Piedmont cattle

[Jaidee]

I was wondering, being new to beef cattle.....if there really is a difference between the Piedmont cattle and other beef breeds. Please, I am really trying to learn, not being a smart aleck. What do the Piedmont feeder calfs cost versus a regular (angus or hereford) feeder calf? Do they finish the same? Do they take extra anything? How are they to handle?

Thanks!

Connie in Fenton, MI

 

[Angus In Texas]

Riverbend Ranch in Idah had a few when I worked there. They were crossing them with the Angus cows and had some very good looking calves but calving ease was always a problem..... the calves were huge but had huge heads also. I heard stories about pulling those calves. And they are very very protective mothers. It was not uncommon to be jumping the fence to get out of the way. Not a bad thing as long as it is with regards to protecting the calf but still not fun.

 

[CKC1586]

I breed Piedmontese. There are four of us in this area that have been raising them since the late 90's. This breed has gotten some bad publicity from some folks that used bulls that should have been cut and train wrecks happened. We haven't experienced a higher calving problem that most other breeds, there are exceptions in every circumstance. If you would like more information you can check them out at http://www.pauscattle.org . The beef is lean and tender and some of the best meat I have ever eaten.

 

[Frankie]

I was wondering, being new to beef cattle.....if there really is a difference between the Piedmont cattle and other beef breeds. Please, I am really trying to learn, not being a smart aleck. What do the Piedmont feeder calfs cost versus a regular (angus or hereford) feeder calf? Do they finish the same? Do they take extra anything? How are they to handle?

Thanks!

Connie in Fenton, MI

Pieds are a double muscled breed. DM breeds have good points, but also bad points. If you do a little research on the web on double muscled breeds, you'll find that calving difficulty is often associated with them, as is infertility.

On the other hand, you do get more meat and double muscled breeds seem to produce tender beef. But they don't marble. If you like lean beef, that's good. The Montana Range branded beef program is interested in buying Piedmontese cattle for their program. Lauras Lean Beef is buying double muscled breeds, too. If you are selling into the commercial marketplace, it's bad because buyers know that double muscled animals don't marble as well as normally muscled animals. And they pay accordingly. If they're fed too long, they may get so big that packers discount the carcass. Some research also indicates double muscled animals are more affected by stress. I don't know about feed efficiency/ADG. I don't think I've ever seen one on a bull test. :?:

 

[blk mule]

They are a good cattle i raised them for 5 yrs, back in early 90`s. My experince on avg.--- they would grow moderate, all seemed to be gentle cattle, not problem, all were fertile, Biggest complaint would have to be, calving ease. You must be selective in choosing your bulls.
I AI`d most cows and had fairly good results in calving. After couple yrs. I was selective in buying a Full Blood Bull and that did not turn out so well. i ran into Calving problems on High Percentange cows and commerical cattle also. Yes, the meat is tender and has excellent taste.
I will also say i sold a few feeders at local sale barns (stockyards) and they did`nt sale the best, buyers around here docked them acct. color and patches around eyes. (dont think they knew what they were even after i announced it )

blk mule

 

[htrc]

According to my USDA man, the double muscled carcass is graded inferior. That may be why they didn't sell as well as they could have. I think they have some good points. Reproduction and calving is going to be an issue with any double muscled cattle. I guess you just have to weigh the pros and cons. I'm not sure the extra hamburger is enough of a net gain to overcome the obstacles. Some people think that it is enough of a gain.

 

[CKC1586]

Here is a cut and paste of an email that one of our members MikeC got on the issue of grading and double muscled animals:
"Dear Mr. Cxxxxx,



Thank you for your email dated November 6, 2007, regarding the grading specifications for double muscled animals. The US Standards for Carcass Beef have no provisions for conformation as a requirement for quality or yield grading. Most double muscled animals are generally lean and would qualify for the higher (Yield Grade 1 or 2) yield grades. Also because double muscled animals are very lean, the quality grades on double muscled animals could be lower (US Standard or US Select); however, the grading standards do not classify double muscled animals into any “inferior” classification. All carcasses are quality graded with the same factors, such as bone maturity, lean maturity and firmness, and marbling; yield graded with the same factors, such as carcass weight, external fat thickness, ribeye size, and kidney, heart, and pelvic fat percentage, regardless of muscling The following is a link to the standards, under Carcass Beef, for your review: http://www.ams.usda.gov/lsg/stand/st-pubs.htm If you have further questions, please feel free to contact me.



Sincerely,



Larry R. Meadows, Chief

USDA, MRP, AMS, LS

Meat Grading & Certification Branch

720-497-2550

For those interested.......................... My name has been X'ed to protect the innocent. "

If you will do a search, see the top of the page and input the subject such as double muscled cattle and hit the search button you will find posts on the subject.

There have been bull tests done by Montana Ranch brand folks, and they are currently doing one again. There is another bull test going on by Kansas State with a group of bulls from the PAUS association members.
There is a market for these cattle.

 

[CKC1586]

According to my USDA man, the double muscled carcass is graded inferior. That may be why they didn't sell as well as they could have. I think they have some good points. Reproduction and calving is going to be an issue with any double muscled cattle. I guess you just have to weigh the pros and cons. I'm not sure the extra hamburger is enough of a net gain to overcome the obstacles. Some people think that it is enough of a gain.

The Piedmontese calves do not manifest the "double muscling" until they are about a month old, they are long and lean when born so do not have the calving issues that some of the other DM breeds have.