Will a old cow be worth eatting?

[pricefarm]

I have a broke month cow that should have been culled 2 years ago because of age and because she has had a bad hip. Any way her hip is getting worse and she is having trouble getting around. I would take her to the market and sell her for slaughter but I know I will get hit hard and she want bring much. If I take her to the slaughter house should I just have everything ground in burger ? Or how should I get it cut? How will a older cow like this dress out? She weights around 1200 lbs.
also she currently has a calf on her about 3 months old and I haven't seen the bull with her but she might be breed back already if that would make any difference.

 

[AllForage]

This is what I do, pull the tenderloin and ribeyes, then grind the rest. I make a killing on grinding up cows to sell to my customers. If you are handy with a crock pot, take a gamble on more cuts. If you have a good butcher he could make the call for you.

I don't haul in bone racks though. Is she in decent flesh?

 

[bigbull338]

as said about all she is good for is berger.

 

[HDRider]

They slaughter cows carrying a calf all the time.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Just wonder if the hit at the sale barn would be as bad as her dieing on you.

 

[HDRider]

Just wonder if the hit at the sale barn would be as bad as her dieing on you.

That's a good question right now.

The only thing that might bother me is whether I's doing the right thing by selling her? Would the buyer really know what they are getting?

 

[Nesikep]

I think up to about 8 years old you can still get a bunch of decent cuts of meat, and a lot of that depends on the cow as well.. some are tough as goodyear tires at 2 years old, others are reasonably good much longer... As AllForage said,... Take the *best* cuts, grind the rest, or you can still make some stew meat.

Old cow burger is excellent!.. much more flavorful than from young animals.. so there is an upside to it..

As for meat-in-the-freezer.. from a 1200 lb cow I'd expect around 400 lbs... give or take depending on her condition


It's up to the buyer to know what he's buying... if her hip is bad it's for him to see that... don't preg check her.. she ought to go through as a butcher cow and as long as she's not on drugs that haven't had the required withdrawal time.. the rest is up to them.

 

[HDRider]

I think up to about 8 years old you can still get a bunch of decent cuts of meat, and a lot of that depends on the cow as well.. some are tough as goodyear tires at 2 years old, others are reasonably good much longer... As AllForage said,... Take the *best* cuts, grind the rest, or you can still make some stew meat.

Old cow burger is excellent!.. much more flavorful than from young animals.. so there is an upside to it..

As for meat-in-the-freezer.. from a 1200 lb cow I'd expect around 400 lbs... give or take depending on her condition


It's up to the buyer to know what he's buying... if her hip is bad it's for him to see that... don't preg check her.. she ought to go through as a butcher cow and as long as she's not on drugs that haven't had the required withdrawal time.. the rest is up to them.

I am guessing this is a dumb question. Does the buyer at a sale barn get to look her over that well?

 

[Son of Butch]

This is what I do, pull the tenderloin and ribeyes, then grind the rest. If you are handy with a crock pot, take a gamble on more cuts. If you have a good butcher he could make the call for you.
I don't haul in bone racks though. Is she in decent flesh?

Totally agree. Always save the tenderloins!
Old cows make Excellent Lean Hamburger.
If you want some hotdogs have the butcher add some pork when grinding.

 

[dun]

If she's old enough to be broken mouthed grind her. It will be awfully tasty, if you really like the flavor of beef. The loin would probably be only good for jerky anyway.

 

[pricefarm]

Just wonder if the hit at the sale barn would be as bad as her dieing on you.

That's a good question right now.

The only thing that might bother me is whether I's doing the right thing by selling her? Would the buyer really know what they are getting?

The only way the buyer wouldn't know what he was buying is if he where blind. You can clearly see that she has a bad limp and favors her left back leg. I don't think she will die anytime soon unless she hurts herself more she stills gets around good just a little slow.

 

[cowboy43]

It's amazing what a professional cattle can spot and calculate in 1 second. Their computer is in their head. :cboy:

 

[HDRider]

It's amazing what a professional cattle can spot and calculate in 1 second. Their computer is in their head. :cboy:

It impresses the heck out of me.

That one sounds like maybe even I could tell.

 

[Kingfisher]

Sell her. Buy a couple $ of choice from your fav butcher and another calf.

 

[AllForage]

If she's old enough to be broken mouthed grind her. It will be awfully tasty, if you really like the flavor of beef. The loin would probably be only good for jerky anyway.

Sorry Dun but this is wrong. Funny how folks don't like the taste of beef eh

 

[dun]

If she's old enough to be broken mouthed grind her. It will be awfully tasty, if you really like the flavor of beef. The loin would probably be only good for jerky anyway.

Sorry Dun but this is wrong. Funny how folks don't like the taste of beef eh

What, the jerky or the flavor?

 

[Galloways1]

We butcher old (12-15 years) cows all the time. We cut them just like any other butcher animal. Steaks and burger. If they are thin or crippled, we pull tenderloins and grind the rest, as others have said.

Our customers LOVE the meat.

 

[Bigfoot]

I had a pretty old cow a few years ago (sorry can't remember how old she was) that I had slaughtered for burger. The slaughter house talked me in to getting some steaks out of it. After I ate one of them, I was sorry I didn't save more cuts.

 

[talltimber]

If I wanted some steaks I believe I'd sell her and buy some, or buy a younger calf and go that route. With that said, aging beef can do wonders to less than naturally tender cuts. Talk to your processing guy and see how long he is willing to age her for you and go from there. I'm thinking of 3 weeks or more if you can get it done.

 

[AllForage]

Here is another thought and where my mind goes. If those on here that say a old cow ain't worth spit and is only good for jerky, then how good are your genetics really? Now I realize cull cows are not a priority with commodity producers, but to a direct marketer this is a huge profit center. Even homesteader types that like eating what they spent blood, sweat, and often tears raising. One of the benefits to moderate cattle that have moderate milk production is the carcass of those cows after you want to cull them. I haul mine in after they have been nursing for 7 months and they are in good flesh. Every time my butchers right hand man comes out at my pick up days and tells me that it was a shame to grind most thoe cows. He says they look better than what he serves his family. These are 8,9, or older cows. Same goes for my herd bulls of the same age. I get a roughly 80/20 grind without any trim added back in. My customers go spastic after eating this type of ground and then my 2 year olds taste bland to them.

If you are a direct marketer this something to ponder.