Steer picture

[Rustler9]

Here's a picture of a young steer that will be going into our freezer after awhile. He weighs about 500 lbs right now-we'll probably get him to 1,000 lbs or more. He is 3/4 Longhorn. His mama is 1/2 Texas Longhorn, 1/4 Beefalo and 1/4 Beefmaster. Aside from the color and the horns which I know most people don't like-what do ya'll think? I think he'll be good eating.

 

[bigbull338]

the way your saying he is bred your going to have some good eating. im betting his meat will be marbled just right. scott

 

[Ryan]

Before I make any comments I've got a couple questions:

How old was he at 500lbs?
&
Does he get any creep feed or is he on feed, yet?

Ryan

 

[Rustler9]

He was approximately 500 lbs at 7 months old. He is grazing and gets a little bit of crushed corn once a day. I'm not trying to compete in any performance tests etc. just wanted to show some folks a Longhorn cross calf that I think looks pretty good.

 

[TheBullLady]

Just my opinion.. he could sure use some meat and muscling at that topline through his ribcage.

But that's just me.. used to a good Simmental steak!

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

Looks good! Little sunken between hindquarters & rib cage. May be way he is standing. Nice rump. Since he is still young, once he gets a year old with some supplemental feed he should make real good eating!

 

[Ryan]

Just my opinion.. he could sure use some meat and muscling at that topline through his ribcage.

But that's just me.. used to a good Simmental steak!

I was thinking the same thing, would like to see some more muscle expression. But then I remembered he's longhorn steer, so he wouldnt be showing as much muscling as a longhorn bull.

He does look good, I think as he got older with some more feed maybe he should fill out real nice for you. Even with out feed, he'll fill up your freezer for ya.

Ryan

 

[Ryan]

Looks good! Little sunken between hindquarters & rib cage. May be way he is standing.

I trip to the waterin' hole will fix that. We go to some of these stock shows and the cattle decide they dont want to drink and get all sunk in like that. A nice big drink of water and the fill out real nice.

Ryan

 

[MikeC]

The calf in that picture is 7 months? There sure is a lot of "switch"
in the tail? If I had to guess his age I would have said at least a year old.

 

[Caustic Burno]

The calf in that picture is 7 months? There sure is a lot of "switch"
in the tail? If I had to guess his age I would have said at least a year old.

Looks like a real Cattleman has spoken.

 

[Double A Ranch]

bigbull338 why do you say he'll have good marbling? I thought longhorns are lean?

 

[Rustler9]

Sorry guys-looked at his birth date at home and he's nine months old I Then as I was looking at him last night-I think he's probably closer to 600 lbs. I also got to checking some weaned heifers that I have in the lot with him and there's a couple of nine month old ones that have tail switches every bit as long as his. Then I have a couple of heifers in there that are a month older and they hardly have switches half as long. I didn't say that he was exactly seven months old in the picture-I wrote that he was approximately 500 lbs at about seven months old. I posted this from my work computer and didn't have birth dates written down but no he's not a year old yet. His DOB is 9/30/04.

 

[SF]

Hard for me to tell if one will be good eating when I see them standing in a pasture. If he weighs 600 pounds, I'd start him out on about 6 lbs of 12% textured mixed feed and free choice hay. I'd slowly increase this amount until he was eating only the textured feed. During the last 30 days or so I would add some corn or barly to the mixed feed. I'd start low and increase to about 30% by slaughter time.

I'd feed him to the upper limits of choice or maybe into prime. Then I think he will eat well. This is how I like em. To each their own.

 

[Arnold Ziffle]

Rustler -- I hope he turns out well for you. If you remember later on, please give us a report after you put a fork into him. He has a tiny amount of Hereford and Shortie in his pedigree, plus whatever the non-buff part of the beefalo was, but with the LH and Brahman blood (and maybe some Continental ?) I would guess that he is not exactly going to be a marbling machine. :lol: Hope I'm wrong.

 

[Rustler9]

The Beefalo bull that we used to have was 5/8 Brangus and 3/8 Bison. So he has a little (shall I say it?) Angus . Just kidding folks-he was a great bull. We still have some of that old bull's daughters-1/2 Beefmaster and 1/2 Beefalo, talk about some calves that hit the ground running-they would grow like crazy. Sure did milk good too.

 

[ctlbaron]

I've been seeing beefalo around here for twenty years. Yep they are a little bit leaner to cook, less fat cooks off but as far the faster growth and better tasting meat thing I just don't see it. A man tried to trade me two full blooded buffalo for a bred Jersey heifer. I almost went for that one just for the meat. My daughter wouldn't go for it. She's waiting on the calf. Says she's gonna be a Grandma.

 

[Beefy]

one word comes to mind: Loud.

 

[Double A Ranch]

I'd feed him to the upper limits of choice or maybe into prime. Then I think he will eat well. This is how I like em. To each their own.[/quote]

SF, do you think a 3/4 longhorn will ever reach prime? How do you know when they've reached the upper limits of choice or prime?

 

[SF]

I'd feed him to the upper limits of choice or maybe into prime. Then I think he will eat well. This is how I like em. To each their own.

SF, do you think a 3/4 longhorn will ever reach prime? How do you know when they've reached the upper limits of choice or prime?[/quote]

I don't know Double A. Never fed out a Longhorn. I said that is how I'd do it, or how I'd try to do it. I think most cattle including Longhorns are going to get fat if you feed them enough grain. He may never get to prime, but I'll bet you can get him to choice.

I just may buy one during the next year or so, so I can find out.

 

[Ryan]

I don't know Double A. Never fed out a Longhorn. I said that is how I'd do it, or how I'd try to do it. I think most cattle including Longhorns are going to get fat if you feed them enough grain. He may never get to prime, but I'll bet you can get him to choice.

I just may buy one during the next year or so, so I can find out.

I agree that with enough feed and time on feed you could get them to get to Choice. With what Rustler9 posted previously I don't think the steer is gonna get enough feed to accomplish this, being mostly on grass and just a little crushed corn.

We've got one on feed we are going to harvest probably in mid Aug. When we do this I'll be sure to let yall know the specs.

Ryan