How to produce the best eating beef

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Gotta be careful when you try to make a joke JS, or use a bit of sarcasm, or post just about anything in jest or you're liable to have your head handed to you.

I thought beer played into something involving Kobe Beef too by the way.

 

[JSCATTLE]

Naa it's all in good fun . But I did see a monk on tv brushing and feeding a cow beer . I think it was on rfdtv .

 

[3waycross]

That all you got three way?

it's enuf

 

[tonyb]

So going from pie in the sky to actually producing some beef, if I chose a few cows with the frame size I like and good body condition, AI them to a bull with good carcass traits, and cull/replace if they don't settle within two cycles, would I be on the right track? (Then finish them of course)

 

[shaz]

In Japan they feed them beer and brush them every day . Isn't that what they do to kobi beef . Supposed to be real tender but I don't have 200 bucks for a steak .

OVER RATED!
Just got back from Japan. Tell them you got cows and their jaw hits the floor.
We oughta be rackin up exports :banana:

 

[SRBeef]

I think age also has something to do with eating quality. I harvest mine off of grazing corn at twelve to thirteen months of age and the taste and tenderness is very good.

A key point not mentioned above is low stress at harvest time. From loading and unloading to handling just prior to slaughter keep them calm and don't get the adrenaline or whatever hormones racing thru the meat.

This may be why the"brushing" of the wagyu - Dr Temple Grandin has done work on low stress benefits I believe.

 

[Alan]

SR, what kind of hanging weights are you getting off those corn grazed 12 to 13 month old steer. I use to do younger beef, but found I was not getting the weights I wanted, but then again the graze just grass until I buy bagged grain 90 days before butcher. Live weight would be fine but hanging is more accurate. PM me if you like.

BTW, I agree 100% that a good calm kill is as important for quality beef as graining or anything else.

Thanks,
Alan

 

[SRBeef]

SR, what kind of hanging weights are you getting off those corn grazed 12 to 13 month old steer. I use to do younger beef, but found I was not getting the weights I wanted, but then again the graze just grass until I buy bagged grain 90 days before butcher. Live weight would be fine but hanging is more accurate. PM me if you like.

BTW, I agree 100% that a good calm kill is as important for quality beef as graining or anything else.

Thanks,
Alan

Alan, my target is 1100 lb as they get on the trailer at 13 months of age. Not quite there yet. Avg was about 1000 lb last April. I overshot my corn the last few weeks and gain slowed right when I wanted it to peak. They graze corn from about Jan 1 to April 15 or 20. Still playing with calving date and how much corn to grow per head.

Jim

 

[Aaron]

This is kind of a pie in the sky question, but if you could forget about commercial issues (i.e. if money were no object), how would you produce the best eating beef? What breeds, what crosses, what feed, slaughter age, and anything else that I'm forgetting?

I'm from the north, so I'm kind of curious how this would work in our region (upper Great Lakes) where we have dense cool season forages half of the year, and feed hay the other half.

Hereford x South Devon. Grass/hay fed for 24 months followed by 120 days on mixed hay and rolled barley and slaughtered at an age around 27 months. I want as large and as high quality of carcass as I can get (I think like a packer). The last one we did was a 29 month old heifer, about 1550 lbs gross, 799 lb carcass with 550 lbs of meat after the bone was out. AA carcass.

This is how we raise our own personal beef, so I know it turns out well. Only difference is the addition of South Devon, which would raise the marbling score a fair amount.

 

[Stocker Steve]

I'm from the north, so I'm kind of curious how this would work in our region (upper Great Lakes) where we have dense cool season forages half of the year, and feed hay the other half.

We butcher off grass in July or August. These are usually long 2 year old English cross heifers who don't have a calf at side for some reason. We don't use any grain or balage, but some do. Some SH or Herf blood seems to help with their condition.

 

[CKC1586]

Take a angus, Hereford,and any other major beef breed raise them to 30 months and the same relative size on the same good feed and care, then take their hides off and tell me which breed is which.

Alan

:clap: :nod:
Try Piedmontese if you get a chance. Low fat low cholesterol beef naturally tender.

 

[gonzo]

I've got a 1/2 angus 1/4 herford 1/4 piedmontese should calf in may i'll take what I learned from this post and let you know in about 2 years. Breed's got somthing todo with it but calm kill and calm life in general has my vote (A LAZY STEER TASTES BEST) .

 

[VanC]

This is kind of a pie in the sky question, but if you could forget about commercial issues (i.e. if money were no object), how would you produce the best eating beef? What breeds, what crosses, what feed, slaughter age, and anything else that I'm forgetting?

I'm from the north, so I'm kind of curious how this would work in our region (upper Great Lakes) where we have dense cool season forages half of the year, and feed hay the other half.

Hereford x South Devon. Grass/hay fed for 24 months followed by 120 days on mixed hay and rolled barley and slaughtered at an age around 27 months. I want as large and as high quality of carcass as I can get (I think like a packer). The last one we did was a 29 month old heifer, about 1550 lbs gross, 799 lb carcass with 550 lbs of meat after the bone was out. AA carcass.

This is how we raise our own personal beef, so I know it turns out well. Only difference is the addition of South Devon, which would raise the marbling score a fair amount.

Aaron, where do you get your South Devon genetics? Live animals or AI? Are they pretty popular in your area? They seem to have a lot to offer but you don't hear much about them here in the US.

 

[TexasBred]

They aren't fed beer. But they are finished for 399-600 days on corn, barleys, wheat.And is upwards of 200 bucks a lb. not 200 a steak.

I was just making a joke I don't know anything about it .

Kobe beef....they do get beer and massages and the rest of the diet is "secret".

 

[3waycross]

This is kind of a pie in the sky question, but if you could forget about commercial issues (i.e. if money were no object), how would you produce the best eating beef? What breeds, what crosses, what feed, slaughter age, and anything else that I'm forgetting?

I'm from the north, so I'm kind of curious how this would work in our region (upper Great Lakes) where we have dense cool season forages half of the year, and feed hay the other half.

Hereford x South Devon. Grass/hay fed for 24 months followed by 120 days on mixed hay and rolled barley and slaughtered at an age around 27 months. I want as large and as high quality of carcass as I can get (I think like a packer). The last one we did was a 29 month old heifer, about 1550 lbs gross, 799 lb carcass with 550 lbs of meat after the bone was out. AA carcass.

This is how we raise our own personal beef, so I know it turns out well. Only difference is the addition of South Devon, which would raise the marbling score a fair amount.

Most if not all of our premium beef programs call for a 1000 or less carcass and A maturity. I think you are pushing the envelope on the A maturity at that age but yes you are right in line with the packers!

 

[bigrob]

They aren't fed beer. But they are finished for 399-600 days on corn, barleys, wheat.And is upwards of 200 bucks a lb. not 200 a steak.

I was just making a joke I don't know anything about it .

Kobe beef....they do get beer and massages and the rest of the diet is "secret".

This is true. I watched a show on the history channel about the production of beef, and they showed the monks "tending" to them. Those steers got a better life than I do lol. If I'm not mistaken they stayed tied to a feed trough all day and get two or three massages and get fed several beers a day.

 

[JSCATTLE]

That might have been the program I watched rob . They had it made for a couple years any way

 

[HEREFORD ROADHOG]

One word...Angus. :cboy:

Oh Puke you put a Musk Ox steak on the table and say it was Angus 99% of American's would believe it was good.
The Angus Association has nothing on Obama when it comes to spinning BS.
And I have an Angus bull standing in the pasture.

Amen Burno!!!!!!!!!!

 

[HEREFORD ROADHOG]

This is kind of a pie in the sky question, but if you could forget about commercial issues (i.e. if money were no object), how would you produce the best eating beef? What breeds, what crosses, what feed, slaughter age, and anything else that I'm forgetting?

I'm from the north, so I'm kind of curious how this would work in our region (upper Great Lakes) where we have dense cool season forages half of the year, and feed hay the other half.

Hereford x South Devon. Grass/hay fed for 24 months followed by 120 days on mixed hay and rolled barley and slaughtered at an age around 27 months. I want as large and as high quality of carcass as I can get (I think like a packer). The last one we did was a 29 month old heifer, about 1550 lbs gross, 799 lb carcass with 550 lbs of meat after the bone was out. AA carcass.

This is how we raise our own personal beef, so I know it turns out well. Only difference is the addition of South Devon, which would raise the marbling score a fair amount.

Aaron,no offense, but 799 # out of a 1550 live animal is not very good. I just took 2 grain & hay fed, 15 month old Hereford steers to slaughter that weighed 2780 ( the afternoon before & stood empty until the next morning kill ) & their combined carcass wts. were 1606

 

[bigrob]

That might have been the program I watched rob . They had it made for a couple years any way

I can't remember how long it has been since I watched it, but I thought I wanted to try it since it was supposed to be the worlds best beef. That is until I found out how much it cost lol.