Slaughter steers heifers and cows 30 to 42 months of age possessing the minimum qualifications for Choice have a fat covering over the crops back loin rump and ribs that tends to be moderately thick. Depending on the calf and the feeding regime calves are best slaughtered between three and 16 weeks of age.
Highest quality beef comes from animals that are under 36 months of age.
What is the ideal age to butcher a cow. Butcher ready pigs will have wide hams flat wide backs and a double chin. The ideal age at which to butcher a steer or heifer is 1 12 to 2 years. This usually lasts for six to 12 hours in beef cattle.
The ideal age for that animal is as soon as you can get him to the butcher. Start by choosing a nice late fall day Here in Virginias Shenandoah Valley we do our butcheringbefore the flies ariseon a November morning. Would be butchered at 250-300 pounds live weight or between 6-7 months of age.
So when they slaughter them at a younger. This is mainly because at that age range they are still fattened sufficiently but also still tender. If you are finishing your steer on grass alone it will take around 26-28 months to go from baby calf to butchering size and condition fat covering.
So no one can tell you how much he should weigh for you to butcher him. More Jersey news is that the steer does eat less per day and will not damage fields nearly as much. Old cows produce highly acceptable beef if properly fattened and processed.
Also as the carcass ages is hung after slaughter and the temperatures in the cooler are set properly there are enzymes within the muscle that are released causing a further breakdown of connective tissue that will increase the tenderness of the meat. Now its 12 to 15 months according to Kinderhook Farm farmer Lee Ranney. How much does it cost to butcher a cow.
To keep track of the weight of cows I recommend you should buy a good livestock scale. If he is a 12 month old bull he is starting to feel his oats. At that age the animal is young enough to be tender and is nearly as large as it will get.
After the cow has been aging in the refrigerator for about two weeks it is time to butcher the beef. If a heifer has a frame score of 4 at seven months of age she will still be a frame score of 4 when she reaches twenty one months of age and she will continue to be a frame score of 4 to the day she dies of old age. The kill fee alone will be between 25 to 50 before the processing even begins.
Its not vital information so. Normally cattle grow to a certain point depending on their individual facts than they start putting on fat. Cattle generally do not change frame scores in their lifetime.
That is why we use the convertible freezerrefrigerator. Cooling the carcass shortly after slaughter will allow the rigor to go only so far. Now you can maximize the amount of meat at the age you decide to butcher them.
I recommend a Jersey steer. The reason for the range in age is that some calves are weaned and go directly to a feeding facility and are finished for slaughter. A cow is already at maturity because cows whether theyre beef or dairy are female bovines that have had at least two calves and are at least 4 years of age which is the age of maturity for a cow.
It is easier to cut slightly frozen meat from our experience. 7-14 days is plenty of hang time. The age to slaughter animals varies depending on many things.
The older the animal gets the tougher the meat tends to be. The size is right for your situation however a Jersey steer will have to be raised for 18 months then butchered. By the time your pigs get to butchering size you will have put in months of care and feed.
Normally 36 months is the maximum age of a cow that you raise for slaughter. So what is the best age to slaughter beef cattle. Hogs may be killed any time.
To make the meat a bit easier to cut I switch the button from refrigerator to freezer to firm up the meat. Doesnt make him dangerous yet but the head ramming towards you only and not your husband makes it sound like he may be considering trying to mount you. Butchering the Cow.
The brisket flanks and cod or udder show a marked fullness and the muscling is firm. The cost to have a cow butchered will depend on the size of the cow the butcher doing the job how you want it processed and geographical location. If you purchased him as a feeder ask the farmer how old the calf is or youll need to give it your best guess.
Most pigs in the US. In most cases the costs will be fairly straightforward. Every butcher or beef farmer Ive known always ages the beef AT least 14 days we prefer 21 days if possible but 14 is a must and if your beef was tough and it wasnt aged I would definitely find a butcher who ages it to taste-test the difference.
If they are finished on pasture the best age to butcher is between 24 and 30 months of age. Age at slaughter typically can be from 12 to 22 months of age for the high quality grade market. Usually cows are slaughtered between the ages of 24 years old.
Some people prefer to butcher their cattle between 10 and 15 months of age. Butchering at the end of summer or in the fall before you have to feed hay again during winter makes the grass-fed. Before 1940 the average age of a harvested animal was 4 to 5 years.
That steer should easily feed you both for a year.
