It's buttercup #3's time to go to the freezer.
He's been grass fed with hay his whole 3 years.
Historically we have never done anything prior to the big event. The meat has been LEAN with no fat.
This time we got him in a stall a week ago and are feeding him "beef builder" grains that we got from the co-op. He's eating 30-50 pounds a day plus hay.
His final day will be the 17th of this month.
Will this help get some fat in the meat or am I wasting money?
He's the one with his side to us.
He's the black one with his
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/14445/024~3.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1533651908)
I'm no steer expert, but I thought corn was used for strictly building fat?
Any grain will add weight and fat. Not sure of price but likely you could feed straight corn (relatively cheap now) to fatten up fast. How do you keep others from getting it, closed off stall? 30-50lbs day seems like a lot for one animal. Are you feeding them all?
We have always "conditioned" our beef by confining him/her to a box-stall and feeding them cornmeal and a little bit of hay, and what water they needed!
It's not going to marble the meat if that is what you are asking. You may put some fat on under the hide but other than being mixed in with burger it is usually trimmed off. It's not easy to marble grass fed beef, it takes a consistent 2 lbs of gain per day every day to produce marble.
The other issue is transition of his rumen, going from straight grass to heavy grain overnight he will dump a lot out the back end until his gut bacteria adjust to the acid level caused by the grain. Not saying you are wasting money, but not sure you will get the desired results either.
Quote from: Southside logger on August 07, 2018, 12:58:59 PM
It's not going to marble the meat if that is what you are asking. You may put some fat on under the hide but other than being mixed in with burger it is usually trimmed off. It's not easy to marble grass fed beef, it takes a consistent 2 lbs of gain per day every day to produce marble.
The other issue is transition of his rumen, going from straight grass to heavy grain overnight he will dump a lot out the back end until his gut bacteria adjust to the acid level caused by the grain. Not saying you are wasting money, but not sure you will get the desired results either.
That's pretty much the question. I've been thinking it wouldn't add to the marbling in such a short time. I'm splitting this steer with my friend who is convinced he is getting USA prime steaks if he grains him out.
We've been watching him waste to see if it changes but so far seems solid.
The last steers I did had no fat. These guys spend their whole life in the pasture and never see grain.
Quote from: Raider Bill on August 07, 2018, 01:30:06 PM
Quote from: Southside logger on August 07, 2018, 12:58:59 PM
It's not going to marble the meat if that is what you are asking. You may put some fat on under the hide but other than being mixed in with burger it is usually trimmed off. It's not easy to marble grass fed beef, it takes a consistent 2 lbs of gain per day every day to produce marble.
The other issue is transition of his rumen, going from straight grass to heavy grain overnight he will dump a lot out the back end until his gut bacteria adjust to the acid level caused by the grain. Not saying you are wasting money, but not sure you will get the desired results either.
That's pretty much the question. I've been thinking it wouldn't add to the marbling in such a short time. I'm splitting this steer with my friend who is convinced he is getting USA prime steaks if he grains him out.
We've been watching his waste to see if it changes but so far seems solid.
The last steers I did had no fat. These guys spend their whole life in the pasture and never see grain.
Tell your buddy to sell his half of the premium grass fed lean beef and take the cash and go buy some marbled feedlot stuff at the grocery store😁
Steers finished in a lot are usually there 6 to 8 months. This is a very hard time of year to finish a steer. I have one that I was going to ship in early June but just didn't get to it so he will hang around until about October so that he will have had good cool season grass for about 60 days again.
Quote from: Raider Bill on August 07, 2018, 01:30:06 PMI'm splitting this steer with my friend who is convinced he is getting USA prime steaks if he grains him out.
Grain\no-grain, he's getting better than that - may not have the marbling but I'll take grass feed beef over the corn fed dairy cows you get at walmart.
25%+ of the steak at the store are from dairy animals, whether it be cull cows or finished steers - corn & soybeen fed holsteins just the same.
making me hungry just thinking about it - gotta be a ribeye around here somewhere..
Quote from: Raider Bill on August 07, 2018, 10:25:45 AML
It's buttercup #3's time to go to the freezer.
He's been grass fed with hay his whole 3 years.
Historically we have never done anything prior to the big event. The meat has been LEAN with no fat.
This time we got him in a stall a week ago and are feeding him "beef builder" grains that we got from the co-op. He's eating 30-50 pounds a day plus hay.
His final day will be the 17th of this month.
Will this help get some fat in the meat or am I wasting money?
He's the one with his side to us.
He's the black one with his
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/14445/024~3.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1533651908)
Looks Tasty.
You are feeding alot or grain. Watch out for Acidosis. Here is a link for more information.
Avoiding acidosis in beef cattle | Drovers (https://www.drovers.com/article/avoiding-acidosis-beef-cattle)
With 9 days until butcher the feed really isn't going to do anything other than maybe put a little fat under the hide. Also like stated above pushing that much feed to a grass fed animal that quickly is a recipe for other issues...
I finish all mine on grass typically. When I have put them on feed it's for between 90 to 120 days. I've done it as little as 60 days but never noticed much return for my investment.
Might put a little fat on the hide but not much in that timeframe. We feed only grass here balage and hay in the winter. Ours hang 700+ with a nice layer of fat. Marbling is much more genetic than most people know if the steer isn't marbled at butchering then momma is on the cut list. Feed helps some as does time but we like the 24 month or under range and we are getting close mostly 24 or slightly over here for the boys. Ageing help also how long do they hang? 2 weeks is a world of difference and 28 days is awesome using a new butcher now picking up 2 boys this weekend that hung 24 and I gave them the ok to butcher to see how they taste 8) 8)
I'm beating my head against the wall with this guy.
He's convinced the grains are going to work.
On my end it is just adding to the cost with no return.
Many years ago there was an article in the Lancaster Farmer newspaper where they did a blind taste test to see if people could tell the difference between Angus, Holstein cross and others, most couldn't. What was also tested was the amount of doneness, regardless of how they said they preferred it most people liked their steaks medium rare, even those that said well done.
Increasing marbling in beef without increasing overall fatness -- ScienceDaily (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/05/160505223115.htm)
Any of you guys care to give me the beginner crash coarse on this stuff.. Whats marbling and what does this finishing process consist of? I understand hanging to break down the effects of rigor mortis or whatever it is. Aging makes all the difference in venison.
Im a few years out on starting but a few beef cows are in my future. Its probably the biggest business around me.
Mike, marbling is the fat you see within the muscle. Look in the beef case at the grocery store and find a "USDA Prime" ribeye, it will have fat which runs through the meat, now compare that to a "USDA Select" strip steak - no fat running through the meat, very lean. The marbling gives the beef it's taste and texture.
As far as finishing a beef goes, getting it ready for harvest, especially on grass, that is akin to asking a sawyer how to produce lumber, it's a mix of genetics, management, weather, and experience.
........And Nourishment.
I've finished beef (or participated to some degree) in almost every setting, from commercial feedlots to backyard Freezer Beef to 4H Steers (about the best quality beef we can have access to).
I've had to salvage beef from downer cows and accidental deaths, and harvested older cows.
I'm sorry, but I have no experience with trying to finish a steer by giving it grain in the last week or so. My experience has been to put steers on grain (as a supplement to roughage) for 5- 7 months before slaughter if you want to finish them as "Grain Fed".
As previously stated, there is some very good Grass fed beef out there, and genetics come into play.
Guys give me a hard time for having galloway both belted and non running around the farm but they finish out great on grass. So I keep a few around for the freezer. But around here nobody wants to pony up for freezer beef so I just do one or two for myself, the rest go to auction at weaning.
Only Hide I've had tanned and kept.....
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Not a fan of grass only fed beef. I know there is a big market for it, but I like my beef with sufficient fat for flavor and keeping moisture during the cooking process. You couldn't give me grass only.
We use grain supplement daily in the evening feed, which we also use that time to get them into the barn and get a visual check on any problems that may have happened. The cattle are also very accustomed to being around people and being handled. The rest of the time, the cattle are free to graze.
A quality butcher and sufficient hang time makes all the difference in the world. I specify that any ground beef be 80-20.
If we were raising beef for anyone other than ourselves, and the customer told me he wanted grass fed only, I would tell them that they had to take the entire steer, no half's for me.
Quote from: Roxie on August 10, 2018, 07:46:13 AM
Not a fan of grass only fed beef. I know there is a big market for it, but I like my beef with sufficient fat for flavor and keeping moisture during the cooking process. You couldn't give me grass only.
My grass feed Galloway has very good flavor and as long as it's cooked right has plenty of moisture in it. I've fed a lot of people over the years that have said "you couldn't give me grass only", and all of them have enjoyed the meat, and some of them even buy halves from me on occasion.
There is a right way and a wrong way to grass finish a beef, sadly most is done the wrong way and it gives the product a rightfully deserved bad name. A very lean beeve, poorly aged and then cooked fast over a hot BBQ is a recipe for a horrible eating experience.
Prime is very hard to achieve on grass but we do usually get choice grade on them, I run the steers with our milk cows so they get moved to fresh pasture every day which makes a big difference.
I've had some mighty fine beef in Argentina, which they told me was grass fed. Dunno, but I understand they are starting to use more feedlots. I suspect those who claim genetics and how it's aged have more to do with the final quality are correct.
A steady supply of cheap beer always causes me to put on some weight quick. Try that with Buttercup and see how he responds. With craft breweries on every corner disposing of the spent grains is a problem for them.
These are pastured by the guy that owns the land across from me in Tenn. His pasture is hard scrabble red clay with some weeds and grass at best. The heard never gets culled down or rotated so even in the best season the grass is short. He does drop a roll of hay weekly for 25 or so head. They never get grain.
They hang for the maximum of 14 days.
He sells me a calf for $100 and lets it stay with the heard until I'm ready to slaughter. I get a couple every 2-3 years. and let them go for 3 on his pasture.
This time I'm splitting one with another friend who's driving me crazy and his over thinking this process.
I generally get burger meat, cube steak, some roasts and stew meat. My friends planning on his freezer being filled with 3 inch USDA prime, marbled porterhouse and rib eye steaks. He's fixing to be disappointed.
Raider Bill,
It sounds to me that you've done all you can to talk sense to your buddy, but he's got his own ideas.
You'll probably have to chalk this up to "No good deed goes unpunished."
The guy thinks he's doing something great, and maybe it will work out where he may have justification for that, even if it's in his own mind.
You're trying to do your friend a good turn, and I commend you. We need more folks like you in the world.
For the sake of the friendship it might be best to just go with it and forget the extra expenses. When it turns out that he doesn't get what he expected then maybe he will listen and learn. If you don't go along he may blame you and do the "I told you so" thing.
I grew up on grass/hay fed beef. We never fed anything else. I much prefer grain finished these days.
Well he's so convinced that he went and bought another 500 pounds of beef builder. Buttercup's last day is the 19th.
I give up.
Just going with the flow now...
Maybe there will be some fat to put in the ground beef.
My cut list is, roasts, cube steak, stew meat and ground beef.
100 lbs of grain per day??? Is he trying to be the first guy to have a steer with a DA? Geesh.
I raise my beefers, Hereford and Hereford/Belted cross, on just grass and 2nd cut hay to at least 32 months. No grain or corn. They have always been plenty fat with good marble and put the Hamburg up at 85/15. Great flavor and tender. Fully Federal inspected and processed. Licensed and inspected to sell from the farm. In my mind and experience no additional fat producing feed is required, but must be at least 32 months of age.
And he's off! Today will be his last day. Going to hang for 15 days.
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Farewell, Buttercup- Until we "Meat" again....... (I know; we'll never "Meat", but I thought that would be a fitting send off).
1501 live weight, 852 hanging.
Did they grade it?
Lots of great info on this thread.
From what I recall growing up in Texas,
1 - 4H cows are indeed the best (best steak that I ever ate came from one). They've been hand fed their entire lives and the meat is incredible.
Other than 4H....
1- 6 - 9 months on "sweet feed" after being raised on grass. Sweet feed is a mix of corn, oats, barley, molasses, etc
2 - have them hang for 30 - 45 days for the best flavor.
Quote from: Southside logger on August 23, 2018, 09:44:20 AM
Did they grade it?
no grading.
They will only hang/age one for 15 days due to limited cold storage.