dissapointed « Thread Started on Sept 18, 2009, 7:40pm »
The calf I took to the butcher show is turning out to be a real dissapointment. He weighed 572 on the hoof and only weighed out 305 on the rail. Thats not even 55%, I've never had one that did that badly...............I really don't understand what the problem was. Just one of those things, but a real bummer. P.J.
You didn't say how old the steer was. In our experience with grass fed/grass-finished Dexter steers, we have to keep them on good pasture until they are between 24 and 29 months of age to properly finish them. Remember, the animals first grow bones (skeletons), then muscle, then deposits of internal/external fat, and finally marbling fat. If you butchered too soon, you interrupted the process prematurely and the yield and quality grade will fall short of what they could have been. If the organ meats aren't included in the hot carcass weight (hanging weight), the hot carcass weight yield will also goes down.
Don't just look at the hanging weight vs. the live weight. The real important figure is the "retail product" weight -- what you actually get of edible, boneless, trimmed cuts of meat. If the ratio of "retail product" weight to live weight is greater than 0.30 (30%), then you're actually doing pretty good.
He didn't go too soon, I was afraid that I waited too long, he was 30 months old. This is the one I have been having fits over getting any weight on him. I didn't ask for sure, but I understood that hanging weight was without the organ meats, I'll ask when I pick him up, thanks Patti.
okay, I have not yet butchered a dexter steer. With Angus we always fed them out starting with a 50/50 ratio of steam rolled oats(with molasses) and corn while the animal was in a pasture padock. The last 60-90 days we raised the ratio to 60% corn and 40% oats as well as pasture. But with dexters, I always hear that everyone grass finishs their steers...I am going to assume that dexters do not need to be fed out? If that is true, thats going to save a whole lot of out of pocket expense on feed. I have had a Angus steak that was butchered straight out of the pasture and a angus steer that was properly fed out...there was a HUGE difference. I am already impressed beyond words with the Dexter breed, but to tell me that you can not taste a difference between a grass fed steer and a fed out steer will knock my socks off.
The steer I recently butchered weighed 509#, grass fed. He hung at 340# and yielded 202# finished beef. That did not include organ meats. He was a 27 month old short legged Dexter.
I'd been eating Angus for the last year. This steer tastes so good we don't want to finish the Angus that's left.
I served a businessman friend a T-bone steak from this steer. He liked it so well he bought one of the steers I currently have in the pasture. They're 22 month old and long legged. I'll probably take his steer to the butcher on Monday.
Finished properly, you should not have much or even any difference between grass-fed and grain-fed in terms of the finish itself, unless you want a difference, i.e. some people want lean. The animal has to have the right genetics to finish on grass, so perhaps the animal you had PJ did not have them. Or maybe the forage or grazing was not up to scratch this year?
We can usually finish on grazing at 23-26 months even for a long-leg, and later for a fatter finish but using clover etc. We leave heifers that long as well. We have compared our grass-finished beasts to a farm that produces a lot of dexter beef and grain-finishes, and we achieve just a fractionally lower meat to hookweight percentage than they do. They get 65%, we get 63%.
I would love to know what it tastes like, because one of our "worst" animals tasted one of the best. As I said before, Wagyu probably produce poor figures as well!!! And I have a pal who uses a dairy bull for extra flavour at his customers request (not dexters). I am suspicious of chasing quality by looks and weight of the meat. The grading should be when you cook it and eat it I think.
572 pounds liveweight at 30 months is a very small animal! Is that typical or was he a runt? I get liveweights more like 850, but I work in kilos and based 2.204 pounds per kilo (or are American pounds different?)
Re: dissapointed « Reply #6 on Oct 26, 2009, 8:59am »
I learned a valuable lesson with this calf. I fed him a lot of sweet feed trying to get growth, and instead I got "fat" I have looked at the cuts from him and while both customers say the flavor is great and it's tender, it is very fat. There is a lot of marbling in the steaks but they have a really thick fat layer on the outside. I wasted a lot of feed and only made him into the fat beef like you get from the store They both have said they will want another beef, and I promised a good lean product for them. Clive, you ask about his size, and I think he was a runt, because I've never had one that small. I took a shortie last year and he weighed over 700, so it was just this calf weighing very light, as to kilos and pounds, I wouldn't have a clue................
Joined: Nov 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 153 Location: Shropshire, England
Re: dissapointed « Reply #8 on Oct 26, 2009, 12:26pm »
For me, there is almost no such thing as too much fat. The more marbling the better. If grass-fed, the marbling is good fat that should just disappear as soon as cooked, and the outside fat can just be cut off (after cooking preferably). But it's all a matter of taste I suppose.
Re: dissapointed « Reply #9 on Oct 26, 2009, 2:34pm »
The meats looks great, but, both customers bought with the "lean beef" being their motivator, so I didn't deliver what I should have. Plus, I spent a lot more money feeding him out, but didn't get the return on my money. It's still wonderfull beef, no doubt, just could have been better with less work and cost. I still blame Mother Nature for the crappy grass and forage this summer, I just never got the grass like I usually do. P.J.
![[Home]](http://s4.images.proboards.com/menu/home.gif)
![[Help]](http://s4.images.proboards.com/menu/help.gif)
![[Search]](http://s4.images.proboards.com/menu/search.gif)
![[Login]](http://s4.images.proboards.com/menu/login.gif)
![[Register]](http://s4.images.proboards.com/menu/register.gif)
![[Search This Thread]](http://s4.images.proboards.com/search2.gif)
![[Send Topic To Friend]](http://s4.images.proboards.com/buttons/sendtopic.gif)
![[Print]](http://s4.images.proboards.com/buttons/print.gif)
Author
Logged
![[avatar]](http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj109/genebo16/08302009MahoneyGene5.jpg)
![[homepage]](http://s4.images.proboards.com/buttons/www_sm.gif)
![[avatar]](http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x154/cliveataylor/Joseph.jpg)
They both have said they will want another beef, and I promised a good lean product for them.