|
Post by Nonesuch Farm (Melissa) on Jun 12, 2014 22:51:17 GMT -5
We just processed a seven year old bull into ground. It is indeed very lean but has enough fat to fry a burger without additional fat. Very tasty. We did not do cuts simply because we have almost all the steaks and roasts from a 9 year old Jersey left in the freezer while we've used up all our ground. Nothing wrong with the steaks and roasts either we just seem to always be in a hurry lately and grabbing a package of burger.
|
|
|
Post by Olga on Jun 12, 2014 22:55:01 GMT -5
Melissa, do you have the live weight and/or hanging weight? What about the total amount of packaged? Would love to know!
|
|
|
Post by Nonesuch Farm (Melissa) on Jun 15, 2014 12:09:58 GMT -5
He was about 1,000 pounds live weight by the time we got him in. Came home as 382 pounds of 95% lean ground beef. We had him ground because he was injured in an accident and we were concerned that the flood of cortisol in his system would make him tough or not tasty. Neither turned out to be an issue.
|
|
|
Post by Olga on Jun 26, 2014 21:06:05 GMT -5
Today we haltered Jupiter, our PHA+ bull calf born on August 29, 2013, and trailered him to our friend's farm that has a squeeze shoot. We walked Jupiter in and used my California bander for the very first time. It was super easy! Jupiter did not mind the procedure at all, yet lost it at the sting of a needle with the Tetanus. Brought him back home and he went right back to grazing.
|
|
|
Post by ladena on Jun 27, 2014 22:04:59 GMT -5
Olga, glad it went smoothly for you.
|
|
|
Post by carragheendexters on Jun 27, 2014 22:14:45 GMT -5
Olga, we often castrate our bulls at 6 months. We will grow out a few prospective bull calves, and then decide who can stay a bull at 6 months of age, legally, I think that this is the oldest that we can do them over here ourselves. We use a large Tribander, which would work the same as the California bander. Like you we have no reactions from the bulls when putting the band on. I think it must be because of the wide band, it doesn't cut in. Ours carry on about needles to, like Jupiter no reaction until they get the booster vac, then they lose it. You would think that it was horribly painful the way they carry on. Glad that it all went well for you, you will be happy to use it again.
|
|
|
Post by legendrockranch on Jun 27, 2014 22:53:19 GMT -5
Gald to here all went well Olga. Olga, we often castrate our bulls at 6 months. We will grow out a few prospective bull calves, and then decide who can stay a bull at 6 months of age, legally, I think that this is the oldest that we can do them over here ourselves. So any bull calf over 6 months old legally has to be castrated by a vet? I don't know how well that would go over here in the US, especially in Texas. Don't the Aussie's also have certain standards on dehorning cattle? Barb
|
|
|
Post by Mare on Jun 28, 2014 17:33:40 GMT -5
So how big does a bull or steer can get? I have a beef steer now that will go in the next 3 month. He is about 1000 now we are trying to get him to 1200. He' a year in July. So if I steer a bull at 3 month would a Dexter bull weigh in at 1000 by the time he is 12 or 15 month old??? And as for steering the 6 year bull I would just leave it alone too and just take him as soon as possible.
|
|
|
Post by Olga on Jun 28, 2014 23:43:54 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Mare on Jun 30, 2014 9:13:49 GMT -5
Thanks that helped. Seem like 17 month is the shorts to get a good amount meat. Way different from our steer at 11 month and is 1000 now.
|
|
|
Post by ladena on Jul 5, 2014 14:23:03 GMT -5
Olga, it's been a little over a week now. How is Jupiter doing with the band? I watched the video and am seriously considering getting us one.
|
|
|
Post by Olga on Jul 5, 2014 16:39:55 GMT -5
He doesn't seem troubled by it at all, he acts just as usual, as if it wasn't there. He never showed any discomfort from the very beginning. I have seen banded calves standing hunched up in an odd way, or alternate laying down and getting back up, or kicking at the band - but not this time. Very happy with it.
|
|
|
Post by carragheendexters on Jul 5, 2014 18:24:21 GMT -5
Gald to here all went well Olga. Olga, we often castrate our bulls at 6 months. We will grow out a few prospective bull calves, and then decide who can stay a bull at 6 months of age, legally, I think that this is the oldest that we can do them over here ourselves. So any bull calf over 6 months old legally has to be castrated by a vet? I don't know how well that would go over here in the US, especially in Texas. Don't the Aussie's also have certain standards on dehorning cattle? Barb Sorry Barb for not replying sooner, just not getting time to read or post on here. Yes, we have animal welfare regulations that control what you are supposed to do yourself and what you have to get a vet to do. After 6 months for castration and dehorning it is supposed to be done by a vet with sedation and local anaesthetic. I don't think that too many commercial farmers take much notice of the regs. The way it seems to be to me is that the regs are in place so that it seems to be all hunky dory, to keep the animal do gooders happy and the RSPCA. Though it also appears that the RSPCA is only worried about policies being in place, not the reality of what actually happens.
The whole thing is crazy. When we first got our cattle, we had our vets (dairy vets) out to dehorn , castrate etc, they would sedate and then use local because legally they had to (as they explained it to us). They never waited for the local to work, just got into it and got the job done. These guys are used to working on large cattle and in big numbers, they don't have time for the niceties, just do what they legally have to. These vets have their own cow herds, one has Brangus and the other Angus, they don't fuss over their own animals when doing husbandry things with them. On another occasion the vet came to treat a huge grass seed abscess on a new cow we had bought, no sedation, no local, just cut away. That really hurt her, but he didn't use local or sedation because legally he didn't have to. Likewise the RSPCA allows dairy cattle to have docked tails, but here in Australia docking of pups' tails is illegal. We all have to be seen to be doing the right thing. Go figure!
|
|
|
Post by carragheendexters on Jul 5, 2014 18:28:51 GMT -5
He doesn't seem troubled by it at all, he acts just as usual, as if it wasn't there. He never showed any discomfort from the very beginning. I have seen banded calves standing hunched up in an odd way, or alternate laying down and getting back up, or kicking at the band - but not this time. Very happy with it. We find the same thing Olga. I am thinking that it is the thin round bands that are used with the Elastrator that cut in and hurt, whereas the wider, flat bands of the Tribander, California bander etc are more comfortable and don't cut in the same.
|
|
|
Post by ladena on Jul 5, 2014 22:23:00 GMT -5
Thanks, Olga and Louise, we have decided to get one. We have two yearlings to do now and while we are happy with the meat from a bull we had processed, I would like to see how a steer compares. Also, people around here are leery of eating bull.
|
|