Grass fed brisket knocks em dead

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trevorgreycattleco

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Took a brisket up to a local chef. He's BBQ for over twenty years. I told him nothing. We did some horse trading and he agreed to smoke it for me. Long story short, it was a huge hit!!!! He now wants me to supply his beef. If you are in central Ohio and have ever ate RT 62 BBQ. That's the guy. He just retired from there and moved to my best buddies bar here in my hometown.

So all you nay sayers on grass fed beef, here's something to chew on. It can be done.
 

trevorgreycattleco

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And here is the kicker. It was a 1050 bull. 16 months old. Not the weight I'd hoped for but not bad. I fed this dude marginal hay at best last year and it was a minimum. They grazed dormant pastures most times. I killed him after he had ate the flush of grass that spring and early summer provides. I think that's the key.
 

GoWyo

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Pirates invented barbecue so they could stand to eat billy goat meat.  How can you go wrong with beef?
 

smo

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not to throw rocks but i still think if you took the same calf and put it on grain it would have tasted better
 

trevorgreycattleco

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Perhaps a grain fed would taste better but it also costs a lot more. I'm not trying to say I'm the best or anything. It was just nice to hear him go on about the flavor and tenderness. Plenty of fat to melt as it was smoked. he was putting a temp probe into all the briskests and told me mine was like butter.

Oh and this calf was 100% angus. OCC X Shoshone X Keeney
 

Doc

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trevorgreycattleco said:
And here is the kicker. It was a 1050 bull. 16 months old. Not the weight I'd hoped for but not bad. I fed this dude marginal hay at best last year and it was a minimum. They grazed dormant pastures most times. I killed him after he had ate the flush of grass that spring and early summer provides. I think that's the key.

Just curious why you would leave him a bull if you were going to eat him?
 

Okotoks

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We have put yearling bulls in the deep freeze and no one was able to tell they had not been steered. I think that identifying a niche market where you can keep your inputs low and still command a higher price is smart thinking. If those bloodlines work and you create a demand you can always refine the feeding process or any other inputs that increase the quality.
 

Doc

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Okotoks said:
We have put yearling bulls in the deep freeze and no one was able to tell they had not been steered. I think that identifying a niche market where you can keep your inputs low and still command a higher price is smart thinking. If those bloodlines work and you create a demand you can always refine the feeding process or any other inputs that increase the quality.

I have also. But it was because I bought a bull at like a spring beef expo that was at market price and finished and ready to go straight to the slaughterhouse after a 30 day hold out period. If I'm feeding them out myself then I leave them a bull until they are about a year old if I have the room to do it and then finish them out. If I'm pushed for space where they will have to be around cows then I go ahead and steer them and don't have to worry about them breeding something or fighting.
 

trevorgreycattleco

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I hauled cows for a old timer few years back. He laughed at steering a bull. I thought he was nuts. Then I ate it. If the bull isn't breeding he should be good to go to eat. Plus IMO they grow better, more muscle, less fat. The fat from a grain finished steer is where the health problems start IMO.

 

trevorgreycattleco

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trevorgreycattleco

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GoWyo said:
Pirates invented barbecue so they could stand to eat billy goat meat.  How can you go wrong with beef?

Many a slip between a Dixie cup and a lip. Have you never ate a bad piece of BBQ? Obviously you've at very good as well. When someone has made their living selling BBQ, and has done very well, it's nice to know the animal I raised is a fantastic eating expirience. That's cool. And I did it for half if not more then half what it costs to finish one on grain.
 

Doc

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trevorgreycattleco said:
I hauled cows for a old timer few years back. He laughed at steering a bull. I thought he was nuts. Then I ate it. If the bull isn't breeding he should be good to go to eat. Plus IMO they grow better, more muscle, less fat. The fat from a grain finished steer is where the health problems start IMO.

You are right. If he isn't breeding then you should be good to go. Also, you are correct leaving him a bull as long as you can will help on the growth and that is why I like the callicrate bander (because I can steer bigger bulls). But I also like to steer one at the end to help with the marbling .
 

knabe

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what studies are out there that measure marbling at one month intervals the entire life of the animal besides pharo?
 

trevorgreycattleco

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knabe said:
what studies are out there that measure marbling at one month intervals the entire life of the animal besides pharo?


Good question. Does being a steer increase marbling ? Maybe a dumb question. In the English breeds the marbling is there already. It's not a concern of mine. Tenderness is more important to me.
 

knabe

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considering the type of cattle that stadler purchased, he should know if the killing before stop gaining is correct.
 

RyanChandler

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That's great, man.  Nothing like a compliment like that from a BBQ man. 

I do have cpl questions though.  How much $ would it have cost to put an additional 250lbs on him?  How much would an additional 250lbs retail for you?  If my thinkings right- I think you could almost triple your money per additional dollar invested.  (Based on the price you said you were getting on ground on FB) 

I think here, where you're working with hanging weight, you could calculate the cost of gain against hanging weight less processing. 




 

trevorgreycattleco

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-XBAR- said:
That's great, man.  Nothing like a compliment like that from a BBQ man. 

I do have cpl questions though.  How much $ would it have cost to put an additional 250lbs on him?  How much would an additional 250lbs retail for you?  If my thinkings right- I think you could almost triple your money per additional dollar invested.  (Based on the price you said you were getting on ground on FB) 

I think here, where you're working with hanging weight, you could calculate the cost of gain against hanging weight less processing.

Can't argue that. I did the math on selling burger for 8 bucks a lb like whole foods or the yuppie farmers markets in the Columbus area. If I fed him up another 250 lbs I couldn't sell as grass fed and garner the premium. Unless I fed high quality hay in winter instead of first cutting bunk I may see those gains there.

I think I finally found my niche. No assoc or papers needed.
 
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