Hay vs Grass ?

[SKF]

What is the difference from hay and grass? Our fair has a rule NO grass the last 90 days. We always turn our calves out to exercise and during that time they will graze on some grass. They get hay everyday as well with their grain. The Fair's reasoning is that grass ruins the flavor of the meet. If hay is grass how does grass ruin the taste of the meat?

 

[Show Dad]

Maybe it's dark cutters they are trying to avoid. It does sound like a silly rule though. Because there are a number of factors that affect taste in beef.

 

[chambero]

It's a silly rule, but the theory is that steers running on grass don't grade out as well and can have an off-taste to meat if they are getting a bunch of weeds and other junk mixed in.  Frankly, that old idea is fairly antiquated - especially with the push for some grass fed beef.  Is it an old rule intended to make sure kids put their calves on feed for at least 90 days?

I would keep turning them out like always.  What grass they get isn't where they are getting their nutrition from.  You are keepign with the spirit of the rule.

 

[shortyisqueen]

Straight grass creates yellow fat as opposed to the more white color of fat from a grain-fed diet. The little bit of grass your steers are eating, as Chambero said, is not going to make a difference though. Dark cutters wouldn't be caused by grass feeding - more so by stress.

 

[shorthorns r us]

Straight grass creates yellow fat as opposed to the more white color of fat from a grain-fed diet. The little bit of grass your steers are eating, as Chambero said, is not going to make a difference though. Dark cutters wouldn't be caused by grass feeding - more so by stress.

congratulations on a great sale day at agribition

 

[knabe]

Straight grass creates yellow fat as opposed to the more white color of fat from a grain-fed diet. The little bit of grass your steers are eating, as Chambero said, is not going to make a difference though. Dark cutters wouldn't be caused by grass feeding - more so by stress.

congratulations on a great sale day at agribition

yellow fat is created by excess carotene not converted into vitamin A and stored in the liver.  it used to be thought it may have come from chlorophyll b or other carotenoids on non-green pasture.

also of note, the mg atom in the chorophyll is replaced by a hydrogen atom if cooked too long, so don't overcook those vege's to get your Mg


agribition sale?  the  thriller steer?

 

[shortyisqueen]

congratulations on a great sale day at agribition

Thanks SRU! There was probably one of the best sets of Shorthorn cattle I have seen in the barns at Agribition, and a huge amount of interest and enthusiasm, so I think things will just continue to get better! Knabe, I have posted an updated pic of the Thriller steer in my original CWA Prospect Steer thread (so as not to steal this thread!!!). The show and sale for the steers went well for us too, so I think we can write it off as a successful trip. Although I missed steerplanet, because no matter where I looked, I couldn't find a wireless internet connection for my ipod!

 

[knabe]

out here, horse hay usually means more grass, all grass.  gets about $17 at the feed store.  i usually buy a low % alfalfa orchard/timothy type hay for mine as she gets a little sore with too much alfalfa, usually around 1-16.  forage mix, usually a mix of barley, wheat, oats, weeds gets anywhere from 10-13.  these are 3 twine bails ~100-120 lb bales.  it's kinda hard to find 2-wire, and especially round bales unless you are in the valley.  kinda suprised more people don't use the 2-wire bales as they are a lot lighter, and i would say in my parts, >90% of the horsey folk are women.  hay is really hard to find right now.  i'm planting more sweet corn next year, taller varieties too. with sweet peas in the furrows.