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Josh wrote: ↑Fri Jan 26, 2024 7:41 pm

RZehr wrote: ↑Fri Jan 26, 2024 7:39 pm This is the first beef that I've boughten in this way for quite a few years. I suppose 10 years? Prior to this one, I think we pretty much killed our own beef. I know that live cattle prices hit all time highs this last year, and really haven't returned.

I paid $600 for a heifer calf and then a year later $1,000 for a bull calf. With those kind of prices, I'd have to charge a lot if I ever slaughtered them. Admittedly they are special breed but the era of being able to buy quality calves cheap is over.

If my neighbor sold 1/2 of this steer to me, and 1/2 to another neighbor, he would have sold this steer for $3,324.( Hanging weight (1,108 pounds x $3 per pound)
This was just a basic beef steer breed, nothing fancy or strange. This steer would have weight roughly 1,700 pounds on the hoof.

I though rabbit trails and cowpaths are the hallmarks of MennoNet, and I do enjoy cattle. But if you'd rather not say that's fine.

eccentric_rambler wrote: ↑Fri Jan 26, 2024 7:48 pm I though rabbit trails and cowpaths are the hallmarks of MennoNet, and I do enjoy cattle. But if you'd rather not say that's fine.

Oh, it's no problem. I have Scottish Highlands. Bought a pair from my neighbour, and my bull calf keeled over dead one day, so I found another person with a herd and bought a bull calf from him.

If I'm lucky they'll breed this spring and I'll have calves in spring of 2025... if I'm not lucky, I'll be waiting even longer. The calves are 2 and 2½ years old. Highlands are a "long game".

RZehr wrote: ↑Fri Jan 26, 2024 6:26 pm I’m not complaining

Really? It sure seems like you have a beef with the price.

ohio jones wrote: ↑Fri Jan 26, 2024 9:07 pm

RZehr wrote: ↑Fri Jan 26, 2024 6:26 pm I’m not complaining

Really? It sure seems like you have a beef with the price.

Well I’m not complaining that it was a terrible price all things considered. If that’s where the going price is, that’s what it is. I’m not complaining that I specifically overpaid.
I’m complaining that the cattle market is so high, and everyone has to pay high prices.

https://www.barkdranch.com/
This is my other neighbor. He sold me the place where I currently live. He raises purebred registered Angus bulls. He said that he used to sell his young bulls about 14 months old for about $4,000 each on average. This last year he said he averaged about $8,000 each. A while back I went to a ranch bull sale and saw some go around $20,000.

I am happy for the guys raising cattle. It’s tough to make a profit some years.

Josh wrote: ↑Fri Jan 26, 2024 8:32 pmOh, it's no problem. I have Scottish Highlands. Bought a pair from my neighbour, and my bull calf keeled over dead one day, so I found another person with a herd and bought a bull calf from him.

If I'm lucky they'll breed this spring and I'll have calves in spring of 2025... if I'm not lucky, I'll be waiting even longer. The calves are 2 and 2½ years old. Highlands are a "long game".

Wow. I almost bought a pair 7 years ago. Supposedly the meat is still tender, even if the animal is 10-15 years old.

I am apparently still a city girl raised only buying packaged meat in grocery store. I then don't think of the actual animal.

At a gathering I visited 2 cows on the property. My friend pointed out 1/2 of one of the cows she bought for future MN eat. Ugh my heart hurt.

Christmas comes & she has a potluck. I exclaimed how good her meatballs were to which she replied "Val remember that cow you visited in the summer?"

Highland cows are so beautiful & we share their ancestry, I thought they were raised to just stand around looking beautiful.

You can take the girl out of the city but can't take some of the city out of the girl-

Where I work beef is so expensive I wait till they mark it down to 40% off when it gets close to expiration. Beef has skyrocketed

Valerie wrote: ↑Sat Jan 27, 2024 7:33 am
Highland cows are so beautiful & we share their ancestry, I thought they were raised to just stand around looking beautiful.

Valerie wrote: ↑Sat Jan 27, 2024 7:33 am At a gathering I visited 2 cows on the property. My friend pointed out 1/2 of one of the cows she bought for future MN eat.

How thoughtful of her! Now we just have to find a way for a bunch of us to get together for a few meals.

Ernie wrote: ↑Fri Jan 26, 2024 9:55 pm

Josh wrote: ↑Fri Jan 26, 2024 8:32 pmOh, it's no problem. I have Scottish Highlands. Bought a pair from my neighbour, and my bull calf keeled over dead one day, so I found another person with a herd and bought a bull calf from him.

If I'm lucky they'll breed this spring and I'll have calves in spring of 2025... if I'm not lucky, I'll be waiting even longer. The calves are 2 and 2½ years old. Highlands are a "long game".

Wow. I almost bought a pair 7 years ago. Supposedly the meat is still tender, even if the animal is 10-15 years old.

It’s higher fat content (so the cuts end up being more like prime cuts). The milk is higher butterfat (on the extreme end as high as 10%).

On the flip side they don’t grow nearly as quickly. It can take 5-7 years to get up to 1,200 lb animal. They gestate longer (12 months) and don’t have twins. They aren’t sexually mature until at least 2 years old. Milk yield is modest (less than 3 gallons per day).

Commercial Holsteins/Friesians run much “faster”. In the flip side, Highlands don’t get as many diseases and don’t need to eat as much since they don’t grow as fast. They don’t need supplemental feed including during cold winters. They can by on just pasture; don’t even need hay over winter as long as you have enough pasture. I have 5 acres of pasture and I don’t even come close to using it all with 2 350 lb calves.