Old beef?

[nigel5022]

I have a 4 and half year old cow who will not hold to the bull (she has had one calf only). Would she be worth butchering and hung as a normal finisher or should she just be minced for sausages and burgers? The other option would be to send her to market as a barren but what sort of price might I expect.Any thoughts or past experiences appreciated.

[SteveM]

have you thought of sending her direct to slaughter, we send cull animals to dawn foods at carnaby

[Buryhill Dexters]

Nigel as long is she is fit I would butcher her as normal, 4 years is not old and it will be some of the best beef you have ever eaten, also as she is properly matured you should not need to hang for as long as usual.

A while back I had a 7 year 5th calver that escaped (abandoning her young calf too) into a neighbouring field of about 50 acres with a big bunch of black & white heifers and we had no chance of catching her. So she remained there all summer until the heifers were got in, at which point we took her straight to slaughter initially intending to sell her as a cull cow to the slaughterhouse however after seeing the condition of her decided to have the beef back and I was extremely pleased I did as it was definitely some of the best beef I have ever eaten.

[Rob R]

have you thought of sending her direct to slaughter, we send cull animals to dawn foods at carnaby

How much do you get from Dawn, Steve?

[domsmith]

We are just killing 36-40 month cows that were not in calf and i didnt want to keep them. the beef has been amazing! selling direct to a restaurant and he thinks its the best.

i have killed an 8 year old and sold it through farmers markets and i still get asked if i have any more of it.

dom

[Broomcroft]

At our local cull abattoir, a small Dexter cow would get £150-200. Something big will get £500-600. An average non-short Dexter say around £350? Those prices are 1-2 years old, probably better now, not sure.

[nigel5022]

Thanks for your thoughts, it seems a shame not to benefit from the beef ourselves. As a matter of interest which local market do you use Clive? We are in Shropshire too.

[Broomcroft]

Hi Nigel, We send our to ABP Shrewsbury (abattoir), but you have to be farm assured to send them there. Never tried the market, but would like to know what they go for there. Maybe if you phoned Shrewsbury Market they might be able to give you an idea? They are pretty good there and Dexters do go through quite often, but not sure about culls as I don't go to that.

[dragonrouge]

Slightly off topic, but does anyone have any comments on the merits or otherwise of mature entire bull beef?
I have a 3 year old bull that needs to be culled due to his antics towards me! Is it worth considering him for home consumption or is he well past it!!??

Thanks

[Rob R]

Don't stress him too much or put him near any females before slaughter and I'm sure it'll be perfectly good eating.

[Broomcroft]

Slightly off topic, but does anyone have any comments on the merits or otherwise of mature entire bull beef?
I have a 3 year old bull that needs to be culled due to his antics towards me! Is it worth considering him for home consumption or is he well past it!!??

Thanks

Only done one at 27 months old, he'd never worked, and was well-finished. I have mixed feelings. The fattier cuts, sirloin etc, were the best beef we've ever tasted at the time. But some of the leaner cuts were horrendously tough, only good for shoe leather (if you could have got the nails through). If it were going in my freezer I might take the risk, but I lost a lot of customer because I supplied them with bull beef. One tough steak and that's the last you here from them!

[Rob R]

I used to regularly kill bulls up to 30 months of age with no problems of toughness in any of them, nor any taint. Only stopped when the need came to mix heifers with the finishers. I too would only risk working bulls in my own freezer, though.