Best meat breed?

Healthy Skeptic

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I would like to know the best breed for grass fed with the most meat for your money.

Thanks
 
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jhm47

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Holsteins are a dairy breed, so I'm not surprised that you didn't get much meat. They also are bred to eat a diet that is nutrient dense (mostly grain), so the animal probably wasn't properly finished.

Beef breeds are bred to eat a lot. However, they don't need to. They do just fine on pasture/hay, but will grow more slowly. The reason that beef breeds are fed high density diets is so that they will grow as fast as possible, and also because the "turnover" in the feedlots is faster. Also, the average person prefers corn fed beef.

Having been in the cattle industry all my life, I'd suggest that you get any beef breed, and make sure that it has plenty of good quality grass. Mature grass that has gone to seed has little if any feed value. Personally, I'd supplement it with a small amount of grain, but that's just my personal preference.

As to the "drug" that the farmers are referring to--You don't need to worry unless you're feeding a diet high in alfalfa or some clovers. These cause bloat. Most grasses are safe. Even if you did need to feed a bloatifacient, it's safe, and won't get into the meat. All it does is break down the bubbles in the rumen and allow the animal to burp out the excess gas that's formed during digestion. Good luck!
 

jhm47

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As far as the "drugs or vaccines" are concerned, I hope that you will vaccinate your calf/cow for the diseases that are appropriate for your area. Not vaccinating an animal could cause unnecessary suffering for the animal, and HUGE vet bills for you. Possibly even the loss of your animal. Also-- for your safety, be sure to have your animal(s) dehorned. As an EMT for nearly 30 years, I've seen firsthand what these incredibly powerful animals can do, and I'd hate to see anyone go through injuries like this.

Again, I would urge you to contact your local county extension agent for advice. They do not charge a fee, and are usually able to help people with many of the questions that you are asking. Again--good luck!
 

cjc

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I raise Angus, Herefords and Short Horns. I agree with the above Holsteins are not meaters.

"Angus Beef" has a name for it, often people will buy it for the name. We are phasing out our Angus because we call them "Angus Crazy". We find them to be the hardest to handle. Our last pure bred Angus is on her way out of the farm because she jumped a fence.

Herefords I love. I love their personalities but I have yet to slaughter one. They are supposed to be good beef cows. Ours "yodel" as we call it. They are very loud. Compared to our other breeds our Herefords like to talk a lot.

Now Shorthorns. This is my new favorite breed. Mainly because they are massive! My 6 month old Short Horn calf is twice the weight of my 1 year old Hereford. They are a solid breed and I bred all my girls to a Short Horn this season. The first calf out of our Angus was almost twice the size of her pure bred Angus calf last year.

My advice to you would be to go to auction or a local cattle rancher and get yourself 2 yearlings, or even cows that are almost ready to slaughter. We found out quickly that to properly raise cattle you need a proper handling system. Without it you cannot vaccinate them and like @jhm47 says you do not want to leave them unvaccinated. Things like yearly vaccinations and deworming are essential to the cows health.

To answer your question if I had to pick the best meat breed, personally I would choose a short horn.
 

Latestarter

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I love reading posts like those above. Great info based on experience! Thanks!
 

Baymule

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I've raised Beefmasters before. The cows calve easily, the bulls get huge and they do well on grass, just take a LOT of it. Most of the cows I have had were crossbred Hereford/Brahama and they made some tough range cows.
 

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