Need cattle advice

[MikeFarm]

You are bringing fair points about the horns ... For us in Northern Ontario the Highland cattle are getting really popular since they withstand our harsh winter with ease...

Oh I like Highland cattle. Quite a few in our Southern Highlands NSW and in Victoria and Tasmania. Great looking cattle and good tasting also. Slow growing compared to Angus. But still probably way less than 1% of cattle by number.

 

[N80]

I don't know much about raising cattle. But I have helped on my in-law's ranch a good bit. Mostly on the 'veterinary' side. Down cows, putting IVs in, plus routine stuff like shots and worming. About 400 head before the calves come. But, I've ridden with my nieces. They castrate right after birth. Right there in the field. One keeps the mom off, the other snips. Don't know why they do it at that age but it sure is easier when their small like that. Other than the few they keep (some choice hefers for breeding and a few males to eat) everything else goes to market for finishing.

 

[jyoutz]

Interesting thread. My eventual goal is to have a few steers so we can raise our own beef. I have a few friends that do this that we've bought some of their meat from, so doing it ourselves seems to make sense once our fencing is done.

Something that I've read, but don't have any experience with, is that it takes 2 years for the steer to be at the ideal age for butchering. I forget the details, but it has something to do with marbling and quality of the meat when butchered. Is there any truth to this?

We where thinking that we would be 2 or three calves every year, and butcher the two year old's, every year.

I can buy a 500# steer calf in May and have it at 1100-1200# by next February. I would not feed a steer for 2 years.

 

[kenmac]

I have Hereford and Hereford/ angus mix. Mine are about 1 1/2 yrs old when I take them to butcher.
Like has been said, you need to have them cut. Unless you've done it, I would suggest you have a vet perform these duties. I band mine within a few days old.

I have a bull calve that hit the ground yesterday. I need to band him today, but too much rain. Perhaps tomorrow.

As far as the horns, cut them off, or have a vet cut them off when they castrate the bulls.

 

[oosik]

Since we moved down from Alaska in 1982 I haven't eaten a whole lot of beef. Mostly chicken. When in Alaska I think most our beef came from Kodiak Is. Back then I MUCH preferred moose to cow. Just a whole lot more flavor.

 

[tradosaurus]

!00% castrate them. I sold all my cattle last summer, don't want the tied down responsibility anymore and I can get my meat from one of my hay customers pretty cheap anyway. I have a nice band castrator and a couple boxes of bands in the barn, just in case I decide on getting any again, but that is doubtful.

I admire the people that can tend to cattle, goats, and sheep. The reason I only have 3 outdoor cats and no other animals. Don't need to be tied down by animals.

 

[LouNY]

My brother raises both grass and corn feed beef, his corn feed gets corn silage not grain corn.
The bunch that gets the corn silage is marbled a bit better and I believe has a better taste.
Because of our weather they all get fed all winter long;
haylage, and baled hay for the "grass fed herd",
haylage, corn silage and baled hay for the grain feed bunch.
Growth wise we don't see much difference in the groups,
marbling in the meat the grain feed have a bit more but with high quality pasture and haylage
the grass fed marble up decently.
Low quality pasture and having to travel to get water will slow down the growth rate and the quality
of the beef.
We weaned a bunch of almost yearlings last week, I watched the drive thru gates as we moved the calves
to a winter field/feed lot.
None of these are over 10 months old;

Just watching the gates that they don't try and get through while more get hauled in,

calf hauler with 8-9 calves in it, when I see him coming in I back out off the field road to let him in, as he pulls out I pull back in.
Not a real interesting afternoon but much easier than trying to get knot heads back in when they get out.

good fresh water, it's a bit cool but refreshing

 

[rbstern]

Bulls (banded...soon to be steers) arrived this morning. Settled right in to the neighbor's pasture with minimal fuss. Think they were just happy to be out of the trailer.

Thanks again for all of the helpful responses!

 

[ponytug]

I hope that you have fun!

All the best, Peter