What Age Do You Take Steer to Butcher?

[Chuckie]

So many different breeds and crosses here, I would like to know what age you like to bring your steers up to before you take them to be butchered. I have been told that they do not marble before one year of age. Is that on all breeds? I have always sold Seed Stock, and am never raised one to be butchered. So, I have room to learn here.

 

[Named'em Tamed'em]

18-19 months old, free choice alfalfa and pasture. They all hang 880# hot on the rail. Angus and Limousin/Angus.

 

[gman4691]

I've never done it but I've read that they normally get processed anywhere from 18-24 months. There are some folks on here that do raise steers for their own beef. They can probably be more helpful than me. I'll be interested in seeing the responses. I do know that a lot of processors are booked up as much as a year or more. So it might be best to touch base with whomever will be processing it for you and see what kind of lead time they will need. Some of these folks on CT can tell you what to feed and when to feed to get the best results.

 

[Down in Dixie]

16 month I did two years ago

22 month I did last year.
From what little data I have with my genetics I will be processing all mine about 2 years old from now on.

 

[redcowsrule33]

I prefer around two years, like the flavor of older beef. Usually it's based on when I can get a slaughter date. I don't want to butcher in the heat of summer either.

 

[Little Joe]

18-24 months old, I've sent them at around 14 months old and meat was good but better to wait so than can grow enough frame first. I like hanging weights between 650-750, I'm sure there are some that have big framey cattle that can those hanging weights earlier but that's not been my experience.

 

[sstterry]

View attachment 39287
16 month I did two years ago

View attachment 3928822 month I did last year.
From what little data I have with my genetics I will be processing all mine about 2 years old from now on.

That is some nice marbling on that 22-month-old. What did you finish him with?

 

[4hfarms]

White chocolate , cotton candy and marshmallow fluff if I see the pic correctly.

 

[Chuckie]

Down in Dixie, that 22 month old cut is outstanding!!

 

[EasTex]

I did my first one this past August. He was 18 months old, brought home 560 Lbs. Angus/Brangus cross. I will do it again.

 

[Mountaintown Creek Ranch]

24 months.
hung at 850 #
nothing special on feed

 

[kenny thomas]

24 months.
hung at 850 #
nothing special on feed

View attachment 39295
View attachment 39294

Oh, but was it black? Lol

 

[Stickney94]

We send 15+ to the butcher each year (direct sale beef). Our local lockers are taking 2025 bookings (booked out 18+months). We just booked dates for the calves that are in utero. Genetics plays a huge role in both growth and marbling (we raise PB angus and angus/wagyu crosses). My dad sent truck loads of fats at 20 and 22 months for decades. This past year our first group went at 15 months and they were 1,400-1550 in weight (to big and one of those was an angus/wagyu cross (50% wagyu)). Most of the rest went at 16-17 months and were in the 1300 range. We are confident our beef would consistently grade prime.

My dad never used creep so neither do I. Weaned calves start on corn immediately after weaning (have used rolled, ground, and whole (WSC)). 2-3 lbs initially and step up monthly until we get to 12-15 lbs by finish (I used to feed a much higher corn ration but corn at $7/bu forced an adjustment in ration which we've stuck with). From weaning to finish they receive alfalfa baleage, dry hay, and corn stalk bales in free choice feeders (along with corn ration).

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I have a handful of PB Simmental steers that I feed out. Born Sept/Oct, weaned and fed out thru the summer. Butchered in Oct, so are either 12 or 13 months old. Avg 750# HCW, grade Choice.
Feed whole shell corn and small amount of protein pellets. Free choice pasture until about Sept, then free-choice hay/baleage.
Book processor year ahead.

 

[Ky hills]

Most of what we feed out are processed at 16-17 months but have done one at 13 months up to over 2 years on one.
I build mine up slow to as much as they will eat without leaving any in the trough for 3-4 months.
I feed a few pounds of mixed feed of 1/3 cracked corn, 1/3 soy hull pellets 1/3 corn gluten pellets, from weaning until bringing them in to fatten then slowly transition to mixing shelled corn as half or more of the ration ( this helps to dilute the corn gluten in the mixed feed as it is said to give beef an off flavor if it is a significant portion of the feed.)
Our cattle that we have processed are mostly Angus, Hereford or BWF.

 

[Down in Dixie]

That is some nice marbling on that 22-month-old. What did you finish him with?

Finished on (70%)whole corn and a (30%) 10% bull creep feed. Slowly worked up to 25 lbs a day with free choice hay. Closely watching the manure and adding a high fiber preconditioner if it gets to loose.

 

[Mountaintown Creek Ranch]

Oh, but was it black? Lol

Yes it was Jap Blk.

 

[Pineywoods230]

Just two of us at home so we always take a smaller calf. 8-12 months so we're not having to split a half of beef with anyone but it's been fine for us. Brangus/Hereford crosses

 

[gcreekrch]

This was an 18 month old mostly Black Angus heifer. Finished on free choice swamp hay and 2 months of 15 lbs of barley.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Looks yummy to me. Like I say, "how much marbling do you need?" Some pictures people post there is more white meat than red meat. Yours looks "just right".