How long should I let her hang?

[griz]

Just took my heifer to the butcher and they hang them for 10 days. Should I hang them longer? It's entirely my option and no extra charge. Thoughts?

Griz

 

[Craig-TX]

You don't have to hang them at all but it will help with tenderness. 10 days is good, more is better. 14 days is great, 21 is max. After that it will start growing hair – ha. Personally I think you're fine with 10. I'm surprised they don't charge.

Craig-TX

 

[CattleAnnie]

I'd hang her longer if the option was available. May as well let those enzymes keep on working to make the meat as tender as possible...unless you're one of those folks who like everything well done (shoe leather).

Take care.

 

[griz]

So, is 21 an ideal number or is it starting to get to the point where the meat will get tainted in flavor?

Griz

 

[TXBobcat]

I was told that the more fat on the animal, the longer you should let it hang. I believe the last one we took in was hung for 14 days.

 

[fellersbarnoneranch]

We hang ours for 14 days. Seems like longer than that, you lose value with the added evaporation unless you're selling to the very high end of the market.

 

[Cattle Rack Rancher]

I've always thought twenty days was about right. My butcher hangs them for ten days though.

 

[Campground Cattle]

I used to almost get sick trimming the rotten meat off on meat hung 21 days. Used to be one guy that would come in and buy a hind quarter and want it hung 28 days, dang near knock a buzzard off a gut wagon.

 

[TheBullLady]

Fourteen days hanging has always been about the best for us.

That's nice they won't charge extra for the length of time! Most processors don't like to hang meat that long.. they'd rather move it out as quickly as possible for the next carcass.

 

[rwtherefords]

I never hang meat less than 14 days, but never exceed 18 days either. Too much waste! I've found that the size of the animal determines the "ideal" amount of hanging time. Larger = longer but nothing hanges less than 14 days for me.

 

[dun]

The local shop hangs them 1 day per cwt of live weight, but we have them hang 14 days

dun

 

[greenwillowherefords]

Am I just lucky to have cut-with-a-fork beef after hanging only ten days? Our local butchers have that as a standard practice. Sure can't complain about our beef; we have repeat customers begging us to butcher more often!

 

[D.R. Cattle]

I've got 2 steers on 15 lbs a day each mostly cracked corn with a bit of sweet feed. The balance is pasture. Sound like a good plan? They're both around 850-900 lbs. I'm gonna slaughter around the end of January regardless of weight.

 

[fellersbarnoneranch]

A nutritionist told me that whole corn will marble whereas cracked or rolled corn puts on a layer of fat outside. I will be finishing ours on whole corn this year. Greenwillow, has nothing to do with luck--great beef is tender and tastes good! You might try the 4 days sometime just for added flavor if your butcher will lend you the space. We have only had one complaint from our customers--We ran out and need more!!!! It's funny how spoiled we get with a freezer full. These adopt-a-cow programs should have compassion on starving children instead of boney cattle--assuming ANY of them are legit. :roll: :roll: :roll:

 

[fit2btied]

We have only had one complaint from our customers--We ran out and need more!!!! It's funny how spoiled we get with a freezer full.

One of our daughter-in-laws had never had real home-raised, grain fed beef. The first time she made burgers she was amazed. They came out of the skillet the same size they went in. She said "That ain't right. They're supposed to be half that size now and swimmin' in a couple inches of grease and water. I can't eat that whole thing!" But she did! God has been really good to our family and we are usually able to give each of the kids a side of beef and a hog in August as a Christmas gift. The daughters-in-law have started dropping hints about birthdays, anniversaries, Independence Day, Halloween, etc. :lol: They often remind us that "After all, We did give you grandchildren!" I think we got the best end of that trade!

 

[greenwillowherefords]

A nutritionist told me that whole corn will marble whereas cracked or rolled corn puts on a layer of fat outside. I will be finishing ours on whole corn this year. Greenwillow, has nothing to do with luck--great beef is tender and tastes good! You might try the 4 days sometime just for added flavor if your butcher will lend you the space. We have only had one complaint from our customers--We ran out and need more!!!! It's funny how spoiled we get with a freezer full. These adopt-a-cow programs should have compassion on starving children instead of boney cattle--assuming ANY of them are legit. :roll: :roll: :roll:

I said that with tongue in cheek! Good genetics and feeding right go farther than anything else I think. Have you tried O'Neals in Haskell? We had a pig butchered there this year, and I took the steer yesterday. He was sired by my WBL Chief bull, and out of a red baldie cow that had a touch of red brangus (I think) in her. He hung at 616 pounds. Now if he will just cut as well as that LLL Timber grandson.......

 

[ManyHorses]

Guys and Dolls,

Fellersbarnoneranch is about right... It depends upon where how the animal was raised and where the fat is deposited... Pasture fed and finished beef will have the fat on the outside leaving the natural tender beef on the inside... Pen fed beef has lots of fat on the inside - some call it marbeling to make it sound good, but it's nothing more than fat making you think it's better meat.

A fixed number of days has nothing to do with one animal to the next... it all depends on where the fat is... I'd rather have it on the outside to carve off than have to eat it.

Hope this helps, Richard

 

[fellersbarnoneranch]

some call it marbeling to make it sound good, but it's nothing more than fat making you think it's better meat.

A fixed number of days has nothing to do with one animal to the next... it all depends on where the fat is... I'd rather have it on the outside to carve off than have to eat it.

My taste buds beg to differ! I am from the school of good fat=good flavor. Sometimes I have to refrain from chewing that little bit off the edge of the T-bone--the dogs help by peering in the window as I raise and lower it from my mouth.

Of course we might be talking apples and oranges here, b/c our cattle more meat than fat.

 

[mwj]

If I want to judge a steak to see if it is fit to eat, the first bite is a piece of crisp fat from the outer edge If they dont have enough feed to marble the meat you should sell them to someone that has some grain That said I sent a 4yr. sim with systic overies to the locker last year and was shocked to see that she had a decent amount of marbeling with no grain. She was the first grassfed I ever tried and have to admit she was decent, but I will still pour the corn to the ones for the freezer!
your friend
Mike

 

[txag]

Guys and Dolls,

"Dolls"? who said he looks like a used car salesman? sure talks like one, too.

where the fat is deposited... Pasture fed and finished beef will have the fat on the outside leaving the natural tender beef on the inside... Pen fed beef has lots of fat on the inside - some call it marbeling to make it sound good, but it's nothing more than fat making you think it's better meat.

i don't know that anyone has ever said that marbling isn't fat. it's intramuscular fat vs intermuscular fat. it's also what gives a good steak flavor & why prime steaks cost more. i thought you wanted to start an angus operation? angus are known for their marbling ability.

A fixed number of days has nothing to do with one animal to the next... it all depends on where the fat is... I'd rather have it on the outside to carve off than have to eat it.

to each his own but i'd rather be paid extra for higher marbled beef than discounted for backfat.