# Advice for Processing this cow



## SCRancher (Jan 11, 2011)

Sorry didn't get traction in the freezer beef sticky so creating a new thread on it.

Taking my first cow to be processed January 23. This cow is 6-8 years old - she was one of my brood cows until she apparently got her back hurt during breeding. I have had her penned up for at least 6 to 8 weeks hoping she will recover but so far there is no change. She has been on grass hay during this time - Since the earliest I can get her to the processor is 2 weeks from now should I go to the effort and expense of feeding her grain as well during this time?

Processing fees:
$45 Kill fee
$0.45 per pound dressed weight
Processor said you typically get back 50% of live weight.

We can have all waste products from the cow for nothing (FIL has a pack of dogs he feeds thinking he can use the waste products).

If I want the hide it will cost me $20.00 because they typically sell the hides to another company. I'm thinking of getting the hide to learn how to tan but I'm not sure.

I figure my cow weighs around 1400 pounds +/- 200 pounds.

They will hang basically for as long as I want so I know it's been discussed before but they typically hang for 10 days - processor said longer hanging time depends upon the amount of fat covering - more fat means you can hang it longer with less waste. Since this is an older cow what you you all recommend for hanging time?

They will also cut it any way I like so cut recommendations are welcome also!

I wanted to post a few pictures of the cow that's going to be slaughtered.
Again looking to see if I should:
1) feed her grain for then next 14 days until her slaughter date.
2) amount of aging time you all recommend for this 6-8 year old cow
3) what cuts would you recommend
Thanks!


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

MY oppinion:
Grain her every day until she is gone. Don't bother with the hide, you've better things to buy and do than treat a hide. At that age, grind up as much as you can stand into hamburger. 
The dogs will gobble up a lot, but there is a lot the dogs won't eat. Not sure what you mean by Waste products. No way would I take back a barrel of guts. If he is talking about bones and lungs and such, maybe.
She's got some fat on her, under the hide, but I doubt much marbleing. Dump the grain to her as you appology for using a 4 year old, 2200 pound bull on her.


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## SCRancher (Jan 11, 2011)

Thanks Haypoint - yea it's the barrel of guts - I understand what my wife is thinking (feeding it to a bunch of dogs) but I just don't think she understands that 300 pounds +/- of guts is a LOT of product and even a pack of 20 dogs will not be able to go through it before it rots.

The bull is 3 years old - not sure of his weight but he was 1600 pounds @ 2 years old. He is shorter than this cow by a couple of inches - he could very well be 2200 pounds for all I know; scales are on my wish list.


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

Have you ever seen the size and contents of a cows stomach and intestines? The dogs won't be eating that mass of crap.


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

The dogs will eat everything except the rumen contents. It won't take them long at all to eat it up. Forget hanging it, that is only for fat young beef it won't hurt, but it won't help and most lockers charge extra for hanging time. I would have them pull the tenderloins and grind the rest. Maybe some pot roasts if you like them, long slow cooking. Tanning a hide that big is a big job, if you really want to put dozens of hours into it go ahead, but personally it wouldn't be worth the time.


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

As far as the rumen contents, just throw it on the garden or compost pile.


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

tinknal said:


> As far as the rumen contents, just throw it on the garden or compost pile.


It'll probably end up frozen into a couple plastic pails until the spring thaw.


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## MO_cows (Aug 14, 2010)

What Tinknal said. Mostly burger, maybe the tenderloins and some roasts/stew meat can be salvaged. Give your processor some discretion. The trouble with only 2 weeks to grain her, you can't just dump full feed on her at once without bloat or acidosis or bigger problems than you have now.


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

I have an opinion too. 

I would get all the offal back, and the skin.
The dogs will eat a lot of it. The rest they will strew far and wide...if that bothers anyone.
You may find hooves out by the mailbox and strings of gut wrapped around fenceposts. 
the wild critters will be drawn to that stuff too.
All but the bones will compost eventually. I think of it as biomass and good for the ground.

The hide: if you havent done it before, you should try tanning one. Wintertime is good for honing those skills.
Even if all you do is dehair it and make rawhide chews for the dogs, that is something.
It is good practice and what else are you going to do, watch tv? 

If that were my cow I would grain her a little if I could afford it, just because she is at a terminal point and it would make her happy. Happy cows are sweeter tasting. 

As to the cuts, I would just grind her. As someone else said, you could take the t-loins.
The rest is really going to be good clean burger.

My freezer is currently filled w/ a 4 y/old angus cow burger right now.
She just never did breed back the last season. :shrug:
That meat is good stuff. :thumb:


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## VaFarmer (Mar 2, 2011)

Many yrs ago I butchered 4 older cows 4 to 6yr old when getting rid of last of herd. Did not grain feed them slaughtered early winter after weeds & onion grass were gone. All turned out fine. Slow cooking the roast at 200 deg to 150 for 8 hrs really brings out the flavor and tenderness no mater what the age. See American Kitchen for some good recipes.High end resturants will cook for 12hrs. I think these older gals hung for 1wk. Did the roasts, delmonica's, sirlons,porteerhouse and t-bones all turned out fine. I prefer steaks 1/2" cut, a lot of people talk about 3/4" & 1" thick steaks, triied that on a couple in the begining, what a waste, and lousy to grill when that thick, tough. Here slaughter is $33, process $.45 lb. I've tanned deer hides, unless you have a use hides can be take more time than there worth, but it's the kind of thing you need to do at least once or your not homesteading...LOL taking my guy tomorrow, had a 2 1/2 mth wait to get him in at the butcher, some others were only a couple of weeks but the 1 going too is only 1 recommended by the good old boys & menanites. Guy I used to go to sold buisness and was not inpressed or confortable with new butcher, didn't help his english is not so good and I don't think anyone in the shop even speaks english, and my spanish is way to basic. Didn't look neat or organized and would deffently be wondering if I got my cow back, or what parts go into the hamburger.


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## SCRancher (Jan 11, 2011)

Well I took her to the processor Monday - she dressed out @ 750 pounds will be getting the meat back around the week of Feb 6th. I'll post again once I have tasted her.

It turns out she is one of my oldest two brood cows so she was calved in 2004 - that puts her around 8 years old.


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## BarbadosSheep (Jun 27, 2011)

I live in SC too. What processer did you take her to? Their prices are good.


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## SCRancher (Jan 11, 2011)

I took her to G & W Inc. in Hickory Grove.


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## BarbadosSheep (Jun 27, 2011)

Thank you. I'll have to check them out when the time comes.


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## TroutRiver (Nov 26, 2010)

Maybe your dogs are more less than mine. Mine will not eat most innards. They only organs that they will eat are lungs, kidneys, liver and heart. You may end up with a mess of cow innards in your backyard that the dogs won't eat... 

As far as tanning, if you want to learn how to tan, I would start with a goat or calf skin, or maybe a deer. Not a cow, that is a huge hide. 

I agree, this older cow would probably be best as hamburger. Tell them to save all of the fat and put it in the burger, even the fat around the organs. you could save the tenderloin and a few choice cuts, but it will most likely be stew quality, not tender like young beef. If you age it for 10 days the tenderloin could make some good steaks, but it's not a guarantee.


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

SCRancher said:


> Well I took her to the processor Monday - she dressed out @ 750 pounds



thats what she looked to weight on the HOOF


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## SCRancher (Jan 11, 2011)

Myersfarm - when I purchased her she weighed between 1400 pounds to 1700 pounds that was the range of the cattle - I saw the weights on his scale. (we were not buying by the pound so no reason for the farmer to try to make the cows seem to weigh more).


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## Maria (Apr 24, 2003)

If you don't let the meat get through rigor mortis by hanging long enough, it will go through rigor mortis in the pan. Hanging until the muscles loosen up is the way to go with any age beef or deer.


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## SCRancher (Jan 11, 2011)

Well just got her back - 11 boxes of cow - I thought it would all fit in my chest freezer - doh I'm about a box to a box 1/2 short of storage space - what to do - what to do....

First taste test will be tomorrow - Sirloin


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## SteveO (Apr 14, 2009)

I will give you my address if that helps?


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## SCRancher (Jan 11, 2011)

Well we have re-arranged the freezer's several times and now ONLY have about 30 pounds in the fridge.

We have a large turkey thawing to be cooked in 2-3 days, Sirloin for tomorrow, and the 30 pounds in the fridge is mostly in short ribs. The fridge where the meat is stored is turned down to it's lowest setting.

I have had plenty of volunteer's for taking any extra beef now Steve so I see no need in shipping but thanks for the offer! haha


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

how many pounds do you think you got to take home ?


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## SCRancher (Jan 11, 2011)

I'm totally guessing here - I figure each box weighed at least 50 pounds.

11 Boxes = 550 pounds

I could actually be low on the weight of each box however but I don't think I'm heavy on them. I should have counted the # of packages of ground beef in a single box however since I had the packages put into 1 1/2 pound's per package.

Just took pictures of the Sirloin prior to putting on the Marinade so I'll post those in a few minutes once I get them on-line.


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## SCRancher (Jan 11, 2011)

The pan is a 9x13 pan and this Sirloin takes up most of it.

I did rinse the steak off with cold water as there was a lot of fat particles covering the meat from the cutting process I guess. I'm used to grocery store meat that is all clean and presentable.

Oh and the fat is very dense and hard.


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

Make some of that sirloin that won't fit into the freezer into Jerky.


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