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Advice on cow for the freezer

2

Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 1,398 ✭✭✭hopeso


    Thanks
    What do you think I'll get in the end.

    It's an Angus. Powers do the butchering for those who know them !

    JJ only hangs them for 2-3 days.

    There's no point in me even estimating a figure, because I don't know. Someone involved in butchering would probably know off the top of their head.....


  • Registered Users Posts: 21,064 ✭✭✭✭Water John


    180 kg meat maybe. Lot of eating.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,268 ✭✭✭✭ Mila Nice Gunsmith


    Water John wrote: »
    180 kg meat maybe. Lot of eating.

    Divided by 3 or 4! Not too much


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,559 ✭✭✭Castlekeeper


    this couldnt get any better, has a lovely black limousine/angus heifer thats a year old, going to wait a few months to let it fatten up to about 18 months before butchering
    thanks for all the advice
    I'd wouldn't bother with the meal over the winter, good quality silage and get her out as early as possible in the spring and kill her around June, she'll be still plenty young enough and all grass fed, which, for your own sake means way healthier meat. Amy beef breed off a dairy cross will have loads of marblingand flavour too, the only issue there is the killout yield ( meat/body weight) is poorer.

    On a side note, when handled properly, cow meat is considered of the finest in some countries, eg France, Argentina.


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,762 ✭✭✭Rows Grower


    Thanks
    What do you think I'll get in the end.

    It's an Angus. Powers do the butchering for those who know them !

    JJ only hangs them for 2-3 days.

    I'd agree with Water John probably around 30% fat and bone, it's still a hell of a lot of meat. When you see it all bagged you'll appreciate the sheer quantity.

    I don't knoiw who JJ is and I'm sure he knows what he's doing but 2-3 days hanging doesn't sound like long enough to tenderise the meat. My butcher would leave a lamb hang longer than that.

    "Very soon we are going to Mars. You wouldn't have been going to Mars if my opponent won, that I can tell you. You wouldn't even be thinking about it."

    Donald Trump, March 13th 2018.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 10,936 ✭✭✭✭Say my name


    I'd wouldn't bother with the meal over the winter, good quality silage and get her out as early as possible in the spring and kill her around June, she'll be still plenty young enough and all grass fed, which, for your own sake means way healthier meat. Amy beef breed off a dairy cross will have loads of marblingand flavour too, the only issue there is the killout yield ( meat/body weight) is poorer.

    On a side note, when handled properly, cow meat is considered of the finest in some countries, eg France, Argentina.

    To further complicate things..
    Stock here normally wouldn't be able to finish off grass only. But as an experiment I was able to finish cull cows this year off grass only by spraying a seaweed foliar on the grass. I'd never manage it usually on grass only.
    I see someone else on Twitter had a similar experience finishing stock on grass with a slightly similar application.
    Maybe anyone reading this their ground is classed as fattening ground and they haven't a clue what I'm on about, but it made a difference to me.


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,523 ✭✭✭White Clover


    Thanks
    What do you think I'll get in the end.

    It's an Angus. Powers do the butchering for those who know them !

    JJ only hangs them for 2-3 days.


    JJ hangs lambs for 7 days. Any chance you picked him up wrong ?


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,202 ✭✭✭kollegeknight


    This girl is end of May 2018. I reckon about 400kg Daughter of bull- just barely 4 star. She was left as buyer of my heifers reckoned he’d be left with her because of her color.

    With the way beef prices etc, I was half thinking of putting her in freezer.

    She is 75%limo and about 8%brown Swiss, Belgian blue and freisan.

    Would she be ok for the freezer? Or maybe at a later date? Or sell to Mart and get an aa heifer off a dairy herd.

    Thanks in advance.


  • Registered Users Posts: 21,064 ✭✭✭✭Water John


    She has a bit of the Kardashian about her there.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,268 ✭✭✭✭ Mila Nice Gunsmith


    JJ hangs lambs for 7 days. Any chance you picked him up wrong ?

    Was talking to the farmer about it so he may have been wrong.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 8,412 ✭✭✭Markcheese


    https://youtu.be/w7z_qeQRmKQ

    Comparing steaks from a fattened retired British friesan to proper wagyu....

    We don't value properly hung mature cow beef...
    In some places you pay more for the cow beef...

    Slava ukraini 🇺🇦



  • Registered Users Posts: 3,202 ✭✭✭kollegeknight


    Water John wrote: »
    She has a bit of the Kardashian about her there.

    Kinda black with a big ass and blonde head?

    Is that a good thing or bad thing?


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,514 ✭✭✭Limestone Cowboy


    This girl is end of May 2018. I reckon about 400kg Daughter of bull- just barely 4 star. She was left as buyer of my heifers reckoned he’d be left with her because of her color.

    With the way beef prices etc, I was half thinking of putting her in freezer.

    She is 75%limo and about 8%brown Swiss, Belgian blue and freisan.

    Would she be ok for the freezer? Or maybe at a later date? Or sell to Mart and get an aa heifer off a dairy herd.

    Thanks in advance.

    She'd want a good bit of feeding I'd say to get enough cover on her for the freezer.


  • Registered Users Posts: 21,064 ✭✭✭✭Water John


    You do need some AA or HE to get the mix of lean and fat.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,559 ✭✭✭Castlekeeper


    This girl is end of May 2018. I reckon about 400kg Daughter of bull- just barely 4 star. She was left as buyer of my heifers reckoned he’d be left with her because of her color.

    With the way beef prices etc, I was half thinking of putting her in freezer.

    She is 75%limo and about 8%brown Swiss, Belgian blue and freisan.

    Would she be ok for the freezer? Or maybe at a later date? Or sell to Mart and get an aa heifer off a dairy herd.

    Thanks in advance.
    She'd want the full of her mouth of lower land non acidic grass for the next two months to make the freezer, and there would still be a lot of very lean round to get through by the look of her. That's one of the conundrums about "top grade" beef, a lot of the extra meat yield is from the rear which looks great but isn't the tastiest, a bit of shin or brisket would have you drooling in comparison. Hence the preference of the Aa or He +x for butcher/freezer heifers.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,918 ✭✭✭Sheep breeder


    She'd want the full of her mouth of lower land non acidic grass for the next two months to make the freezer, and there would still be a lot of very lean round to get through by the look of her. That's one of the conundrums about "top grade" beef, a lot of the extra meat yield is from the rear which looks great but isn't the tastiest, a bit of shin or brisket would have you drooling in comparison. Hence the preference of the Aa or He +x for butcher/freezer heifers.

    A heifer on grass is a total waste for a house freezer, first if animal has not enough finish/fat cover you are looking at a lot of meat not suitable for purpose.
    Good beef in freezer is great and poorly done beef is a disaster.
    If your thinking of trying this for the first time you should take a side of beef and sell the other to butcher/factory and get it cut up and bagged to suit your self.
    A neighbour two years ago bought 3 lambs for the freezer for the first time off a local farmer and got them butchered and bagged, this was great till they went to cook and found out what under fed ram lamb is like and ended up feeding to the dogs.

    We slaughter a heifer and pig regularly for the freezer and split with the sister, and key to the job is the animal and the butcher. The animal has to properly fleshed and killed quickly and butchered correctly and frozen correctly and a top class freezer, recently cleaning up one freezer the wife came across 12 year old steak from a pure limousin heifer and was still super beef.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,559 ✭✭✭Castlekeeper


    She'd want the full of her mouth of lower land non acidic grass for the next two months to make the freezer, and there would still be a lot of very lean round to get through by the look of her. That's one of the conundrums about "top grade" beef, a lot of the extra meat yield is from the rear which looks great but isn't the tastiest, a bit of shin or brisket would have you drooling in comparison. Hence the preference of the Aa or He +x for butcher/freezer heifers.

    A heifer on grass is a total waste for a house freezer, first if animal has not enough finish/fat cover you are looking at a lot of meat not suitable for purpose.

    These two things are actually not mutually exclusive. In fact top quality grass fed beef is a premium product, due to flavour, health benefits, and environmental footprint, with many grades within it.

    The health benefits of grass fed beef


  • Registered Users Posts: 64 ✭✭Jim_11


    What size freezer would you want to fit a whole beast? Plenty of cheap chest freezers on done deal


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 9,764 ✭✭✭my3cents


    Jim_11 wrote: »
    What size freezer would you want to fit a whole beast? Plenty of cheap chest freezers on done deal

    Most old feezers will cost a packet to run. iirc the payback time for buying a new freezer to replace a particularly old inefficient one was not much more that 3 years. Huge difference in electric bill since upgrading our fridges and freezer with new ones.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,202 ✭✭✭kollegeknight


    She'd want the full of her mouth of lower land non acidic grass for the next two months to make the freezer, and there would still be a lot of very lean round to get through by the look of her. That's one of the conundrums about "top grade" beef, a lot of the extra meat yield is from the rear which looks great but isn't the tastiest, a bit of shin or brisket would have you drooling in comparison. Hence the preference of the Aa or He +x for butcher/freezer heifers.

    I was just wondering. She will probably go to the mart. I’m in no rush for the freezer. Just said I’d post for a reference. And would you be better with an AA off a a limo cow or dairy herd for a freezer?

    I have a brother with a family who would take a half and my Mam would take a few bits also.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 10,936 ✭✭✭✭Say my name


    I was just wondering. She will probably go to the mart. I’m in no rush for the freezer. Just said I’d post for a reference. And would you be better with an AA off a a limo cow or dairy herd for a freezer?

    I have a brother with a family who would take a half and my Mam would take a few bits also.

    If you didn't want a big amount of meat and were wanting to see if they live up to their hype or not, you could try a dexter.

    A few of them on DoneDeal.
    https://www.donedeal.ie/livestock?words=dexter

    Might suit your ground too.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,202 ✭✭✭kollegeknight


    If you didn't want a big amount of meat and were wanting to see if they live up to their hype or not, you could try a dexter.

    A few of them on DoneDeal.
    https://www.donedeal.ie/livestock?words=dexter

    Might suit your ground too.

    I’ve a few speckle parks I might try an Ai on and see how I get on. Local AI man definitely has Wagyu and dexter in his tank. Might have a hat with him.


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,936 ✭✭✭✭Say my name


    I’ve a few speckle parks I might try an Ai on and see how o get on.

    As long as your market is yourself you've no worries.
    Otherwise you know yourself charolais are king for those weanling sales.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,202 ✭✭✭kollegeknight


    As long as your market is yourself you've no worries.
    Otherwise you know yourself charolais are king for those weanling sales.

    Well tis limos we have as I’m away too much when calving.

    The speckle park are more of a pet project to see what happens.


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,936 ✭✭✭✭Say my name


    Well tis limos we have as I’m away too much when calving.

    The speckle park are more of a pet project to see what happens.

    A bit of a ramble but I was following a bit of a discussion on Twitter last night about someone lamenting the changing life and pace of life that's occurring in Romania at present.
    Up to now everyone grew their own vegetables and reared their own meat. Now the younger population don't want to be associated with that life and are working abroad on farms in western Europe and buying houses in the towns in Romania. They've left the land and are selling up.
    Now the German Retailers are moving in selling food and of course the young are buying. The whole process has become industrialized with the workers chasing their tails and not knowing what they're eating anymore. But sure anyways the fat cats call that progress..


  • Registered Users Posts: 604 ✭✭✭TheFarrier


    A bit of a ramble but I was following a bit of a discussion on Twitter last night about someone lamenting the changing life and pace of life that's occurring in Romania at present.
    Up to now everyone grew their own vegetables and reared their own meat. Now the younger population don't want to be associated with that life and are working abroad on farms in western Europe and buying houses in the towns in Romania. They've left the land and are selling up.
    Now the German Retailers are moving in selling food and of course the young are buying. The whole process has become industrialized with the workers chasing their tails and not knowing what they're eating anymore. But sure anyways the fat cats call that progress..

    Where can I find this discussion on Twitter sounds interesting??


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,202 ✭✭✭kollegeknight


    A bit of a ramble but I was following a bit of a discussion on Twitter last night about someone lamenting the changing life and pace of life that's occurring in Romania at present.
    Up to now everyone grew their own vegetables and reared their own meat. Now the younger population don't want to be associated with that life and are working abroad on farms in western Europe and buying houses in the towns in Romania. They've left the land and are selling up.
    Now the German Retailers are moving in selling food and of course the young are buying. The whole process has become industrialized with the workers chasing their tails and not knowing what they're eating anymore. But sure anyways the fat cats call that progress..


    My brother is very anti establishment and he maintains we don’t know how to do anything anymore. And he uses the run on bread in the big storm as the prime example.

    When I was younger- we never killed a heifer as they were to valuable bit we reared pigs, 2 for sale and 1 for ourselves. I used be involved in the butchering but not the killing as I was too young.

    To pay For Santa, mam and dad reared turkeys and sold at the market- cousins would give a hamper of food in exchange for a turkey.

    We had a big veg garden and stored Spuds for the most of the year.

    We had goats as I had eczema but the kids made the table.

    I’m 35 btw not 135yo. But pre Celtic tiger in west Clare was not easy.

    Ive a bit of a Veg garden going this year and would like to do a few more things when I’ve time.


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,936 ✭✭✭✭Say my name


    TheFarrier wrote: »
    Where can I find this discussion on Twitter sounds interesting??

    Paul White (@_paulwhite_) Tweeted:
    I took this photo earlier this year. For me it reflects the tough and resilient people of rural Transylvania. However, I fear for the next generation, enticed to rich western European countries by slightly better wages, but at what cost to their communities and culture back home? https://t.co/ldl3ptCiKP https://twitter.com/_paulwhite_/status/1162785180823822338?s=17


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,589 ✭✭✭50HX


    Well tis limos we have as I’m away too much when calving.

    The speckle park are more of a pet project to see what happens.

    I used wro on an Aax a few years back as a trial

    Got a lovely heifer calf- like a bblue from a distance

    Kept her for breeding but she lost the calf. ....would have made a lovely heifer for the freezer


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  • Registered Users Posts: 3,202 ✭✭✭kollegeknight


    50HX wrote: »
    I used wro on an Aax a few years back as a trial

    Got a lovely heifer calf- like a bblue from a distance

    Kept her for breeding but she lost the calf. ....would have made a lovely heifer for the freezer

    I have a cow like that- great cow. She had a heifer off the limo stock bull that I sold in March for €1000- she was about 20 months and. I was going to put in freezer but I needed the money. She was lovely looking and not too muscly. Said I’d try the brown Swiss limo in the above photo for freezer but dunno will she be too lean so I’ll sell her and try again next year.


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