How Long to Get the "grain-fed taste"

[ebkyle2]

I have a heifer who got injured while running on wheat.
She limps very badly now and the vet says there isn't much that can be done for her.
My question is, how long should I pen her up and feed her before I butcher her.
All I'm worried about is getting the grain fed flavor.
And please don't tell me until she weighs 1,200 pounds.
I realize that is optimal, but not practical at this point.

 

[mnmtranching]

It's important to know what the size and age is of your heifer now.

 

[bigbull338]

feed her grain at 2% of her bw for 30 to 45 days.an she will have the grainfed taste to her meat.as well as some marbling.an she should gain 100lbs during that time.

 

[ebkyle2]

Why does it matter what she weighs?
My guess is she weighs about 900, but wouldn't the same philosophy hold true if she weighed 650 or 1250?
She's been eating grass and I want her to taste like she has been eating grain.
Thanks.

 

[bigbull338]

because her weight affects the amount of meat you get from her.if she ways 900lbs you should get 360lbs of meat from her.

 

[KNERSIE]

Why does it matter what she weighs?
My guess is she weighs about 900, but wouldn't the same philosophy hold true if she weighed 650 or 1250?
She's been eating grass and I want her to taste like she has been eating grain.
Thanks.

If I understand correctly its more a case of getting rid of rge grassfed flavour than it is getting a grainfed one (is there even a grainfed flavour?)

Anyway, it would take about 4 weeks to get the fat white and to lose most of the grassfed flavour. If she has been running on wheat pasture she should be fat, why not just burcher her now? Younger animals won't have the strong beef flavour associated with an older grass finished animal. If she is still in pain after the injury she is unlikly to eat much and may very well lose weight.

 

[ebkyle2]

Thank you. I realize I won't maximize the amount of beef I will get, nor will I get maximum marbling if I butcher her before she is "finished". My main concern is making sure she didn't have a strong grass flavor. As far as already being fat, she is moderate. She did go backwards a little while running on wheat after the injury, but I have her up in a pen now and she appears to be relatively pain free and is eating well.

 

[mnmtranching]

Why does it matter what she weighs?
My guess is she weighs about 900, but wouldn't the same philosophy hold true if she weighed 650 or 1250?
She's been eating grass and I want her to taste like she has been eating grain.
Thanks.[/quote
It makes a lot of difference. It's a whole lot easier to put fat, {corn fed taste] on a 1200 pound 2 year old then a 650 pound 1 year old. The 2 year old won't put as much into bone and growth like a yearling. That younger animal has got to grow bone and frame.