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Re: Grass fed beef vs grain fed [Re: Gary Benson] #6556180
06/15/19 11:49 AM
06/15/19 11:49 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 21,539
Sandhills Nebraska
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Gary Benson Online shocked OP
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Gary Benson  Online Shocked OP
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Joined: Dec 2006
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Sandhills Nebraska
A friend of mine is nuts about buying meat that hasn't been treated with any antibiotics, yet most of us would likely be dead if we hadn't been prescribed antibiotics. I for darn sure would be dead without penicillin, vicilin and many other antibiotics.


Life ain't supposed to be easy.
Re: Grass fed beef vs grain fed [Re: Gary Benson] #6556191
06/15/19 12:06 PM
06/15/19 12:06 PM
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 4,148
Fontana KS
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Andrew Eastwood Offline
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Fontana KS
Gary, I am eating on a blind bull calf similar situation to yours. He was just wandering the pasture until the day we put him in the cooler. I cut the some roasts out of the bigger muscle and burgered the rest of him. I have absolutely no complaints from those that have eaten him, and the price was right. grin
I am a frugal person and have eaten every down cow or blind or cripple calf we have had as long as it didn't have a fever. Some make good stakes and some are roast and burger, just have to look at the meat and make a judgement.

Re: Grass fed beef vs grain fed [Re: Gary Benson] #6556222
06/15/19 01:20 PM
06/15/19 01:20 PM
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 7,668
OK
Aaron Proffitt Offline
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Aaron Proffitt  Offline
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All this talk about what your beef is eating and not a lot about what happens after it’s lights go out . So much great meat is ruined , or at least the flavor suffers, by poor handling.


Honor a Soldier. Be the kind of American worth fighting for.
Re: Grass fed beef vs grain fed [Re: Gary Benson] #6556230
06/15/19 01:36 PM
06/15/19 01:36 PM
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 4,148
Fontana KS
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Andrew Eastwood Offline
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Fontana KS
Good point Aaron. A quick slaughter fallowed by quickly getting them to the cooler for aging is the best way IMO. A burger cow, I tend to let cool good then cut (day to a week). If I intend to make steaks, I will let them hang in the cooler for as much as 3 weeks at 36-41 degrees. Don't know if this is best, just the way I was taught, and it works.

Re: Grass fed beef vs grain fed [Re: Gary Benson] #6556303
06/15/19 04:09 PM
06/15/19 04:09 PM
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 6,501
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Diggerman Offline
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The grass fed beef people around here are always advertising, no repeat customers. whats that tell ya? Every bodies taste is different and I don't doubt there are people who actually like the taste of grass fed beef, but we all chew the same and I doubt there are many people who enjoy their grass fed beef just cause they get to chew on it till there gums are sore.

Re: Grass fed beef vs grain fed [Re: Gary Benson] #6556319
06/15/19 04:49 PM
06/15/19 04:49 PM
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 71
Wisconsin
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Jjgoody23 Offline
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Wisconsin
I also raise grass fed belted Galloway and from my experience all beef taste much better if you are able to let them hang and age. Most butcher shops seem to have them butchered, cut and wrapped in 3-5 days. Very little time to hang and age. I have been lucky enough to find a butcher who will let them hang for 2-3 weeks.

Re: Grass fed beef vs grain fed [Re: Gary Benson] #6556357
06/15/19 06:09 PM
06/15/19 06:09 PM
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 1,684
Henry Co, IL
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3togo Offline
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Henry Co, IL
I don't buy beef, the freezer is always stocked with venison. BUT, 3 years ago a farmer here had a blind steer (born in the spring) that the buyer would not load into the truck because the processor wouldn't take. This was late November, cool temps. This steer had only walked the pasture all summer grazing. We went out, I plinked with the .22, bled right there. Hoisted up with the skid steer and dressed. Loaded on a trailer and took to a friends Morton building where we skinned and cut in half. Wrapped in wet sheets for 7 days at 38° F. Butchered and split up among the farmer and people who helped.
I gotta say, the steaks were excellent. All the burger was ground 80/20. I used that in zuchinni lasagna. No complaints. I'd rate the taste very good.

Re: Grass fed beef vs grain fed [Re: Gary Benson] #6556446
06/15/19 08:19 PM
06/15/19 08:19 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 21,539
Sandhills Nebraska
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Gary Benson Online shocked OP
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Sandhills Nebraska
Ya gotta admit, there's a reason people started feeding beef cattle grain to begin with!


Life ain't supposed to be easy.
Re: Grass fed beef vs grain fed [Re: Gary Benson] #6556458
06/15/19 08:33 PM
06/15/19 08:33 PM
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 14,804
Greene County,Virginia
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run Offline
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Greene County,Virginia
Originally Posted by Gary Benson
Ya gotta admit, there's a reason people started feeding beef cattle grain to begin with!

It's called cheap grain. Only where I live grain is way overpriced.


wanna be goat farmer.
Re: Grass fed beef vs grain fed [Re: Diggerman] #6556468
06/15/19 08:41 PM
06/15/19 08:41 PM
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 7,668
OK
Aaron Proffitt Offline
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Aaron Proffitt  Offline
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Originally Posted by Diggerman
The grass fed beef people around here are always advertising, no repeat customers. whats that tell ya? Every bodies taste is different and I don't doubt there are people who actually like the taste of grass fed beef, but we all chew the same and I doubt there are many people who enjoy their grass fed beef just cause they get to chew on it till there gums are sore.



Well said


Honor a Soldier. Be the kind of American worth fighting for.
Re: Grass fed beef vs grain fed [Re: Aaron Proffitt] #6556593
06/15/19 11:32 PM
06/15/19 11:32 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,294
East-Central Wisconsin
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bblwi Offline
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The biggest issue for many that grass feed their beef is they don't intensively manage their grazing for the best quality and if their sward density is moderate or lower the cattle don't gain well and they get older which is a bigger factor in toughness instead of grass versus grain. Those who manage pastures well with good pastures with dense swards can achieve 2.5-2.7 lbs. of grain per day on their stocker cattle. This can get the beef to market weight say 1,200-1350 in 18 months. Many that graze or pasture will have animals 22-26 months old before getting to those weights.
Yes it is more difficult to put a fast growing beef animal to market in 1.5 years with all grass but not impossible whick is why most are fed a magority of their ration in grain. The two reasons for that based on typical grazing practices
is grain will finish them better
They will go to market quicker and with corn a subsidized crop as is milo and sorghum grain is by far cheaper to feed than high quality forage.

Bryce

Re: Grass fed beef vs grain fed [Re: Gary Benson] #6556596
06/15/19 11:49 PM
06/15/19 11:49 PM
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 11,774
Amite county Mississippi
Wolfdog91 Offline
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Amite county Mississippi
Lotta folks my way can't stand the idea of grass fed anything. Then again same folks will look at ya cross ways if you offer em a rare or medium rare steak. Think a larger part of it is how it's cooked honestly.

Re: Grass fed beef vs grain fed [Re: Gary Benson] #6556601
06/16/19 12:02 AM
06/16/19 12:02 AM
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 15,538
Champaign County, Ohio.
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KeithC Offline
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Champaign County, Ohio.
I have had 2 steers that I grass fed butchered. They were good to eat, but no where near as good to eat as a related steer, that grew up in the same pasture, that was finished on corn. All of my steers will be finished on corn from now on.

Keith

Re: Grass fed beef vs grain fed [Re: Gary Benson] #6556646
06/16/19 06:58 AM
06/16/19 06:58 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 21,539
Sandhills Nebraska
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Gary Benson Online shocked OP
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Sandhills Nebraska
Some folks, maybe all of them, will feel corn silage to beef in a feedlot along with grain. I'd think silage would give beef a nasty sour taste but apparently it doesn't.
Corn mash from ethanol plants all goes to feedlots as well. That likely affects the taste of the meat, whether good or bad.

Last edited by Gary Benson; 06/16/19 06:59 AM.

Life ain't supposed to be easy.
Re: Grass fed beef vs grain fed [Re: Gary Benson] #6556647
06/16/19 07:02 AM
06/16/19 07:02 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,476
Philippines, s.e. asia,ohio
west river rogue Offline
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Philippines, s.e. asia,ohio
always raised mine on pasture and corn....tasted supreme....even bulls.(im fond of dairy beef(holstein)

Re: Grass fed beef vs grain fed [Re: bblwi] #6556689
06/16/19 08:48 AM
06/16/19 08:48 AM
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 6,501
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Diggerman Offline
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Originally Posted by bblwi
The biggest issue for many that grass feed their beef is they don't intensively manage their grazing for the best quality and if their sward density is moderate or lower the cattle don't gain well and they get older which is a bigger factor in toughness instead of grass versus grain. Those who manage pastures well with good pastures with dense swards can achieve 2.5-2.7 lbs. of grain per day on their stocker cattle. This can get the beef to market weight say 1,200-1350 in 18 months. Many that graze or pasture will have animals 22-26 months old before getting to those weights.
Yes it is more difficult to put a fast growing beef animal to market in 1.5 years with all grass but not impossible whick is why most are fed a magority of their ration in grain. The two reasons for that based on typical grazing practices
is grain will finish them better
They will go to market quicker and with corn a subsidized crop as is milo and sorghum grain is by far cheaper to feed than high quality forage.

Bryce

I didn't say grass fed cant be done right, I am saying 95% of the time it isn't done right. It takes the right knowledge, the right cattle, the right forage, the right time of year, seldom does this happen.

Re: Grass fed beef vs grain fed [Re: Diggerman] #6556904
06/16/19 02:21 PM
06/16/19 02:21 PM
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Posts: 11,294
East-Central Wisconsin
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bblwi Offline
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East-Central Wisconsin
And I am not disagreeing with your statement, just saying it is not common to have forage fed cattle finish choice and quickly but have seen it done by those who know how to read and manage their forages.

As to the statement regarding cornsilage. We have thousands of Holstein steers fed and finished with high corn silage diets in our area. They are not down graded for the rations they are fed. Most Holstein steers around here are finished at 18-20 months or a bit longer and most will grade choice or high choice but typically are 1400-1600 lbs. when the grade that good, with higher forage diets.
Some feed out the Holsteins on the real heavy grain diets and get 1100 to 1250 lbs. steers in 12-15 months. Time is money when space is limited and corn is cheap.

Bryce

Re: Grass fed beef vs grain fed [Re: Gary Benson] #6556947
06/16/19 03:59 PM
06/16/19 03:59 PM
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Posts: 14,804
Greene County,Virginia
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run Offline
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I like how the Holstein steers actually grade higher than the beef breeds on grain. People think black Angus are so wonderful but they are not all that they're cracked up to be. I am not trying to argue with anybody. I like the dairy genetics. Holsteins tend to have a finer grain of meat if they're not too old. I am trying to agree with Bryce. Angus are ornery generally speaking.


wanna be goat farmer.
Re: Grass fed beef vs grain fed [Re: Gary Benson] #6556949
06/16/19 04:07 PM
06/16/19 04:07 PM
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 6,547
NC, Orange Co.
QuietButDeadly Online content
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NC, Orange Co.
We used to breed a couple Holstein heifers to Black Angus bulls and raise the calves for the freezer. Made for some fine eating.


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Re: Grass fed beef vs grain fed [Re: run] #6557394
06/17/19 08:46 AM
06/17/19 08:46 AM
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Diggerman Offline
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Originally Posted by run
I like how the Holstein steers actually grade higher than the beef breeds on grain. People think black Angus are so wonderful but they are not all that they're cracked up to be. I am not trying to argue with anybody. I like the dairy genetics. Holsteins tend to have a finer grain of meat if they're not too old. I am trying to agree with Bryce. Angus are ornery generally speaking.

Would like to know where you got this info. You should share it with the cattle buyer's, they are currently paying about .35 apound more for beef breeds. Angus brood cows can be a handful.

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