Steers for Butcher

[critterair2]

I apoligize now for my lack on knowledge. I have apx. 10 steers that I was going to send to the sale barn. I have had a couple of folks ask me about selling one or two of them to send to the the steak man. I was thinking of sending one for myself as well. My question is. Most of our cows, and steers are totally raised on grass. We don't give any immunizations black leg etc... never have for 20 yrs. We are a small herd, have not lost one cow to sickness, just to old age. Last one I recall was around 20 or so when she went down. I can't even remember when was the last time we had a cow that was sick.......This all brings me to should we be worried about anything in the meat being "toxic" or harmful for human consumption. I'm sure the USDA gives packing houses regs that they have to give certain shots etc. But should I be concerned about eating one of our own? Thanks

 

[LaneFarms]

I wouldn't be scared to eat one, atleast you know what went in it.

 

[Angus Cowman]

I wouldn't be scared of eating them at all as long as they are healthy and in good shape

 

[hayray]

You should not have to worry about anything. The USDA does not require regs. on vaccinations so you do not have to worry about that. Not all slaughterhouses are USDA or fully state inspected which means they have a inspector actually on hand during processing. If you are worried about anything however, you could take them to a USDA inspected facility and there will be a Vet there on the kill day and then a USDA meat inspector there during meat cutting and then if there is anything wrong that usually gets picked up. But you should have no reason to worry at all with your cattle.

 

[mnmtranching]

Your beef is natural, will be good stuff. No chance that your healthy beef will contain anything harmful.

 

[rusty]

I'd eat yours faster than store or top steakhouse.If they look good and healty eat em.

 

[TNfamilyfarm]

NO worries about the vaccines, that is more for prevention of losing ur heard to harmful illnesses. If your going to put them in the freezer just know that it will be ALOT more tastey if having been fed with grain. I have heard of people getting meat back from processing and either not liking the taste, and another said once they had got one back that tasted like onions! Its not unheard of to have one processed from the field, but mostly everyone "finishes" them with grain for a period of time.

 

[TexasBred]

I'd eat yours faster than store or top steakhouse.If they look good and healty eat em.

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR RAISING ALL THIS BAD TASTEING BEEF IN THE STORES AND STEAKHOUSES. IT SEEMS EVERYONE WHO POSTS ON CATTLE TODAY THINKS THERE BEEF WILL BE BETTER THAN WHAT CAN BE BOUGHT IN STORES. IT MAKES A PERSON WONDER? IF NONE OF THE BAD TASTEING BEEF COMES FROM BEEF PRODUCERS WHO RAISES IT?

hummm.....at first I thougth "WHAT"?? :lol: But then...hey..the guy is right. :clap:

 

[Angus Cowman]

I'd eat yours faster than store or top steakhouse.If they look good and healty eat em.

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR RAISING ALL THIS BAD TASTEING BEEF IN THE STORES AND STEAKHOUSES. IT SEEMS EVERYONE WHO POSTS ON CATTLE TODAY THINKS THERE BEEF WILL BE BETTER THAN WHAT CAN BE BOUGHT IN STORES. IT MAKES A PERSON WONDER? IF NONE OF THE BAD TASTEING BEEF COMES FROM BEEF PRODUCERS WHO RAISES IT?

I have bought beef from stores and I have raised my own for yrs when we run out we still by some at the store
I am not going to say that farm fresh beef is better beef in the beginning but the process after it is killed makes a difference, for 1 it is quick froze right after processing without any chemicals added to it
2 store bought beef has chemicals and additives added to it and it is kept right at 32 degrees while being shipped to the stores and then it sits refrigerated at the stores for x amount of days before being sold and the chemicals and the handling procedures do make a difference in the taste
I can remember when the grocery stores got their beef in 1/2s or 1/4s and hung them in their coolers and they had a butcher that cut all the meat and that was alot better beef than what you can buy at the store now
So in the beginning I would say the beef you buy at the store is as good as what you raise but after it is killed the handling process is what makes the difference

 

[Angus Cowman]

I have bought beef from stores and I have raised my own for yrs when we run out we still by some at the store
I am not going to say that farm fresh beef is better beef in the beginning but the process after it is killed makes a difference, for 1 it is quick froze right after processing without any chemicals added to it
2 store bought beef has chemicals and additives added to it and it is kept right at 32 degrees while being shipped to the stores and then it sits refrigerated at the stores for x amount of days before being sold and the chemicals and the handling procedures do make a difference in the taste

I WAS NOT AWARE THAT VITAMIN E CHANGED THE TASTE OF BEEF.

They add more than vitamin E and also they started adding Carbon Dioxide or carbon monoxide a few yrs ago to maintain the RED color and also I said the handling and storage procedures are different and

please like everyone has asked you QUIT SCREAMING it is about as annoying as you are

 

[brandonm_13]

The only thing that is lower case is his name, what?.


Back to the original question, if I were afraid of eating my own beef, I wouldn't send it for someone else to eat. If you're grass feeding, then I would continue to do so. Grass finishing can be good if done the right way. Besides, if your cattle have not been fed grain before, you may cause more problems than you solve.

Be aware that if you want marbled beef, like is in the store, the beef needs to be older since it won't put on weight as fast as grain-fed animals. Heifers will need to be at least 18 months old, and steers would be more like 2 years. The main thing is they need to be gaining about 2 pounds a day for the last 60-90 days to marble well. Spring pastures can do that, as can grazing greenleaf corn (corn before the ear or tassle).

 

[Jogeephus]

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR RAISING ALL THIS BAD TASTEING BEEF IN THE STORES AND STEAKHOUSES. IT SEEMS EVERYONE WHO POSTS ON CATTLE TODAY THINKS THERE BEEF WILL BE BETTER THAN WHAT CAN BE BOUGHT IN STORES. IT MAKES A PERSON WONDER? IF NONE OF THE BAD TASTEING BEEF COMES FROM BEEF PRODUCERS WHO RAISES IT?

Wondered that myself so I asked the Doc whose over the food inspection system in our area. Most grocers have a standing order based on grade. Some may have an order for standard or better. Some may have higher standards and will only buy Choice or better. In a high demand market you can be assured of crapola when you purchase from a low end grocer during a high demand market but you could get some good meat when it is a low demand time. But consistancy will only come from a store with higher standards. Also processing, like AC said, has a lot to do with it. Is it aged? Most is not. For health reasons they are "allowed" to add 10% ice to the hamburger to keep it cool. I'm sure they measure this very carefully since adding water to hamburger would definitely add profit to the bottom line and I'm sure no one would add a little more to make more money - I mean insure safe food. As for the CO2, its actually more than this. It is in fact a chemical. Carcinogenic some studies say. But like dyes and such it is not food per se so it is not regulated by the FDA cause it is not ingested. Unless of course it starts killing people like red dye number 5 did then they will just change to another non regulated preservative. Oh, and lets not forget the added fat. Fat as filler is definitely profitable and this coupled with the added water is a good explanation of why SOME store bought burgers start out on the grill at 5 inches and end up being only 3 inches on the bun.

Of course, this is only what I was told but it makes sense. As for prime meat. You can't buy it here. Its reserved for the high end restaraunts I'm told. I see it only on occasion - again - during low markets. But for consistantancy in high quality meat, I don't think you can go wrong raising your own beef. But then again, if your beef is no different than that you find consistantly in the store then I would have to assume that YOU are the one producing the low quality crapola and you might want to make some adjustments to your program. JMO

 

[grannysoo]

I've had good meat from the store, and I've had bad meat from the store too.

You want bad meat? Go to Wally-World and buy their hamburger. Tough as shoe leather.

One of our local grocery stores gets meat in by the half and has an in house butcher. Their meat is always better than any of the other in town. As much as we wish we could say our beef is so much better, it is probably not. However, our beef processing, handling, and storage is better and that is probably where the difference comes in.

And by the way, my meat is better. :lol2:

 

[Jogeephus]

And by the way, my meat is better.

Yeah, I think I remember seeing some pic of them and they are way blacker than average so they gotta be good. ;-) :lol2: :lol2:

 

[rusty]

I'd eat yours faster than store or top steakhouse.If they look good and healty eat em.

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR RAISING ALL THIS BAD TASTEING BEEF IN THE STORES AND STEAKHOUSES. IT SEEMS EVERYONE WHO POSTS ON CATTLE TODAY THINKS THERE BEEF WILL BE BETTER THAN WHAT CAN BE BOUGHT IN STORES. IT MAKES A PERSON WONDER? IF NONE OF THE BAD TASTEING BEEF COMES FROM BEEF PRODUCERS WHO RAISES IT?

What ,if you can't tell the differance between fresh and store bought,resturant there is something wrong with your fresh beef.Not only can I tell a differance but I can also tell between my fresh and my 6 month in the freezer.There is nothing better than fresh never froze beef.Also What you seem to like to read what you want into what people say I don't recall saying anything about bad tasting beef just that I would eat the orginal posters faster the reason being it would be fresher.

 

[Hoosier Pete]

Who would you rather trust for your food safety and quality. Someone like yourself or the government?

 

[hayray]

I don't recall saying anything about bad tasting beef just that I would eat the orginal posters faster the reason being it would be fresher.

HELP ME OUT ARE YOU SAYING FRESHNESS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH TASTE?

I would like to discuss this freshness in beef a little more. Is the non-frozen beef at the strore shelf consider more fresh -technically - then aged beef that is then flash frozen after being cut? I sure don't think taste is sacrificed. Seems to me that freezer beef will last in your ice box longer after it is thawed then a non-frozen shelf prodcut will last?

 

[mnmtranching]

You better eat that store bought burger REALLY FAST. Could be fresh grounds or could have been re gound, and what do you think they do with the roasts etc when they turn brown or when the burger turns brown? They regrind add some fresh red and put er back in the counter. Won't have a shelf life at home.

 

[Loch Valley Fold]

Here in Aus there has been plenty of TV coverage on the dodgy doings that the supermarkets do to their meat not only beef, but lamb, pork & chicken as well.( www.todaytonight.com.au ) From pumping the meat (roasts, silverside) full of water to make it weigh heavier than it is, to the adding preservatives to make it last longer, improve colour its tough I think eating old boot leather would be less tough.
Eating your own home grown meat gives you a more tende,r juicer, tasteful piece of meat that you could cut with a spoon even after throwing it on the barby.
We have complete control over our beef from slaughter to hang time to how thick we want each cut of meat to be. Can you really do that with supermarket brought beef?

 

[gimpyrancher]

I generally buy my beef from my daughter's ranch where I know what they are fed. I'll be have it aged 18-21 days before cutting and wrapping. I may pay a slightly higher price because of the aging weight loss and premium feed. I believe there is a huge difference in taste and texture in meat I eat from my daughter. There are times when I need something and have to buy from the store. What comes out of most cut-rate super stores (cut up all the beef the day they receive it) is okay, but not the same.

But then again, I'm just an end user at this point.

gimpyrancher :compute: