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finishing cattle and fat scores

  • 08-07-2014 7:12am
    #1
    Muckit
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,174 ✭✭✭✭


    For those of you that are finishing, what kind of fat score do you like you're continental cattle to grade?

    For instance is a 3+ good, bad or grand? Or are you looking to get into 4 territory without going overfat and hopping out of the grid, or is there any chance of this with continentals?

    Thanks in advance


Comments

  • #2
    blue5000
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,756 Mod ✭✭✭✭blue5000


    I think it would be a waste of meal going to fat class 4, 3 is fine and 2+ is ok for cont bulls. Fat cattle are a sign of well off farmers, able to hold on to cattle for longer than needs be.

    If the seat's wet, sit on yer hat, a cool head is better than a wet ar5e.



  • #3
    Deano7
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 139 ✭✭Deano7


    Very little difference between 3 and 2-, just knocks you off the QS payment. 3.5 is ideal.


  • #4
    O2b
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 46 ✭O2b


    Teagasc seem to be encouraging farmers to finish their own cattle- well at least their figures do so.

    Is there any electronic means or tests farmers can do to test the fat condition on cattle if they are finishing them?

    I know that u get an eye in after a while but its something i found daunting when initially finishing cattle?

    Surely some teagasc research could be done even using a human fat tester to get comparable figures so farmers could test the fat score on their own cattle before finish? Perhaps it has been done but i couldnt find it!


  • #5
    blue5000
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,756 Mod ✭✭✭✭blue5000


    O2b wrote: »
    Teagasc seem to be encouraging farmers to finish their own cattle- well at least their figures do so.

    Is there any electronic means or tests farmers can do to test the fat condition on cattle if they are finishing them?

    I know that u get an eye in after a while but its something i found daunting when initially finishing cattle?

    Surely some teagasc research could be done even using a human fat tester to get comparable figures so farmers could test the fat score on their own cattle before finish? Perhaps it has been done but i couldnt find it!

    What I do is stand behind them when they are eating meal (bulls) and gently pinch beside the tail head, it's also worthwhile to go see your cattle being slaughtered. Try grade them, and guess the weight yourself before you go, then see how far off you are. It's also a good idea to weigh the load on the way and the empty trailer/truck on the way home to get KO%

    If the seat's wet, sit on yer hat, a cool head is better than a wet ar5e.



  • #6
    O2b
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 46 ✭O2b


    Have a scales for weight but fat score measurement is something i think that needs to be accurately measured by farmers who are finishing.

    The first batch of cattle i sent to factory i had neighbours who finish cattle look at them. I mean they all said "that ones fit thats not" but none could give me a clue of what fat grade theyd be.

    Surely there is some technology to run a. Bunch of cattle up the crush and tell "this one 3-, ok to go, this one 2= not fit to go".

    Im sure after time you get to be a good judge but its something i am still not comfortable with, and surely in this technological era this would be a simple device to encourage accurate finishing.

    I sent cattle to the factory and two that i thought looked identical in terms of fat score came out 3- and 2=. Of course i had no back up to say different as it was only my eye, if i had measured it beforehand by some device would have at least known for sure.


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