# Dairy calf for meat?



## Jnlcosta (May 20, 2014)

Who uses their dairy cow's calf as a beef cow once weaned and old enough? Or do you just sell it to someone who wants a dairy cow?

Pros? Cons?


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## karenp (Jun 7, 2013)

I haven't gotten that far personally, but lots of people do. Some buy the dairy's bull calf which are sold very young and raise them for beef. A lot of people who keep dairy cows will breed them to beef cows so the offspring will be beefier, Jersey x Angus cross for example.


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## Jnlcosta (May 20, 2014)

karenp said:


> I haven't gotten that far personally, but lots of people do. Some buy the dairy's bull calf which are sold very young and raise them for beef. A lot of people who keep dairy cows will breed them to beef cows so the offspring will be beefier, Jersey x Angus cross for example.



Makes sense. Thanks!


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

If the dairy calf is a heifer and of good breeding it could be worth more than a beef steer. If the calf is a bull then yes, beef it....James


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## Jnlcosta (May 20, 2014)

jwal10 said:


> If the dairy calf is a heifer and of good breeding it could be worth more than a beef steer. If the calf is a bull then yes, beef it....James



Oh! I didn't think about that.


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

I had a milk cow for many years and she was the biggest contributer to the homestead .her being a brown swiss a gentle giant and easy to handle .the angus bull on the farm was convient. so every year her calf was destined for the freezer I raised it in the old fashioned way letting the cow out on pasture and the calf in the barn n lot at milking time the cow came in like clock work 'the walked up to her manger in the milking barn (after I opened the gate ) as she ate her grain ration the calf fed on the left as I milked on the right the more the calf grew the faster I had to mlik to get my share . I also fed the calf plenty of grain and hay keeping it growing and fat when the cow was dried off,i'd continue feedindg the calf extra grain even though I let it out to pasture with the other cattle to rest myself from the barn cleaning chores . till the cow had her new calf and milking once more was a dayly routine . the calf was sent to the butcher weighing in at 6-750 pounds more or less( depending on bull or heifer and age) of tender home grown baby beef that is uncompareable to any thing bought in the grocery store . I lost my old milker this spring but theres still plenty of meat from her last calf. with father time nipping at my tail and the high price of "broke to milk cows" I am trying being a goat milker .and raiseing by beef with a angus cow here on the farm . the milk cow prodused plenty of milk for all my dairy needs includeing butter, and great icecream with plenty of extra for the calf and a pig as well .all on mostly pasture I still could not tell you or complain about the price or quality of pork or beef in the local wal=mart . I could never under stand not growing your own meat and dairy on the farm . I suppose if I had not crossed my brown swiss with a beef type bull the beef from the calf would have been less and steaks of a somewhat lower grade .but still having a stress free ife only eating the best feed and having the best of care sure does make a difference in quality . and you have the option of instead of sending the beef to butcher at 10- 11 months as a fat baby beef continue growing it to a 17-18 month old and grain it for the last couple months to get gormeit prime beef that you hear about only in fancy restrants and butcher shops at out ragious prices


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## Oakshire_Farm (Dec 4, 2008)

I raise dairy bull calves for meat. I raise about 40 every year! I pick them up at about a week old from the dairy farms, I raise them up on the milk from my cows. Then sell them once they are weaned to people in our area that want to raise them for meat. I usually raise up 2 every year as well too.

I have never butchered a good cow, or a old cow, once they have given their life to us producing milk. I prefer to "plant" them in the pasture. After years of being a good milk cow they owe me nothing.


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## Tex- (May 18, 2014)

We always raise the bull calves from the milk cows as beef. The heifer calves are worth quite a bit around here as milk cows, so we raise them and have kept them or sold them as bred heifers. If the heifer calves are by our Angus bulls, they go into the beef herd.

I raised bottle calves as a kid and I would often keep a Jersey steer back as beef and it is the best beef there is. When I was on the beef judging team in college, we had a man from the packing industry list five different breeds and he wanted us to list them in order of beef quality. One of those breeds was Jersey and Iwas the only one who listed it first in quality. The man asked how I knew to list it first and I told him it was because I had eaten them and raised them. I was the only one who listed the five breeds in the correct order.

Dairy breeds grow out quite a bit slower, but they are well worth the wait. If you the pasture where you can turn it out, do it and forget about it for a while. Your tastebuds will thank you. 


Tex


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## Jnlcosta (May 20, 2014)

Tex- said:


> We always raise the bull calves from the milk cows as beef. The heifer calves are worth quite a bit around here as milk cows, so we raise them and have kept them or sold them as bred heifers. If the heifer calves are by our Angus bulls, they go into the beef herd.
> 
> I raised bottle calves as a kid and I would often keep a Jersey steer back as beef and it is the best beef there is. When I was on the beef judging team in college, we had a man from the packing industry list five different breeds and he wanted us to list them in order of beef quality. One of those breeds was Jersey and Iwas the only one who listed it first in quality. The man asked how I knew to list it first and I told him it was because I had eaten them and raised them. I was the only one who listed the five breeds in the correct order.
> 
> ...



Good info! Thanks! Were they grain fed at all or only grass/hay fed? I read on here that grain finished beef has more marbling.


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## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

We raise ours leaning more towards grain fed. We tried pasture fed on our last one and will not be doing it again.
We are raising our own corn so we can go with a program called Tend R Leen which requires nothing but whole shell corn and their pellet. We raised one on it years ago when corn was cheap and it was the most wonderful beef.


Here in America's dairyland dairy bulls and beef calves are currently worth more than dairy heifers. The beef market is that whacked.


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## Lazy J (Jan 2, 2008)

The biggest problem I see with most people raising Holsteins for beef is that they don't feed them long enough or to heavy enough weights.


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

your dairy beefs will never marble like the angus or herfords meat will . there fore I can never be graded as "prime " that is not to say they can't be tender and flavorfull . beef that can be graded as prime is rare and hard to find nowadays with the leaner beef being the trend today .in my youth I remember the home milk cows calf was usally sold as veil as were most dairy bull calfs .but veal is no longer popular and most Hosteen calves are now raised to maturity for the beef market hambuger I guess


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## Jnlcosta (May 20, 2014)

Good info! Thanks everyone!


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## Awnry Abe (Mar 21, 2012)

Lazy J said:


> The biggest problem I see with most people raising Holsteins for beef is that they don't feed them long enough or to heavy enough weights.


Lazy, I was just about to start a new thread to ask this, but you seemed to touch right on my question. I have 28 month old Holstein steer that seems to me is about ready for slaughter. He's been on nothing but grass. We have heard, and I would like to confirm, this statement:

"Holsteins make tough beef.". 

I hear it with out qualifications. What are your thoughts?


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## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

If you wait 28 months and feed only grass I would bet you would get a tough cow.
According to an article I read at farmprogress 15% of the dairy beef that goes to slaughter grades prime. so it can be done.



> &#8220;Without dairy beef, the industry
> would have a difficult time supplying
> enough Prime and Choice cuts to restaurants
> and other food-service operations,&#8221;


http://magissues.farmprogress.com/AMA/AM11Nov06/ama34.pdf


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

If you get a Holstein bull calf, castrate him right away and feed him long enough for him to fill out, you will have some of the best beef, ever. Holstein beef is fine grained with a lovely flavor. Fat is yellowish, which isn't what people are used to, but it tastes great.

A Holstein is building his frame for the first two years and doesn't make meat until the third year. So, you have to run a Holstein steer on for a long time, but of you have the room to keep him, you will get a lot of fine quality meat from him.

My meat animal of choice is an Angus Holstein cross steer. You get fine textured meat with some marbling and the calf is ready to butcher at teh end of the second year.


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## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

If you want a frame on a stein you leave the nuts on him till around 600 pounds then castrate and feed out.
Neighbor ran a feed lot for years and that's how he did it.


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## Jnlcosta (May 20, 2014)

Interesting. Lots to think about.


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## topside1 (Sep 23, 2005)

Here's two of my boys doing what they do best, growing. 46-48% meat yield at butcher time....Topside


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## cooper101 (Sep 13, 2010)

We just slaughtered 4 holstein bull calves at 5 1/2 months old. Fed waste milk, then corn/pellets and hay. The meat was phenomenal. Tender as heck, flavorful, lean. I've gotten excellent feedback and repeat orders already. 

I don't have the facilities for 1200 pound animals, but I do for 500-600 pound animals, so I tried it. Excellent meat.


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## Jnlcosta (May 20, 2014)

cooper101 said:


> We just slaughtered 4 holstein bull calves at 5 1/2 months old. Fed waste milk, then corn/pellets and hay. The meat was phenomenal. Tender as heck, flavorful, lean. I've gotten excellent feedback and repeat orders already.
> 
> I don't have the facilities for 1200 pound animals, but I do for 500-600 pound animals, so I tried it. Excellent meat.



Thanks for the advice! Great option!


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## Lazy J (Jan 2, 2008)

Jnlcosta said:


> Thanks for the advice! Great option!


If you choose to slaughter your calves at a small unfinished weight like this then you must communicate with your customers about the type of cuts they will get. If they are expecting a heavily marbled ribeye with a fat cover they will be disappointed with the meat from the 5 weight calf.


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## cfuhrer (Jun 11, 2013)

Double Post


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## cfuhrer (Jun 11, 2013)

When I was growing up Holstein was the only beef we ate.

I swear my mom had drop-calf "radar". We would come in for breakfast after chores on saturday morning and served up with the bacon and eggs was the announcement we were going out to the dairy to see if they had drop calves. We usually paid $50.00 each for them. Sometimes the dairy workers would cut them for us, typically they got rotated in with the goats and the sheep at banding time.

We always brought home two and they got goats milk (milk replacer if the goats were running lean) then out to pasture with a little cob supplement. Then just before butchering they came in to dry lot on alfalfa hay and cob with a little corn oil on it.

We never knew that it wasn't the best stuff on Earth. My mom now has her own cow a French dual purpose breed I can't remember the name of and every spring she goes and gets two drop calves to help keep Betsy milked out.


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## CrabbyChicken (Mar 4, 2013)

We started raising our own beef about three years ago. We have 2 holstien X jerseys a full jersey. We LOVE it. MUCH better than store bought. We corn feed them the last three months to put weight and marbeling on them. LOVE it. The steaks are small but they are fantastic. I do think I like holstiens a little better since you get more back on a 2 year old. But jersey beef is wonderful.


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## Jnlcosta (May 20, 2014)

cfuhrer said:


> When I was growing up Holstein was the only beef we ate.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I didn't know this! Very neat! Good to know that a drop calf can keep a cow producing milk. So she just lets the calves nurse so she doesn't have to milk as often?


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## Jnlcosta (May 20, 2014)

CrabbyChicken said:


> We started raising our own beef about three years ago. We have 2 holstien X jerseys a full jersey. We LOVE it. MUCH better than store bought. We corn feed them the last three months to put weight and marbeling on them. LOVE it. The steaks are small but they are fantastic. I do think I like holstiens a little better since you get more back on a 2 year old. But jersey beef is wonderful.



Making note! Thanks!


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## cooper101 (Sep 13, 2010)

Lazy J said:


> If you choose to slaughter your calves at a small unfinished weight like this then you must communicate with your customers about the type of cuts they will get. If they are expecting a heavily marbled ribeye with a fat cover they will be disappointed with the meat from the 5 weight calf.


I agree. We sold it as rose veal, not beef, and were very clear about what we were raising and selling. I sold them all to people who have bought pigs from me and they were all aware that they were my test group. They loved it. It's lean, and the cuts are small, but it has a lot of flavor and was incredibly tender. You also get a lot of ground meat vs cuts, but the hamburger is excellent also. It's very smooth-textured, very juicy. It's sort of the softer texture of pork with the taste of beef. 

It's also a very manageable amount of meat. I've heard many stories of people who bought a side of beef, didn't like it, and then had to get rid of 300 pounds of meat. A quarter came out to 50 pounds of packaged meat. That has actually become an unintended selling point as people would rather have 50 pounds, use it up, and get more than have a big freezer full of meat that lasts them a year.


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

that's what I call Baby beef with the milk cow pumping it with lots of milk and me pampering it with grain and pasture . my brown swiss x angus calf would grow to 5/7 hundred pounds after drying the cow off for the year . a little extra grain and the calf gos to the butcher not overly fat yet tender and flavorfull . this yealds plenty of beef for me to last the whole year . this was fairly common practice on many small farms with family milk cows that did not want to overwinter a beef cause hay was in short supply


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## francismilker (Jan 12, 2006)

My kids have been eating jersey beef their whole life and would think that grocery store steaks were weird tasting. 

We put them on grass and forget about them for a year or so and then pour the grain to them for 60-90 days before slaughter. (Or until the Mrs runs out of hamburger in the freezer!!!)


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## 65284 (Sep 17, 2003)

Jersey is our beef of choice. We think it's the best tasting meat we have ever 
raised. And we have tried almost everything normally available.


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## wogglebug (May 22, 2004)

Comment: NEVER trust a Jersey bull. Most cattle have been draught breeds at times, and that takes good nature, and it's stuck with the breed. Never trust a bull, but some of them are nice-natured until they snap.So are Jerseys, but they snap about four times a day, on no predictable timetable. Jersey cows are the sweetest sweethearts you could imagine, but it averages out. Jersey bulls have the attitude of a cut cobra with a Roman candle up it's cloaca. They're a bull, so they're big and strong enough, but they're Jerseys, so they're small and nimble. A Jersey bull could - and would - dance a tarantella or a cucuracha (or a hornpipe) all over you within a second or two off having the impulse flash through what passes for his brain. Never leave a Jersey bull uncut unless you intend to breed him lots, and then build Fort Mudge and lock him in.

On the other hand, most other breed bulls are just big *****-cats ninety-nine percent of the time. Their particular breeds have been used as draught animals, that means good nature by unrestrained animals was a must, and it got passed on. Our (non-Spanish) ancestors weren't idiots. If two oxen from the same sire ran amok, then that sire wasn't likely to produce any more offspring. Still never trust them because they're bull rather than oxen, and they're no more capable of rational thought than a body-builder on 'roids; but they can be sweeties. Be reasonable about it, and you can grow bulls a long time (even if not all the time) with the aim of making them meat. They produce magnificent flavourful dark lean grass-fed beef, able to absorb a lot of water, and are favoured by smallgoods manufacturers because of it.

As for raising dairy calves for beef, economic conditions change a lot. Three or four years ago (and it may happen again) dairy bull calves were maybe five dollars each at half-a-week old. It made a lot of sense that no-one seemed to see to buy eight, kill the shakiest, have two of them die, and slaughter the rest one-by-one. The youngest you got fifty pounds of veal, a calf-skin you could use like fine buckskin, and a lot of cartilagenous bones to make magnificent soup or stock. Older ones were heavier. Six months later, repeat. A year's worth of veal for eighty dollars. Can't see how people missed it.

So watch out. The pattern may repeat, even if the degree of sheer luck doesn't. You can cash in on the growth of bull calves rather than steers, keeping them whole six months longer may save you six months more of growing-time, but never ever plan on keeping a Jersey bull entire if he's not going to be used for breeding.


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## SueMc (Jan 10, 2010)

We have an 18 mo old Guernsey steer we'll have butchered next year. It's our first experience raising one up from birth. I wish we had something ready for the freezer right now.
This year we had an angus and a guernsey heifer and are thrilled about both but could have used another male (we do have one more pregnant angus).
Funny thing is, I had someone contact me about buying a guernsey bull calf this year. The potential buyer commented that having someone interested in a potential herdsire would guarantee me a heifer. Lucky me we had a heifer.
I'm looking forward to our guernsey meat next year and getting to the point that we never have to buy meat from the store again. We are there with pork and poultry.


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