marbling

[knabe]

http://www.thebeefsite.com/articles/2373/start-cattle-on-corn-finish-on-coproducts

 

[nate53]

Interesting Knabe,

I've always been taught that marbling is started early in a calf's life, there is even articles about what the cows are eating when pregnant makes a difference in the marbling of the calf.  This is the first I heard of feeding grain early to develop marbling and then finish on byproducts.  Sounds like it would be worth a try.

 

[TJ]

"The traditional practice of finishing cattle on corn may not be the only way to achieve high marbling, a desirable characteristic of quality beef."

The above statement taken from Knabe's link is absolutely 100% correct.  Corn isn't the only way.  High marbling can be achieved on pasture IF you have the right genetics. 
   

 

[Aussie]

"The traditional practice of finishing cattle on corn may not be the only way to achieve high marbling, a desirable characteristic of quality beef."

The above statement taken from Knabe's link is absolutely 100% correct.  Corn isn't the only way.  High marbling can be achieved on pasture IF you have the right genetics.   
   

Have to agree with the above statements. Most of the British bred cattle here achieve marbling here on grass. The best results are from cattle the have that have not had check their entire lives. Its common sense really. Well bred cattle (the right genetics) feed right preform well no matter the form of protein.

 

[nate53]

When you all say high marbling, what are we talking about choice, prime?  Corn is high, but grass isn't always cheap or available.  The thing about grass around here is you have to have land for grass and land is high and going higher, and the past several years if it can be farmed it usually is so grass is somewhat scarce.  The land prices aren't all because of corn-ethanol either, pasture and timber ground has been going up around here well before the ethanol plants (mainly due to hunters buying ground).  

I'm curious what does it cost to finish out an animal on grass compared to finishing out an animal on grain.  The grass would be less input but would most likely take longer to finish and end up with lighter weights, so which one would be more profitable, is it even close. I could get a ballpark figure for the grainfed but have no idea on the grassfed.  Obviously genetics would be a big factor, but if you took the most effecient grain finishing animals and compared them to the most grass effecient animals how would things be?  I'm all for cows eating grass and doing the reproductive cycle on grass but things aren't quite as clear to me on the finishing side (at least the grass ones).  All options should be considered IMO.

 

[sue]

"The traditional practice of finishing cattle on corn may not be the only way to achieve high marbling, a desirable characteristic of quality beef."

The above statement taken from Knabe's link is absolutely 100% correct.  Corn isn't the only way.  High marbling can be achieved on pasture IF you have the right genetics.   
   

TJ
I am glad you pointed out the "right genetics. We can do what ever but the right genes and usually british influence can help this the most.

Let's remember that ultrasound at a YEAR OF AGE  GIVES US THE BEST AND MOST RELIABLE INFORMATION.  I have seen calves in drought condition that have 'genetic potential " but not ultrasound well because of drought or stress growing  conditions.
Obviously kill data too.

 

[aj]

I read an article on a herd that started baby calves on whole corn in creep feeders. They were getting something like 97% choice-prime carcasses in the end for the certified angus or whatever. What gets me is someone listing scan data on an individual. In some ways this is useless because of a fancy show ration being fed to them. I you are feeding a group of say 50 bull prospects.....in the same pen......on the same ration......and a bull rises to the top.......to me this is a bull with potential.

 

[HAB]

I agree with genetics being a major factor.  I am sure different feeding programs will help tap into the genetic potential.  We try and ultrasound all of the Galloways shown at the NWSS.  We are not talking large numbers, but a sampling from many different breeders. The technician has commented every year how well the cattle are marbled, yet aren't fat.  Most of these cattle, have had little if any grain.  Some of the cattle come from complete grass finishing breeders, who just "fed them the better hay".  Others fed "a couple of pounds of grain", literally 2 pounds, once a day.  Some of the Belted Galloway cattle were fed much harder, yet had lower marbling scores.  So again,  I feel genetics plays a major role.  Of course I was happy with the results, as one of my heifers had the highest marbling score, and only had .13 inches of backfat.  Of course she was getting 5 pounds of sweet feed, and grass hay, so no where near a typical show ration.

HAB

 

[nate53]

We usually wean calves at around 6 months or so and then they get hand fed for a month or so to get them up on feed.  Then they get put on self feeders till slaughter.  The handfed ration is corn with some alfalfa ground in, the self feeders are corn with some ADM beeftrate mixed in but it is like 95% corn, they are fed freechoice straw or cornstalks in bale rings when they are on the self feeders.  We then sell on the grid out at U.S. Premium.  This has been our method for the past 15 or more years, it has worked very well for us.  That being said we have fed out cattle at 3 different locations but all within 3 miles of each other, 2 of these locations the cattle consistently grade 30 - 40 % prime and 99% percent choice (every once in a while we get a dark cutter or select but not very often).  The other location the cattle consistently grade middle 60's and a couple trailers have went low 70's on prime with the rest being choice.  The genetics of these three locations are identical they are all from the same herd, they all get treated the same, same feed, same setup, same time frame on going to slaughter, the only noticeable difference is the water, all three places have different well watersupplies but something must be different about the one locations water, all water has been tested for coliform and ecoli but no difference, and all neg.  THinking about taking samples and trying to get a more indepth result.  Something has to be different about the water as everything else seems to be identical. 
If and I do mean if high corn is here to stay, well either way other options need to be explored and get some good reliable #'s  on those other options, for people to make good economical decisions for their operation.  IMO