# Pick A Cow-Any Cow



## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

I've been talking to our hay guy recently about buying one of his cows for our freezer. Last week when I was there I mentioned it again and asked when he would be buthering. Not till December was his response but in the same breath he asked me to take a little walk with him. We got down to the pasture fence and he said: "Pick the one you want." 

Now AuntJoe knows horses and we both know what to look for in goats or chickens, but a cow? I was clueless. 

For those of you that have them, what am I looking for? What might tell me; "That one doesn't look so good" or "There's a good one?"

:help:


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## kejmack (May 17, 2011)

Try this. It has pictures!

http://www.americanherbataurus.com/animal-evaluation.html


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

kejmack said:


> Try this. It has pictures!
> 
> http://www.americanherbataurus.com/animal-evaluation.html


WOW! Very cool. I have some studying to do tomorrow. Thank You. :kiss:


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

Been there, done that, and with no expertise in the area to speak of. I just went for fat and happy. They all looked healthy to me.


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

Different breeds have different looking points ... what kind of cows are we looking at? (white face, angus and etc)

Then you have all the crosses??? Makes my head hurt...

(kejmack ... Great link!!! Thanks)


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## ONEOLDCHIEF (Jan 5, 2012)

Look for long legs, wide back end and a long frame. You do not want short and squatty... Generally speaking larger frames produce more meat...

Good luck...


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## lazydaisy67 (Nov 24, 2011)

A white faced angus IS a cross. Between an Angus and a Herford. Just look for fat and happy. Does the whole herd look healthy? Well maintained living conditions, feed and water available, no ribs showing, no patches of skin showing and a general docile demeanor? Hungry/starving cows are very noisy. You can tell a lot about how well they've been taken care of by looking at their surroundings. Just point to one, you'll be fine.


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## Marcus (May 13, 2012)

One of the things to remember is that about 50% of the live weight of a cow won't be processed into meat.
Younger is better than older (the meat is usually more tender.)
Males are better than females (more meat for equal weight.)
Muscle definition is desired as that indicates the cow was well fed.
Grass fed is better than feedlots due to additives put in the grain.
Shiny coat of hair.
You want to look for a healthy cow.
Different breeds have differing marbling (fat content in the muscles.) Angus are about the best in marbling while Brahmas are about the worst (besides Longhorns.) I don't count Piedmonts (very poor marbling) since they're relatively rare.
Bigger is better between choices in a given herd.
You want to watch the herd walk and eliminate any that have issues walking (limp, funny gait, bone deformity, etc.)
You also want an alert cow since it contraindicates certain diseases.


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

kejmack said:


> Try this. It has pictures!
> 
> http://www.americanherbataurus.com/animal-evaluation.html


Wow .. impressive!

I have normally just picked the first one I see, call it Betsy and wait a few day ..


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## cnsper (Sep 20, 2012)

Actually the short and squat beef critters tend to have a higher meat to bone ratio than the larger boned versions. You may not end up with a 1200-1600 lb animal but you will get close to a 60% dress out percentage.


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

cnsper said:


> Actually the short and squat beef critters tend to have a higher meat to bone ratio than the larger boned versions. You may not end up with a 1200-1600 lb animal but you will get close to a 60% dress out percentage.


beat me to it... +1 :congrat:

And might I add, if you're looking for better taste, DON'T go with one that's purely 'grass fed'...  :nuts:
Can we be intellectually honest with ourselves here and admit grass finished beef is NOT all that 'tasty'! WHY do we put friends and family through the torture of eating grass finished beef at a supper, bbq, etc... and then have the gall to expect them to tell us how GOOD it was, even after they had to drown it in A-1 sauce? I have raised both grass finished and corn finished cows for a few years (and still do), but when I pull a steak out of the freezer "to impress" I always grab corn finished beef. How about you?

P.S.
Of course, I prefer to give my cows BEER every day too.


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## cnsper (Sep 20, 2012)

Nothing like a couple of drunk steers hanging around the barn.... LOL

I like to grass feed and then finish the last 30-60 days on grain. Closer to 30 days and corn will add the needed fat.

I also think it depends some on the breed that you get. We always raised holstein steers and they were just as good as a beef breed. They were a lot cheaper to start too.

I am looking at getting some Dexter cattle as a dual purpose breed.


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

cnsper said:


> I also think it depends some on the breed that you get. We always raised holstein steers and they were just as good as a beef breed. They were a lot cheaper to start too.


I agree a Jersey or holstein can make a fine meal ...


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## Marcus (May 13, 2012)

cnsper said:


> I also think it depends some on the breed that you get. We always raised holstein steers and they were just as good as a beef breed. They were a lot cheaper to start too.


We raised Brangus (good in hotter climates) on Coastal and always had high quality beef. We found out just high of quality once after the processing plant screwed up and gave us a tray of someone else's beef (also grass-fed.) We ended up grinding it up into ground beef since the steaks were too tough.

So there is some truth to feeding out with grain for higher quality beef. But a lot of feed store bought grain mixes also have other ingredients you don't really want to consume like growth hormones and antibiotics. If you stay with bulk grains, they generally don't have those extra stuff in them.

The breed you get is actually very important to the finished beef. You want a breed that will thrive in your local environment and not get stressed by the weather. Thicker coated breeds like Angus do well in colder areas while Brahmas do well in warmer climates.

The other major factor is the quality of the stock. Good stock generally begets good stock, and while lower quality herds can be upgraded through bull management, it takes several years to upgrade a whole herd.

You want to be real careful around Jersey bulls. They're mean. When I was much younger, we had a guy in our area get killed by one in a pen.

The issue with milk breeds is the necessity to milk them twice daily. They're bred for milk production and can get sick (I don't recall the name of the disease) if they're not milked enough.

We used to feed beer to the cattle at the stock shows to keep them mellow. Worked like a charm.


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## cnsper (Sep 20, 2012)

I have never tried to milk a Holstein Steer.

As for the disease, I think you are thinking mastitis. The good thing about the Dexter is that they will adjust milk production as to the usage. I just like their size and the fact that they can be easily milked while producing enough for the calf also.


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

All that extra milk from a Holstein goes a long ways to fattening up the pig(s) as well.

"the one with only one teat? DON'T milk that one, son." :teehee:


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## cnsper (Sep 20, 2012)

The_Blob said:


> All that extra milk from a Holstein goes a long ways to fattening up the pig(s) as well.
> 
> "the one with only one teat? DON'T milk that one, son." :teehee:


LOL

We always finished on cracked corn. Quickest way to put on fat on the animal. One time someone did not shut the door to the feed shed securely and I was walking home from school and noticed the steer's head in the door. Did not think anything of it as it was probably grandpa out there. Well after getting to the house I found out that they were not home and that sucker had eaten an 80 lb bag of cracked corn.

BTW anyone notice that feed is now 50 lb bags instead of 80 like they used to be?


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

cnsper said:


> BTW anyone notice that feed is now 50 lb bags instead of 80 like they used to be?


Did you not hear ... you may hurt yourself... :sssh:


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## VUnder (Sep 1, 2011)

I'm having beef neckbone soup tonight. Make sure you keep all of it. The tail makes some good oxtail soup too. Where you going to put all that meat? It will be lots of meat. Even a yearling is a lot of meat to find a place to put. Plus, if you jerked it, that would take a while unless you had a rack big enough. Having a few deer to do at once is a good bit to do, and that isn't nothing like doing a beef. But, if you keep all of it, those leg bones make good soups too. Just plan on eating a bunch of home cooking for a while because you will have aplenty. Not trying to damper things at all, just helping with the back end of things, because no use in killing it if you don't have a place to put it.


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

Marcus said:


> You want to be real careful around Jersey bulls. They're mean. When I was much younger, we had a guy in our area get killed by one in a pen.


I find this is true of most dairy bulls not just Jerseys.


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## lazydaisy67 (Nov 24, 2011)

I agree with the grass fed vs. corn fed meat. Our neighbor had Dexter's and were so proud that they were "grass fed". I didn't say anything (nor will I) but I tried a "grass fed" steak one time and I spit it out. YUCK. Maybe that's as a result of growing up on NE Angus, which in my humble opinion is the best beef you can buy. Needless to say, the neighbor found out just how much Iowans like grass fed beef because he ended up trading his his cow and heifer for a 4-wheeler because he couldn't get them sold. I was thinking in my head why wouldn't he butcher???? Can't eat a 4-wheeler.


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## boomer (Jul 13, 2011)

Really good reference.

I suspect the tenderness of the beef has a lot to do with the activity level of the animal for the last 30-60 days as well as with the feed. Grass fed beef tends to move around a great deal if they are able.


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## ZoomZoom (Dec 18, 2009)

UncleJoe said:


> Not till December was his response but in the same breath he asked me to take a little walk with him. We got down to the pasture fence and he said: "Pick the one you want."


The best way if you're not sure is to ask "Before I pick mine, it would be best to know which one you're keeping for yourself." If he says "none of them", you come back with "hypothetically, which would you choose?".

He'll know which one is best. If he doesn't want it for himself, he has no reason (normally) to hide that from you.

Before I started getting a whole cow for myself, I'd always try to split one with the owner.


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## Jimthewagontraveler (Feb 8, 2012)

Yep split one with the owner.
Steer not cow
30 days on corn.
AND wrinkles around the tail are an indication of the amount
of fat.


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## Harry (Nov 13, 2012)

Actually, long legged cattle tend to have tough meat. Short and squatty are what you want. Also, they can be just as fat and tender without grain. It depends on the cattle genetics, the forage quality, and the time of year.


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## grizz270 (Dec 6, 2012)

The_Blob said:


> beat me to it... +1 :congrat:
> 
> And might I add, if you're looking for better taste, DON'T go with one that's purely 'grass fed'...  :nuts:
> Can we be intellectually honest with ourselves here and admit grass finished beef is NOT all that 'tasty'! WHY do we put friends and family through the torture of eating grass finished beef at a supper, bbq, etc... and then have the gall to expect them to tell us how GOOD it was, even after they had to drown it in A-1 sauce? I have raised both grass finished and corn finished cows for a few years (and still do), but when I pull a steak out of the freezer "to impress" I always grab corn finished beef. How about you?
> ...


Nope. I only pull grass fed steaks. Because that's all we produce. http://www.walkercenturyfarms.com/ 
We have people consistently return because they like the flavor of our beef. The really sad "fact" is that most beef are bred to be "hot" and finished out in a feed lot. But, I will admit when it comes to taste the breed has a lot to do with it. In addition grass fed/grass finished is just healthier.


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