holstien calf for beef

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holstien calf for beef
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jimmy hutch

Joined: 24 Dec 2006
Posts: 29
Location: North York Moors

Posted: Sat Feb 10, 07 9:43 am Post subject: holstien calf for beef

Can anybody help?
We are looking to buy a calf to provide us with our own beef. We have just been offered a holstein bull calf (3 weeks old) but have been told by a friend that this type is possibly a waste of time and it would be wiser to invest in something bred for beef production. Can anyone give us some advice on what the meat would be like (ie. quality for steaks etc.). The meat is only for ourselves. Also how much longer should we expect to have to fatten it for and is it a bad idea getting a single calf or would it be wiser to get a pair for company (my horse may at some stage be grazing in the same field and I wondered whether the calf would try to escape when taking the horse out if its on its own). Also is the risk of pneumonia high this time of year?
Any advice is appreciated.

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Sat Feb 10, 07 10:29 am Post subject:
jim Your friend has given you good advice. Even if the calf was free, which it should be, then you would still be better off putting your hand in your pocket and buying something better.

RichardW

Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 8443
Location: Llyn Peninsular North Wales

Posted: Sat Feb 10, 07 1:09 pm Post subject:

I disagree. Holstiens bull calfs can be had for free or at max £4. Ok they will eat more feed (if you give them feed) & take longer to get to a good weight BUT they are lovely beef. We did one last year to try it. We have 5 that will be ready to eat spread over the next 2 years. The fact that you get the calf for nothing compared to £150 for a good beef bull calf will tilt the costings in your favour. That saving will pay for a lot of feed.

Other things to condsider are

calfs can & do die would you rather loose £4 or £150?
We find that the slaughter house charges us less to do one
joints & cuts are a more managable size
Taste & texture are realy good
big producers buy them up & fatten them (just not small & medium sized farmers)
Our last one produced £700 of beef at sensible retail prices
you can kill them soon after you get it, where else can you get that amount of meat for £4?

Justme

PS the new rules mean its not allowed to keep one calf on its own except when ordered by a vet. Odd but true.

NeathChris

Joined: 09 Feb 2006
Posts: 1387
Location: Neath, South Wales

Posted: Sat Feb 10, 07 1:12 pm Post subject:
What age did you finish yours at? I would personally opt for a good beef calf, or finisher at mart.

RichardW

Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 8443
Location: Llyn Peninsular North Wales

Posted: Sat Feb 10, 07 8:09 pm Post subject:

We took it in very young (aprox 22-23 months if I remember right) as we were desperate to have beef on the menu. Was fed up with pork chicken turkey lamb & goat (sounds odd). It was only 200kg on the hook so very small still. We should have fed it up with lots of beef nuts but let it eat grass / silage mainly. The ones we still have are already 19-20 months. We are planing on taking one soon after turn out (poss april dep on weather) & then one every few months after that. All must be done before 30 months as I dont think we have a slaughter house that can do over 30 months round here even though its now legal.

Justme

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Sat Feb 10, 07 8:52 pm Post subject:

You've certainly got nothing to loose have you? OK a holstein won't give you top quality beef, nor will it be the best frame for beef, but if it's just for yourself then you are the market (and I can't tell you what you'll like), so it's up to you in the end. If it turns out not to be what you expected, then you'll know for next time. You need two though, in my opinion, as bovines should have bovine company.

RichardW

Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 8443
Location: Llyn Peninsular North Wales

Posted: Sat Feb 10, 07 9:31 pm Post subject:

Rob R wrote:

The quality of the beef was better than any I have ever bought or
used as a chef of 25 years. We dint even hang it that long & it was still very tender. Infact as I cut it myself I could choose what I was going to do with each bit not just from what it should be but actualy from its texture. I found that most of what would normaly be slow cooked (roasted braised strewed) could be used for faster cooking. Most cuts could be upgraded one or two places on the tender scale.
I agree you should do more than one. Start with two, kill one early but before you do get one more in. Keep doing this so you always have two or 3 about the place. Guess it depends on how much beef you eat & how much storage space you have.

Justme

jimmy hutch

Joined: 24 Dec 2006
Posts: 29
Location: North York Moors

Posted: Sat Feb 10, 07 11:33 pm Post subject:
thanks for the advice, have decided to try one out, picked him up this afternoon, he will have a good home if nothing else,good feeding should get it up to weight within 12 to 15 months. Going to get a good beef calf to run along side it, will compare the difference.

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Sun Feb 11, 07 1:23 am Post subject:

Justme wrote:

The quality of the beef was better than any I have ever bought or
used as a chef of 25 years. We dint even hang it that long & it was still very tender.

And therein lies your answer...

Justme wrote:

We should have fed it up with lots of beef nuts but let it eat grass / silage mainly.

RichardW

Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 8443
Location: Llyn Peninsular North Wales

Posted: Sun Feb 11, 07 11:09 am Post subject:

Rob R wrote:

Justme wrote:

The quality of the beef was better than any I have ever bought or
used as a chef of 25 years. We dint even hang it that long & it was still very tender.

And therein lies your answer...

Justme wrote:

We should have fed it up with lots of beef nuts but let it eat grass / silage mainly.

Sorry where?

Justme

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45462
Location: Essex

Posted: Sun Feb 11, 07 11:23 am Post subject:
Grassfed is the key according to Rob

NeathChris

Joined: 09 Feb 2006
Posts: 1387
Location: Neath, South Wales

Posted: Sun Feb 11, 07 11:51 am Post subject:
Depending on how in depth you want to go, time and space, you could partially out winter on kale.

RichardW

Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 8443
Location: Llyn Peninsular North Wales

Posted: Sun Feb 11, 07 12:35 pm Post subject:

We cant out winter on our land. Its just to wet & would get wrecked very quickly & as its LONG term grass land (as is all our land except the wood land) I dont want to have to re do it. I am also told by the previous owners we have a fluke problem but have not seen any advers signs yet but we do try to keep em off when its wet & do dose occasionaly (3 weeks after bringing em in & again 1 cycle later).

Justme

VSS

Joined: 14 Jan 2007
Posts: 2845
Location: Llyn Peninsula, North Wales

Posted: Sun Feb 11, 07 2:47 pm Post subject:

Bear in mind when selecting your calf that it costs the same to feed and keep a poor animal as it does a good one. At the end of the day you will get more meat for your effort if you buy a beef bred calf. A halfway house could be a good solution. Most dairy farms use a beef bull an a proportion of their cows, and the resulting cross will give you a better result than a pure holstein.

A half beef calf will cost you more than a holstein (maybe iro £80 for a heifer) but will be cheaper and easier to find than a pure beef calf.

We rear around 10 calves a year, and most of these come from dairy herds, using a beef bull.

www.viableselfsufficiency.co.uk

NeathChris

Joined: 09 Feb 2006
Posts: 1387
Location: Neath, South Wales

Posted: Sun Feb 11, 07 3:08 pm Post subject:
Good point. Same goes with all stock, it costs the same to feed a good en as a bad en, just a good en pays better in the end. If you are selling any, its what comes off the trailer that counts.

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