crop to fill the feed gap when pasture is not growing to maintain the grassfed status but what ever it takes you have to do it if you want to have a saleable product.

Ken

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

jerry, I understand what you are saying. But, these calves might be fine at weaning time, not as yearlings. Granted the pics were taken in Nov. so they were 10-12 months of age. It sounds like he is doing a good job trying to supplement them knowing they don't have grass to eat. So, to me, there is something else he is dealing with.

You need to visit others in your area and see if someone local can look at your cattle. I still would deworm for tapeworms.

 

[True Grit Farms]

My commercial cows will gain 3+ pounds a day starting next week for 70 - 90 days then it's maintain or lose a little for the rest of the year till winter. During the winter they'll lose a pound a day trying to get by to the spring grass. I've figured out that there's no money to be made in trying to keep a cow fat year round. I've never bought a fancy cow or bull that could thrive under my management practices. I would like to buy a few fancy heifers or cows and put out with my commercial cows and post weekly pictures of them on here.
Simmental melts the worse, followed by Angus, then comes Hereford. Beefmaster is the best breed under our management that I've tried so far, till it's time to sell the calves.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

It is really interesting to hear the differences in areas. I forget how much difference just from Kansas to NY.
When we moved here from Kansas, we were amazed that it stayed GREEN all summer.
"Again" our snow has melted & the cows are picking around at the green grass that had been under the snow.

 

[tjmdo]

Thanks for all the help guys. To tell you the truth. We've been watching them close. Deworming and such. They've never really fallen off or looked skinny. I have read that it can take upwards of 24 months to feed out a simmi on grass. If that's true I think I'm right there. I've taken all you've said to heart and am deworming again. These guys are not out on our 250 acres yet and have just been getting hay and the little grass I have. We will be transitioning to the big property coming up. I know that simmi is not ideal but we are going to try them on grass as it would be great for the grass fed folks to have a seed stock simmi producer to buy from. We are concentrating on moderate framed cattle, less than 5. I'll let you know how things come out. The tough thing is that I can't find any data on the weights of grass fed cattle. Just that it takes anywhere from 18-30 months to feed out.

 

[Son of Butch]

I just weighed my grass fed yearling Bulls. Not happy with their weights.
What should I expect on grass and hay with protein tub and mineral supplements at 12-14 months?

East Texas and they weigh 604, 602 and 458....

13 months old (390 days) 555 lb average minus 70 lb birth weight, 485 lbs in 390 days = 1.25 lbs gain per day

Calves and yearlings on a good grass pasture should be gaining 2 lbs day.
East Texas should have good grass 5 months out of the year (mid April - mid September)... right? 150 days = 300 lbs
Your challenge is to provide enough quality grass hay the other 7 months (215 days) to gain another 300 lbs = 1.4/day
600 lbs yr = 1.65 lb average
24 mos = 1200 + 70 bw = 1270 lbs finished
1270 x.60% = 762 lbs hanging weight

 

[angus9259]

Grass fed beef is more about raising grass than feeding beef regardless of the breed. One way or another those calves are telling you they need nutrition (which is different than "food"). If you are going to pursue this (regardless of breed) you will have to put some serious intensity into raising year round "grasses" (what do you mean by "grass" by the way??) of superior nutritional value. There is no one who can tell you how big they SHOULD be without knowing what they ate.

After I wean my bulls I put them on grass till they are yearlings. They gain 2 lbs per day but are 600 lbs when I wean them and they get nothing but young grass from intensive rotational grazing and brush hogging.