Dexters and Beef - Where do we go from here

wagra dexters · Post by **wagra dexters** » Fri Feb 16, 2007 2:27 pm

Thank you, Inger.
The above photo was taken last Winter, Whoisit having recently weaned a well grown Spring calf, so she is a bit down.
The purpose of the photo is to demonstrate that the shorter leg can be achieved without the dwarfing gene, for which we thank you, Beryl.

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Fri Feb 16, 2007 5:23 pm

Australian Dexter-Limousin Cross
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If you recall, I said this esrlier in the topic...

"On the Australian Dexter Society site, a Dexter-Limousin won it's beef class out of a big field, and a Limousin-Dexter came second. They point out that the Limousin Bull to Dexter Cow coupling was a mistake and is NOT recommended. Apparently they want smaller carcases in Australia which is interesting."

I asked for their opinion of the beef and said I owuld report back. They said this...

"The carcass actually lost points for too much marbling. We bought back some and it is magnificent in taste and tenderness."

Clive

Inger · Post by **Inger** » Fri Feb 16, 2007 10:41 pm

The Australian meat board must be after the Japanese market, where they only want small cuts of meat. Unlike the American market, where some of the steakhouses serve up huge sized steaks. I wonder why they thought there was too much marbling? Do you think the fat content is an issue?

I must admit, I'd be very nervous about using a Limousin bull over a Dexter cow. What was the range of birthweights of the calves?

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 5:02 am

Inger

The Limousin bull to the dexter was a mistake and they emphasise that it is not recommended.

The calf was in fact though 28kg, which isn't huge, but a bit big for a heifer. I've had over 30kg pure dexter. My understanding from others, is that with crossing to a bigger bull (except maybe continental?) if you control the diet, the calf would be OK size-wise.

I think the loss of score due to too much marbling must be that they score on fat content.

Small cuts? Maybe the Australian families are getting smaller like ours? Whatever the reason, they don't want great chunks of meat presumably. That certainly applies to some butchers around where I live for beef and lamb.

Clive

Inger · Post by **Inger** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 12:42 pm

Yes 28 - 30 kg is fairly common in our older cows. In fact one of our heifers had a 28kg calf and her second calf was similarly large. But our average birthweight is 25-26kg.

wagra dexters · Post by **wagra dexters** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 1:28 pm

You are surprising me with calf weights. We used to get weights 21 to 24 kg, the only 27 kg gave us problems, but we now have them 15 to 18 kg, the smallest ever was a Hiyu Salty Rambler calf out of a Hedgehog 3rd cow at 13 kg, and grew out to be a good steer. We do not have any short leg cows, nor do we ever use short leg bulls.
The steers that we just sent off at 15 months were born 16 & 18 kg, made liveweight to go at 200 & 225 kgs, because we couldn't carry them on, on a severely drought stricken year, so I wonder how that would compare with the bigger birthweights.
The feedlots that our Murray Grey friends use require frame score 5 minimum steers, full grown at about 135 to 140 cm height, for the Jap Ox and Korean markets, but the same growers can sell 400 kg weaner steers for the local trade. Some are weaning at 520kg. (Our cows weigh a maximim of 300 kg).

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 9:22 am

I would say our average is about 25-26kg. But 30kg plus happens fairly regularly. We never have anything less than 20kg.

We control feeding by letting them run out (but not for too long), and feed calvers hay rather than silage. All the cows are in fit condition and not overweight, but they're certainly not thin. When they are on hay, my lot eat a fair bit more than if they are on silage, so I do wonder whether the hay actually makes any difference. I had all our forage tested and there wasn't actually much difference betwen the hay and silage.

Clive

Inger · Post by **Inger** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 11:43 am

We have had cows that were 250 kgs, but we also have 350 kg cows. Our smallest full term calf would be 22kgs. Most of our cows are long-legged. I haven't got the list of birth weights available at the moment, but I could find out the range at a later date.

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 5:47 pm

On the calf size issue, the only time we have had serious problems with calving, except a little with heifers, is when we penned up calvers, still in the same group but separated within the group. We had trouble with every one. We assume that they did not like being separated, and held back letting the calves get seriously big and a real problem.

Now we leave them in groups, whether in or outdoors and have had few problems (so far!).

Clive

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 5:44 pm

Hello Margaret (Wagra)

Very Tall Dexter
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Some time ago in this topic, you asked me to get back to you about my very tall dexter steer. All I got from the butcher was he was good, quite lean and came out at circa 200kg deadweight.

At the same time I took a normal biggish dexter steer and he was just slightly less deadweight.

Not much info I'm afraid but hope that tells you something. I'm not happy with the steer because I had to take him to 29.999 months to get him to an acceptable condition.

He wasn't skinny, bony tall, he was fit and lean tall. Like me about 40 years ago.

Clive

wagra dexters · Post by **wagra dexters** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 1:15 am

Thanks, Clive.
Weren't we all? Some of you may still well be. Clive, do you calculate the average cost per kg of the meat that ends up in your freezer, or is that meat sold on to the butcher?
We have two yearlings to pick up on Thursday. They looked too good to sell on through the abs. That meat will be on trays, and cling wrapped, but we franticly put each pack into a freezer bag to avoid sticking, then next day I will weigh as I rearrange the freezers. There is always something that is not quite solid.
Margaret.

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 9:16 am

Hi Margaret

Most go to butcher and we just get a deadweight and cheque. We have not kept meticulous records of what goes in freezer, which are small dexters usually, but on average there appears to be about 100-110kg of meat per animal which we end up getting £7 per kilo for family and friends, overall (packs of 5kg being the most popular). I am going to keep better records in the future, specific cuts as well.

I am also going to produce a private web site shortly with price (and cost) information for anyone who wishes to share their figures to help each other. A lot of people do not know what to charge.

Our packing is literally just poly bags, sealed and snipped, with a label. I like the trays and film, but am trying not to us polystyrene, which is what we tell people and they seem to accept it. But the trays are good and we may change over.

Clive

Farrant · Post by **Farrant** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 5:48 pm

We are the same - charging £7/kg mixed packs of everything. Liver, kidney, oxtail etc is given to anyone who wants/asks for it. As for packaging we use supermarket freezer bags with wire tags and white printed labels. We tell all our customers that we try to keep packaging to a minimum and so far they are all in full aggreement.

Martin - I can't believe Coopers is closing - that is terrible news.

Martin · Post by **Martin** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 6:00 pm

Hi Farrant,
you are right, it is terrible news, I was only there a few months ago at a butchery demonstration. I found out only because I called to see if they kill 24-30 months old and to book a steer in for next month. Where to from here? the choice gets smaller every day.

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 10:20 am

Forgot to say, in our mixed packs, we exclude fillet which we always sell separately to customer who only want fillet.

Clive