Baymule
Herd Master
That is being practical. Why take a pittance for her when the meat is worth much more to you.
Farmerjan's journal - Weather
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farmerjan
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Good morning. It was quite an eye opener. The radio is saying that we would be cloudy with some lingering showers, clearing off late with a little sun. Then clouding up and showers and some steady rain again for Friday and into the weekend. So what happens... the sun comes over the hill and practically blinds you reflecting off the snow by 8 a.m...
... Boy, they really are weather "guessers". It has been muted some with some high white clouds, but still pretty sunny.
REALLY NICE to not see rain.
With that comes the warming, it is up to 50 already from 35 before dawn. Snow is melting and water starting to run down the driveway and the roads. Nice to not have the ice, and it will take care of the snow in short order... but now there are flood warnings as the runoff goes into the creeks and rivers. 
We are supposed to get at least 1-2 inches of rain out of the next batch with a possibility of 2-4 in.
Holey Moley.... we sure don't need that.
Looks like NC is getting drowned again and that is what is heading our way.
Well, hope everyone has a nice day. Going to take the 4wd with the new mud and snow tires and see if I can get in @ the pasture to feed the calves with the nurse cows.
Better do it while there is still snow cuz once it is gone, it will tear the the ground up real bad being it will be so wet. 
... Boy, they really are weather "guessers". It has been muted some with some high white clouds, but still pretty sunny. REALLY NICE to not see rain.
With that comes the warming, it is up to 50 already from 35 before dawn. Snow is melting and water starting to run down the driveway and the roads. Nice to not have the ice, and it will take care of the snow in short order... but now there are flood warnings as the runoff goes into the creeks and rivers. We are supposed to get at least 1-2 inches of rain out of the next batch with a possibility of 2-4 in.
Holey Moley.... we sure don't need that.
Looks like NC is getting drowned again and that is what is heading our way.
Well, hope everyone has a nice day. Going to take the 4wd with the new mud and snow tires and see if I can get in @ the pasture to feed the calves with the nurse cows.
Better do it while there is still snow cuz once it is gone, it will tear the the ground up real bad being it will be so wet. 
B&B Happy goats
Herd Master
@farmerjan i have been thinking of getting a calf to raise for meat, for just myself and husband, will have to be completly hay and grain fed as no extra pasture, just want good meat to eat... so short term plan, breed, sex, age to butcher....yes i understand i won't be growing to full weight potentional, ....got any ideas ?
Last time i raiseds cows was a disastrous ending, lost two cows and calfs during a horrible winter snow stom in the 1970 s....had to break one cows pelvis with a hammer and chizzle to try to get calf out, while talking with vet on phone never going there again, cried like a baby when i lost all four....but we ate the cows, tough old girls...yikes
A jersy calf born on jan 4th is listed for $200 bull calf.....
Last time i raiseds cows was a disastrous ending, lost two cows and calfs during a horrible winter snow stom in the 1970 s....had to break one cows pelvis with a hammer and chizzle to try to get calf out, while talking with vet on phone
never going there again, cried like a baby when i lost all four....but we ate the cows, tough old girls...yikesA jersy calf born on jan 4th is listed for $200 bull calf.....
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Mike CHS
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Richland Creek just down the road from us over flowed the road leading to our way out by a little over 4'. Fortunately it was over a relatively small low area and nobody got flooded.
Bruce
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farmerjan
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Well, we wound up with .8 inch of rain, and with the snow, made it a little over 1.2 inches water all together. Snow is mostly gone now, it got up into the 60's and is still 48 at 10 p.m.. Swimming in mud everywhere.
@B&B Happy goats .... are there any stockyards closeby? My suggestion is to go and watch a few sales and get an idea of what things are bringing. $200 for a jersey calf is ridiculous. They are literally being given away here, and the most any has gone for in months is $15.00. I don't know what the feeder market is there, but most in the 600 lb range will bring about 1.50 lb live weight. Heifers will run .10 to .30 less per pound.
My suggestion is to get something in the 6-800 lb size. They will be totally on hay/grain/pasture. It will take WAY more money and time to raise a baby up for 2 years. Not economical at all for you.
How much space are you going to have for it? Not necessarily pasture, but "turnout" space? It would be better to get 2 for company. Then you can sell one. They will gain 1.5 to 2.5 lbs a day on average. You want it to weigh at least 1,000 to kill and it needs to be "round" as in looking fat so that you can be fairly sure it has marbled. Best to get either a jersey or jer x for cheaper buying cost... Or find something like belted galloway or an "odd" breed. You don't want anything with too much Longhorn or Brahma in it. "EAR" cattle. They do not marble well and will be tougher. You should be able to finish one out in 6 - 8 months or less. But you will be looking at about 8 rolls of hay per animal and I don't know what the cost of hay is there.
Are there any farmer's markets there that someone sells home raised meat? Talk to them and see what they have, what the costs are... Any slaughterhouses that you can go talk to? They usually know someone that has a half to sell or something. At least ours here does.
The reason I am saying a 600 + lb calf is that all the tedious work is done, and the expensive feeding. They will still have a better flavor than feedlot beef. Plus you will not be spending a kings ransom to get it to slaughter size. I am all for knowing where your meat comes from. Sometimes it is just not practical if you don't have grass/pasture.
You have got to have GOOD FENCES too. If you have one by itsself, they are going to go looking for company of their own kind.
Either a steer or a heifer would be fine. A heifer usually costs less, they will be a little smaller when they finish out. NO BULLS, unless you can get someone to castrate it immediately. And I do not suggest doing a bull calf at 600 lbs unless you are experienced and know what to look for in the way of possible problems.
Wish you were closer. We could fix you up with a hereford x steer that weighs in the 1100 lb size that someone backed out on. Gonna go to the sale soon. But the transportation costs are just too much. You could pay 2x premium price there for what it would cost to come all the way up here to get something. Got a black steer that has one eye that we are going to finish out. He wouldn't bring .50 lb at the sale. Feedlots, and stocker/growers that graze animals, do not want the oddball stuff or the ones with blind eyes or other problems.
You will have at least $2.00 lb in it live weight, to raise it to slaughter size if you don't have pasture. This meat won't be cheap. So the meat will be costing you in the neighborhood of $8.00 lb at least for edible meat. Figure 1000 wt live. then hanging is half that 500. Then actual usable meat 250-300. Slaughter costs, cut wrap and freeze... Usually you get a little better than 25% of live weight back as usable meat but I always figure 1/4 th the live weight. The USDA says 60% of live is hanging but that is a perfectly fed out feedlot steer. then after you take out all the bones, trim fat etc..... There is alot of waste. I get back all the bones and as much of the fat as I can. But if you don't debone the cuts, there is alot of space taken up in the freezer.
@B&B Happy goats .... are there any stockyards closeby? My suggestion is to go and watch a few sales and get an idea of what things are bringing. $200 for a jersey calf is ridiculous. They are literally being given away here, and the most any has gone for in months is $15.00. I don't know what the feeder market is there, but most in the 600 lb range will bring about 1.50 lb live weight. Heifers will run .10 to .30 less per pound.
My suggestion is to get something in the 6-800 lb size. They will be totally on hay/grain/pasture. It will take WAY more money and time to raise a baby up for 2 years. Not economical at all for you.
How much space are you going to have for it? Not necessarily pasture, but "turnout" space? It would be better to get 2 for company. Then you can sell one. They will gain 1.5 to 2.5 lbs a day on average. You want it to weigh at least 1,000 to kill and it needs to be "round" as in looking fat so that you can be fairly sure it has marbled. Best to get either a jersey or jer x for cheaper buying cost... Or find something like belted galloway or an "odd" breed. You don't want anything with too much Longhorn or Brahma in it. "EAR" cattle. They do not marble well and will be tougher. You should be able to finish one out in 6 - 8 months or less. But you will be looking at about 8 rolls of hay per animal and I don't know what the cost of hay is there.
Are there any farmer's markets there that someone sells home raised meat? Talk to them and see what they have, what the costs are... Any slaughterhouses that you can go talk to? They usually know someone that has a half to sell or something. At least ours here does.
The reason I am saying a 600 + lb calf is that all the tedious work is done, and the expensive feeding. They will still have a better flavor than feedlot beef. Plus you will not be spending a kings ransom to get it to slaughter size. I am all for knowing where your meat comes from. Sometimes it is just not practical if you don't have grass/pasture.
You have got to have GOOD FENCES too. If you have one by itsself, they are going to go looking for company of their own kind.
Either a steer or a heifer would be fine. A heifer usually costs less, they will be a little smaller when they finish out. NO BULLS, unless you can get someone to castrate it immediately. And I do not suggest doing a bull calf at 600 lbs unless you are experienced and know what to look for in the way of possible problems.
Wish you were closer. We could fix you up with a hereford x steer that weighs in the 1100 lb size that someone backed out on. Gonna go to the sale soon. But the transportation costs are just too much. You could pay 2x premium price there for what it would cost to come all the way up here to get something. Got a black steer that has one eye that we are going to finish out. He wouldn't bring .50 lb at the sale. Feedlots, and stocker/growers that graze animals, do not want the oddball stuff or the ones with blind eyes or other problems.
You will have at least $2.00 lb in it live weight, to raise it to slaughter size if you don't have pasture. This meat won't be cheap. So the meat will be costing you in the neighborhood of $8.00 lb at least for edible meat. Figure 1000 wt live. then hanging is half that 500. Then actual usable meat 250-300. Slaughter costs, cut wrap and freeze... Usually you get a little better than 25% of live weight back as usable meat but I always figure 1/4 th the live weight. The USDA says 60% of live is hanging but that is a perfectly fed out feedlot steer. then after you take out all the bones, trim fat etc..... There is alot of waste. I get back all the bones and as much of the fat as I can. But if you don't debone the cuts, there is alot of space taken up in the freezer.
B&B Happy goats
Herd Master
Thank you for your reply , will talk to cow neighbor and see what can tell me about local markets and calf costs. Could pasture at either neighbors but not willing to ruin goodneighbor relationships......may look for someplace to purchase half.....again thanks for the reality check
greybeard
Herd Master
I usually figure you lose 60% of live wt=hanging weight.
then, depending how much boneless beef one wants, you may lose 60% of the hanging wt in the cutting/trimming process.
1000lb live wt usually nets you about 400-475lbs of meat cut and wrapped to take home.
I dry lotted one a long time ago. Never again. It was a wet year, the steer was miserable and so was I by the time we were done. That lot was anything but dry
(this is the 1st year in a long time that I could say one would be worth more to me in the freezer than it is out on the pasture)
I know nothing at all about these people or their grass fed operation except they say they are on the west coast of Fla. Seems to be some kind of 'share' co-op of some kind. Investigate them and any other beef supplier fully. I would be a little concerned they may be mix/matching parts from different carcasses.
http://www.thedamranch.net/index.html
http://www.thedamranch.net/id2.html
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farmerjan
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@greybeard ; I am confused. You said you lose 60% of the live weight=hanging weight. So 1000 lbs. less 60% is 400 lbs. Lose 60% of that is 160 lbs left. Somehow I am getting something confused. Please tell me where I am getting this wrong, because I know that you will get more than 160 lbs of meat, and you are saying that you will get 400 + meat so that is the answer from the first part of the equation. Which is more than what we figure here...but since I get back mostly all boneless cuts, there is less weight of meat than if I get back alot of bone-in cuts. I do get back as much of the bones and fat as I can because I can make tallow with the fat and the bones can be cooked for broth and such. Then fed to the cats to chew on.
And yes, it is worth more in my freezer than at the sale yard at the way things are today.
And yes, it is worth more in my freezer than at the sale yard at the way things are today.
Mini Horses
Herd Master
Yep, breaks my heart. Look at those big brown eyes and it's love!
My goats give me great milk, all I could want. But, always wanted my own milk cow
I'm a sucker for them but, so far resisted.Next month will start milking again and I am so ready for the milk.
We've had huge rain here. Fortunately I can wheelbarrow the hay. Things are surface muddy. All I need. The snow threatened but, went North & West. You got mine -- No need to thank me.
