Dexter Cross Steers

Started by glenn kangiser, May 10, 2009, 01:08:20 AM

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glenn kangiser

A friend got me 3 young Dexter Cross steers - at least they are as of a few days ago.  I was wondering about meat quality - can they be kept for more than a year to butcher - is there a time when they are too old?

We have a spring and will likely let them eat grass most of the year.
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

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Redoverfarm

Glenn IMO the ideal butchering weight is 1000-1200 pounds.  Although they are slaughtered younger if you choose to  have a more veal approach.  Usually to gain this size you would need to keep them into the next year.  What is the average weight on them now?  Here is a site that pretty that has alot of good info about cattle. 

http://www.cattletoday.com/

As this is some info on your breed taken from their.

http://cattle-today.com/Dexter.htm


glenn kangiser

Thanks, John.  I haven't even seen them yet.  My understanding is that the Dexter may not get to be much over 1000 lbs.  A friend has some and says they are less prone to breaking out of fences and pretty docile.  Seems to agree with your link info.  I wanted the smaller breed so there would not be so much meat at butcher time as well as less problems with fencing as I am gone a lot.

I was thinking of butchering one the first year - maybe one the second and one the third.  When are they too old and tough?

They are just calves now and our friend/neighbor (the ex CHP lady) had them castrated and is giving them shots and worming them.  She has them on a pasture she is managing for me until I get my fence done.  I have to do about 1/2 mile of fence but repair another 1/2 mile or so on around 40% grades plus or minus on the average.  That should be fun. d*

I was told to check into cattle with short legs on one side for walking on the hillsides ???
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

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Redoverfarm

Yeah most of ours are lopsided in the mountains ;D.  They are one of the smaller breeds. But they will all get out especially if you push them a little.  They will determine if you built a good fence or not.  The first day they will inspect the perimeter and let you know. 

Try to create a smaller water basin below the spring if it is open and you use the same water to prevent them from messing it up. 

As far as the age I don't think it really maters for the 1st several years but after that the meat quality drops some.  You would probably be surprised at what they butcher for human consumption.  I just wonder sometimes how they seperate the meat from the wheelchairs nd walkers. d*

rick91351

There is a lot to be said for grass feed beef.  Lower amounts of the fatty tissue occurred in grain fed lead to lower triglycerides and cholesterol.  Type of grasses that is in their daily ration makes a difference as well as far as weight to daily gain.  Some places cattle can eat and eat and never really put on any weight.  With that said, for that type of cattle, they are  small framed.  But then you say they are crossed.  I will agree they would be ready to 'go to town' at about a thousand pounds if they were not crossed or wait until they weigh about twelve hundred.   If you want to fatten them up a little or a lot,  grain them the last five to six weeks to a month with something that has rolled grain, a little rolled corn and some molasses.  I really don't have a clue what they have available there in your area of course.  That is pretty common for around here.  Stop by a feed store and talk to them.  However we have had to butcher a couple critters that were never grain feed or anything like that.  Just grass fed.  They were involved in a couple accidents.  Both were about twelve hundred pounds and the meat was just great and fairly well marbled really.  One of these was from my ranch up in the mountains it was late Oct or early Nov. so it had been 'running on' or eating just mountain munchies.  Really changed my mind on having to grain feed everything that comes along.  I said something about that to my 80 year old dad, he just smiled and said something to the effect 'bout time you catch on young'n. 

rlr     [hungry]
Proverbs 24:3-5 Through wisdom is an house builded; an by understanding it is established.  4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.  5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.


glenn kangiser

Dragging burns on the hides from the winch pulling them into the slaughterhouse? hmm

Thanks for the info, John.  I will have to recheck the entire old fence too.  



"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

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glenn kangiser

Thanks, Rick.

My experience with cattle was mostly with my Uncle in Oregon when I was young.  I helped with a branding and castration/dehorning or two,  if I was actually helping.  KRS and salt ?   Does that sound like it felt good?

My uncle told me, if you ever want to get rich, don't raise cattle.

He is around 90 YO now and still running cattle and drinking beer, and not rich. d*
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

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rick91351

Speaking of salt throw out a block of stock salt to them.  You might have seen them rectangular in shape.  Weigh 40 lbs and come in three 'flavors' usually.  Plain, iodized and trace mineral.  We have always used the iodized.  It is good to put it in something because it will 'kill' the ground where it lays.  As far as keeping those critters around that long as you wrote in one post.  I think I would put come fall put them on Craigs List or ask around if any one wants to buy a beef or and half a beef.

Is your spring improved to where you can pipe it out to a water tank?  I don't know what you have of course.  Around here what we do is dig them out put in a good bed of drain rock or native gravel that is clean.  Place a couple runs of proliferated pipe to a central manifold pipe, bed all that with more gravel.  Then I like to lay a course of real heavy sheeting or house wrap will also work over the gravel then cover that up with dirt.  This will give your spring more years before you have to dig it all out again.  Then run a plastic pipe, like the black plastic down grade of course to where you can place a water tank.  It is also a good idea to put in a tee and a vent with a screen some where like in the middle of this run because they can air lock from time too time.  Bury a post to support this and guard it.  This vent ideally should be about four foot from the top of the ground.  Then from the stock tank put in an over flow pipe that will carry off the unused water to a stream or a wash hopefully twenty or thirty feet away.  Should not raise anyone hackles for it never has a chance to come in contact with animal feces or waist.  If that is not available take it on down away from the tank and let it run out there again twenty or thirty feet away.  This will make a wet spot of course but the cattle wont be standing in it all the time making a mess.  This really cuts down on erosion, and muddy places around a tank.  But then I really try to be a good steward of the land God has given me and the critters he has put in my path.  From dogs, cats to cows and horses.   But then none of that is my real vocation I was sort of born into it.  I drive a locomotive for money.

I also have read where in Calif. you have to cross fence your pastures in mountain areas so they will have to walk one day high side to the left next day to the right.  State attorney general  recently ruled and that Sundays were a free day and they were on Sundays able to roam as they choose.  State Supreme Court however ruled it did not have to be Sundays because it might cause confusion with religious rights and and right to have no religion.  Nor have they taken basic morals class therefore one day per week they would just be allowed to roam at will but it can be Sunday.       

rlr  ;)     
Proverbs 24:3-5 Through wisdom is an house builded; an by understanding it is established.  4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.  5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.

glenn kangiser

I remember the salt blocks.  As kids we used to lick in the deepest worn spots in the block as we didn't want to lick in the places a cows tongue could reach... d* d*

We are only 4 miles from town but on a ridge that is relatively inaccessible to the idiots who might care, but we also like to take care of our land - spring etc.  We are far enough out that Bobcats, mountain lions and bears can be problems.

Our spring is pretty cool - 450' elevation drop below our cabin - over the hill from and above the nearest neighbor at the edge of an old horse - mule- wagon? road from the gold mining days.  There had been a spring house or cabin about 50 feet below the spring before 1890 - est 1860 or so, and the spring later had a cement springbox and pipe added where the burned cabin had been.  There are still 2 old rusted cattle water tanks below the pond.  It is an easy place to secure and I will possibly make another small springhouse there again.

Laws?.... law people don't often successfully venture into these parts. [crz]
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

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