SLAUGHTER 600 LB CALF?

[Anonymous]

I'm sure this is a ridiculous question so please forgive my ignorance! I'm thinking about feeding a calf to put in my freezer. I understand a finished calf weighs between 1200 and 1400 pounds but I don't need that much meat! (62% actual meat?) So what would the quality of the meat be if I slaughtered a 600 pound calf? THANKS FOR ANY HELP!



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[Anonymous]

It should be excellent -- about the same as "red veal". You won't get nearly as much of the high quality cuts, but what's there should be very good -- and very tender, very little will have to be ground.

I raise veal calves and have "experimented" with butchering at various ages -- milk fed veal is quite good, but I'm not big fan of white meat (except rabbit). Personally I prefer them to be a bit older, and I've found 6 months to be a great age. I'm butchering one next week that's pushing 700 lbs -- I expect her to have some of the finest meat around.

Ann B

> I'm sure this is a ridiculous
> question so please forgive my
> ignorance! I'm thinking about
> feeding a calf to put in my
> freezer. I understand a finished
> calf weighs between 1200 and 1400
> pounds but I don't need that much
> meat! (62% actual meat?) So what
> would the quality of the meat be
> if I slaughtered a 600 pound calf?
> THANKS FOR ANY HELP!



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[Anonymous]

> I'm sure this is a ridiculous
> question so please forgive my
> ignorance! I'm thinking about
> feeding a calf to put in my
> freezer. I understand a finished
> calf weighs between 1200 and 1400
> pounds but I don't need that much
> meat! (62% actual meat?) So what
> would the quality of the meat be
> if I slaughtered a 600 pound calf?
> THANKS FOR ANY HELP!

It should be alright.

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[Anonymous]

slaughtering at that weight would be okay but probably would get a better percentage at full wieght (1200-1300) and if you couldn't use all the meat you could keep half and sell the other side ' that should more than pay for the extra feed it will take to get him there,just a suggestion



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[Anonymous]

i have butchered calves right off the cow milk and grass fed and they were tender and good about 300 pounds of meat. i didn't want to put it up and feed it for a long period of time.
> I'm sure this is a ridiculous
> question so please forgive my
> ignorance! I'm thinking about
> feeding a calf to put in my
> freezer. I understand a finished
> calf weighs between 1200 and 1400
> pounds but I don't need that much
> meat! (62% actual meat?) So what
> would the quality of the meat be
> if I slaughtered a 600 pound calf?
> THANKS FOR ANY HELP!



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[Anonymous]

I understand a finished
> calf weighs between 1200 and 1400
> pounds but I don't need that much
> meat! (62% actual meat?)

Actually the carcass will be 62% of the calf weight. About 50% to 60% of the carcass will go into packaged meat. Of that quite a lot will be bone in roasts. Some will be tongue, heart, liver, etc. If it were me, I would feed him out, take the steaks, the better roasts (sirlion roasts) and have some minute steaks and hamburgers made, then donate what I can't store to a food shelter and take a tax deduction. (It would have to be processed at a state or federal inspected plant to do this with the meat.) If not at a qualified plant, just share the meat with friends and relatives.

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[Anonymous]

> I understand a finished

> Actually the carcass will be 62%
> of the calf weight. About 50% to
> 60% of the carcass will go into
> packaged meat. Of that quite a lot
> will be bone in roasts. Some will
> be tongue, heart, liver, etc. If
> it were me, I would feed him out,
> take the steaks, the better roasts
> (sirlion roasts) and have some
> minute steaks and hamburgers made,
> then donate what I can't store to
> a food shelter and take a tax
> deduction. (It would have to be
> processed at a state or federal
> inspected plant to do this with
> the meat.) If not at a qualified
> plant, just share the meat with
> friends and relatives.

Actually a 600 Lb steer will not overwhelm you with beef. I just harvested three 600 lb'ers and they produced about 190 lb halves (hanging weight). I sold all but one half which I kept for myself. The freezer area required to store a processed half is about 5 or 6 cubic feet or less. The meat is very tender and tasty and are smaller portions with little fat. I was very pleased and the feed back from my customers was nothing but good remarks. Most have said that they will do it again next year.



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