help:slaughter house deception

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Anonymous

how can I make sure that when I take my steers to the slaughter house, that I get the same animals back? I had someone over to my place and said my cows look too good to take to the slaughter house because they might switch the meat...how can I ensure this dont happen to me..I have overspent to make my cows meat good for me not for someone else...

[email protected]
 
There is not a way that you can ever be 100% certain, short of standing there and watching them slaughter and process your calf. The first step is to pick a locker plant with a good reputation. Then, remember that it would be more trouble for them to make a switch. They are busy (if they are any good) and don't have time to play games like that.

I've heard people complain about that from time to time over the years. I've also noticed that usually those same people are always being "victimized" by somebody and never seem to get a fair shake from anybody – and they are always bellyaching about it to whoever will listen. Either that, or they left meat in the locker for so long that it had freezer burn, or their calf wasn't that great to begin with, and they have to find somebody else to blame for things that they should have controlled themselves.

The main thing is to deal with reputable folks.

Craig-TX
 
thank you for your input..I do know a place and they are busy all the time you have to phone a month in advance to get in..I will keep this in mind..maybe by chance would you know the live pre-slaughter weight for a jersey steer? he is not crossbred.. thank you

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If you have "overspent" to make your bovine's meat good, may I suggest that in the future you start with an Angus or Shorthorn (or even Hereford) steer and then feed him properly. Also, you need to do a little looking into, and talking with your slaughterhouse, about "hanging" or "aging" the carcass for the proper time. A lot of busy slaughterhouses don't age the carcass for very long before they cut & wrap, if at all.

The above assumes that, based on your other questions, you have been feeding a Jersey steer for slaughter (IMHO somewhat of a waste of time and money, though I'll grant you that one can usually buy Jersey steers for a very cheap price)
 
That just depends on how old he is and how well he's doing. From hoof to freezer you can expect a yield of 50% or slightly better.

Craig-TX
 
thank you! he is almost 6 months old and weighs about 460 pounds. I figure around the middle of october he will weigh 900 pounds..I guess what I really want is red meat not pink meat...

> That just depends on how old he is
> and how well he's doing. From hoof
> to freezer you can expect a yield
> of 50% or slightly better.

> Craig-TX



[email protected]
 
when I say I overspent is because I dont grow my own crops or forage or bedding I have to purchase it all..I also had their horns removed, vaccinated and castrated so that accounts for alot of cost I live in ontario canada and vets are not cheap and hay is through the roof..but I will phone the slaughter house and ask how long they hang them for..what is the appropriate time for hanging...I am a horse person not a cow person I am new at this..thank you for your advice..and yes Jerseys are very cheap..2 bulls calves 3 months old $250.00 for both...

> If you have "overspent"
> to make your bovine's meat good,
> may I suggest that in the future
> you start with an Angus or
> Shorthorn (or even Hereford) steer
> and then feed him properly. Also,
> you need to do a little looking
> into, and talking with your
> slaughterhouse, about
> "hanging" or
> "aging" the carcass for
> the proper time. A lot of busy
> slaughterhouses don't age the
> carcass for very long before they
> cut & wrap, if at all.

> The above assumes that, based on
> your other questions, you have
> been feeding a Jersey steer for
> slaughter (IMHO somewhat of a
> waste of time and money, though
> I'll grant you that one can
> usually buy Jersey steers for a
> very cheap price)



[email protected]
 
Craig-TX has it right. A good processing facility doesn't have the time, reason, or inclination to swap carcass'. I've heard this same complaint for years. Or people claiming they didn't get back all their meat. It may happen but the likelyhood is so scant as to be not worth considering.

dun

> how can I make sure that when I
> take my steers to the slaughter
> house, that I get the same animals
> back? I had someone over to my
> place and said my cows look too
> good to take to the slaughter
> house because they might switch
> the meat...how can I ensure this
> dont happen to me..I have
> overspent to make my cows meat
> good for me not for someone
> else...
 
> If you have "overspent"
> to make your bovine's meat good,
> may I suggest that in the future
> you start with an Angus or
> Shorthorn (or even Hereford) steer
> and then feed him properly. Also,
> you need to do a little looking
> into, and talking with your
> slaughterhouse, about
> "hanging" or
> "aging" the carcass for
> the proper time. A lot of busy
> slaughterhouses don't age the
> carcass for very long before they
> cut & wrap, if at all.

> The above assumes that, based on
> your other questions, you have
> been feeding a Jersey steer for
> slaughter (IMHO somewhat of a
> waste of time and money, though
> I'll grant you that one can
> usually buy Jersey steers for a
> very cheap price) I generally fatten angus or English cross for our own consumption but I wouldn't dis jersey beef without trying it. I know a few people who seek out jerseys in spite of lower yield with out regard to costs.

[email protected]
 
you mean to say that there is no way of identifying the carcass? in europe each carcass gets a tag and a stamp from a vet. the tag holds the number of the animal and the stamp is for approval. how do you track the owners of the carcass when something goes wrong then? i wouldn't want to send my bulls to the slaughterhouse and then just hope that they don't get lost, without any uarantee: if you kill over a hundred cattle each day, you can't remember which is which, can you? there must be some sort of system.

[email protected]
 
someone told me to ask for their ears back with the tags still in them, but you are right there should be a way to make the animal trackable, I am going to phone the slaughter house where I live in ontario canada and ask them their way of making sure people get their proper animals back, here it is the law to have ear tags but when they cut the head off how do they know? I will let you know what they do to ensure the proper carcass goes to the right person...I am sure different slaughter houses have different ways...

> you mean to say that there is no
> way of identifying the carcass? in
> europe each carcass gets a tag and
> a stamp from a vet. the tag holds
> the number of the animal and the
> stamp is for approval. how do you
> track the owners of the carcass
> when something goes wrong then? i
> wouldn't want to send my bulls to
> the slaughterhouse and then just
> hope that they don't get lost,
> without any uarantee: if you kill
> over a hundred cattle each day,
> you can't remember which is which,
> can you? there must be some sort
> of system.



[email protected]
 
> Jersey meat has a great flavor and a lot less fat than Angus. When a Jersey has been conditioned properly they can produce a very good carcass. In taste tests done on different breeds of cattle Jersys were actually tops. These tests were conducted a few years ago at Cornell University I believe. We have raised many Jersey steers for beef as well as Jersey crosses. I'm assuming that you never had Jersey beef-maybe you shouldn't run down other people's choices. After all there are many different breeds-all have their places. Personally I don't like Angus and wouldn't have one based on past experiences with them but I don't choose to down grade them to people who like them.

[email protected]
 
thank you! the Jersey I am raising are for my own consumption, it is worth spending the extra money to feed them, the meat tastes great, and yes they do have less fat..I wouldnt have anything else..

[email protected]
 
I ate a lot of farm raised & fed-out Jersey meat (as well as Holstein, Hereford and Brahma crossed cattle also) growing up in a blue collar family of rather humble means. But I think the key issue here is essentially something you wrote, to wit: "when properly conditioned" or when properly fed-out, etc., etc. I love Jerseys, especially for nurse cows, but IMHO generally speaking Jerseys (or Holsteins) don't finish out nearly as soon or as well in the "hands" of a person lacking the requisite experience or base of knowledge to get consistently satisfactory results from Jerseys. One of my retired uncles usually has 5 or 6 steers on feed all during the year and it's usually several Jerseys and/or Holsteins, a Hereford or two and 1 or 2 other "beef" breeds. In his simplified system they all get the same ration and the dairy calves ALWAYS finish slower and more poorly. Granted, if he were to "fine tune" the feeding of the dairy breed calves his results might be different. Over the years he has determined that grinding into hamburger is the way to go with his dairy calves. I'm not saying that's the way it always has to turn out, but I do believe that in the hands of the AVERAGE Joe Blow (or Arnold or Yvette) it's simply easier & quicker to get good results if you start with a good British beef breed. To each his own.
 
yes I am a as you call Average Joe Blow, as fas a conditioning goes my calves were 150 pounds at 3 months old when I bought them, body score 3, they are now almost 6 months old 460 pounds and body score of 7, I feed commercial dairy mix, top quality hay( have left over from horses) the ADG is 3.4 pounds each, I feed 18 pounds grain ration between the 2 thats around 2% BW in grain and they really dont eat alot of hay but they eat it,cattle farmers out here said I am doing a fine job not to change a thing they are growing just as good as others..so I guess being an avererage joe isnt so bad..
> I ate a lot of farm raised &
> fed-out Jersey meat (as well as
> Holstein, Hereford and Brahma
> crossed cattle also) growing up in
> a blue collar family of rather
> humble means. But I think the key
> issue here is essentially
> something you wrote, to wit:
> "when properly
> conditioned" or when properly
> fed-out, etc., etc. I love
> Jerseys, especially for nurse
> cows, but IMHO generally speaking
> Jerseys (or Holsteins) don't
> finish out nearly as soon or as
> well in the "hands" of a
> person lacking the requisite
> experience or base of knowledge to
> get consistently satisfactory
> results from Jerseys. One of my
> retired uncles usually has 5 or 6
> steers on feed all during the year
> and it's usually several Jerseys
> and/or Holsteins, a Hereford or
> two and 1 or 2 other
> "beef" breeds. In his
> simplified system they all get the
> same ration and the dairy calves
> ALWAYS finish slower and more
> poorly. Granted, if he were to
> "fine tune" the feeding
> of the dairy breed calves his
> results might be different. Over
> the years he has determined that
> grinding into hamburger is the way
> to go with his dairy calves. I'm
> not saying that's the way it
> always has to turn out, but I do
> believe that in the hands of the
> AVERAGE Joe Blow (or Arnold or
> Yvette) it's simply easier &
> quicker to get good results if you
> start with a good British beef
> breed. To each his own.



[email protected]
 
..so I guess being an avererage joe isnt so bad..

Never said it was --- if you'll notice I included myself in the average Joe category! Have a nice life.
 
Talk to a few small processing plant guys and see what they say. The ones I have talked to say that no matter what they do and no matter what kind of animal someone brings in, they often get accused of switching meat or shorting the customers. Most people who bring an animal in to butcher have no clue about meat processing, meat quality, etc. If their beef is tough, they blame the processor for switching. The only solution for both sides is deal with people you can trust.
 

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