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Best first cow to get to raise to breed for beef and gentle disposition. What is best age to get them? I would like to get 2 and raise 2 calves
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<blockquote data-quote="farmerjan" data-source="post: 1850312" data-attributes="member: 25884"><p>The Wagyu crossed calves would be good prospects for feeding out for beef. You can eat a heifer as easily as a steer. They will often finish out at a slightly lighter weight than a steer. </p><p>Herefords do as good as any other breed in most climates... </p><p>If you don't have any experience with cattle, just a "short course" for you. Cattle carry 9 months to have a calf. Cattle are usually "finished" for butcher in 18-26 months...so if you started with a cow, breed her get a calf on the ground, then raise it to kill you are looking at 2 1/2 to 3 years, before you would have beef. All according to feeding, you can get one now and have beef in the freezer in a little over a year... If it is bigger when you get it, less time for you to finish it and sooner in the freezer.</p><p> Wagyu will make a more marbled beef which helps to give it more flavor but will often take a little longer to finish out, but a cross bred should do it within that time frame. If you get one at say 500 lbs in spring... at 6-8 months old approx age... you will want to have a kill date for it in approx a year.. or so... I would say an average would be get it in April/May, feed it for 12-16 months to kill the following Aug/Sept time frame... That would get it in your freezer before the winter... These are ROUND FIGURE ESTIMATES.... to give you an idea of time frames...</p><p> If you like some bone in cuts, it has to be killed before 30 months due to USDA rules... concerning the backbone, spinal cord etc that has to do with the BSE... "mad cow disease" being transmitted through the spinal cord and such... not a big deal but something to think about. </p><p></p><p>Yes, cattle can be raised alone but will be much more content with another one for company... As suggested, raise one for you, sell the other or "sell it" as beef on the hoof to someone else and have both butchered. </p><p></p><p>Kill dates at slaughter houses are sometimes hard to get... you need to plan a year in advance most times... just a heads up....</p><p></p><p>Butchering is dependent on more size and finish condition.... age is something to consider as some older beef can be tough. A 800 lb well fed, well finished animal can be 1 year or 2 years old... depending on breed and other things...Most feed them out to approx 1,000 lbs but it varies.... 800-1400 lbs on different ones. </p><p>Understand that you will get APPROXIMATELY 25-30% of the live weight back in actual edible beef... again ROUND FIGURES.... If it weighs 1000 lbs live, you will get between 250 and 350 lbs of beef actually back... there is live weight , then "hanging weight".. that is with the head, hide, guts, hooves etc all off... and that is a LARGE portion of the animal you see out in the field... then there is cutting and trim and such and will lose some more... Do not think that you will kill a 1000 lb animal and have to find room in the freezers for 800 lbs of meat... </p><p>Not trying to be a smart a$$... some people just don't "get it" and are appalled that they get "so little meat back"...</p><p>Hope this helps a little...</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="farmerjan, post: 1850312, member: 25884"] The Wagyu crossed calves would be good prospects for feeding out for beef. You can eat a heifer as easily as a steer. They will often finish out at a slightly lighter weight than a steer. Herefords do as good as any other breed in most climates... If you don't have any experience with cattle, just a "short course" for you. Cattle carry 9 months to have a calf. Cattle are usually "finished" for butcher in 18-26 months...so if you started with a cow, breed her get a calf on the ground, then raise it to kill you are looking at 2 1/2 to 3 years, before you would have beef. All according to feeding, you can get one now and have beef in the freezer in a little over a year... If it is bigger when you get it, less time for you to finish it and sooner in the freezer. Wagyu will make a more marbled beef which helps to give it more flavor but will often take a little longer to finish out, but a cross bred should do it within that time frame. If you get one at say 500 lbs in spring... at 6-8 months old approx age... you will want to have a kill date for it in approx a year.. or so... I would say an average would be get it in April/May, feed it for 12-16 months to kill the following Aug/Sept time frame... That would get it in your freezer before the winter... These are ROUND FIGURE ESTIMATES.... to give you an idea of time frames... If you like some bone in cuts, it has to be killed before 30 months due to USDA rules... concerning the backbone, spinal cord etc that has to do with the BSE... "mad cow disease" being transmitted through the spinal cord and such... not a big deal but something to think about. Yes, cattle can be raised alone but will be much more content with another one for company... As suggested, raise one for you, sell the other or "sell it" as beef on the hoof to someone else and have both butchered. Kill dates at slaughter houses are sometimes hard to get... you need to plan a year in advance most times... just a heads up.... Butchering is dependent on more size and finish condition.... age is something to consider as some older beef can be tough. A 800 lb well fed, well finished animal can be 1 year or 2 years old... depending on breed and other things...Most feed them out to approx 1,000 lbs but it varies.... 800-1400 lbs on different ones. Understand that you will get APPROXIMATELY 25-30% of the live weight back in actual edible beef... again ROUND FIGURES.... If it weighs 1000 lbs live, you will get between 250 and 350 lbs of beef actually back... there is live weight , then "hanging weight".. that is with the head, hide, guts, hooves etc all off... and that is a LARGE portion of the animal you see out in the field... then there is cutting and trim and such and will lose some more... Do not think that you will kill a 1000 lb animal and have to find room in the freezers for 800 lbs of meat... Not trying to be a smart a$$... some people just don't "get it" and are appalled that they get "so little meat back"... Hope this helps a little... [/QUOTE]
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Best first cow to get to raise to breed for beef and gentle disposition. What is best age to get them? I would like to get 2 and raise 2 calves
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