A whole new meaning to the term Frozen Beef!!!

Well, for anyone who hasn't been outside yet, it is cold!!   When I left to do snow it was -3 and by the time the sun came up it was -15.  I went out to check on everyone and found the cows all at the feeder.  They looked a little chilly and Frosty wasn't the only one frosted!!

 

Most people don't realize that cattle are not bothered by the cold like we are.  As long as they have protection from the wind they are perfectly at home in the cold.  They have a higher normal body temp than humans do and they act of digestion actually creates heat.  This is why they do not eat as much in the summer and their feed consumption goes up the colder it gets.  They will probably be at the feeder all day today do to the really low temps.  

The pigs were not as happy as the cows.  They were all piled on top of each other in the barn and only came out long enough to drink and then quickly went back inside.  

Everyone is still fine though and doing well.  We took two steers to the butcher Wednesday.  One was 1163 and the other was 1222.  Hanging weight, the weight of the carcass hanging on the rail which is just the meat and bones, was 640 and 672.  That makes the dressing percentage about 55%.  I am hoping to get that up to 60% through genetics.  They gained an average of 1.44lbs/day.  I expect that once I start having my own calves born here to fatten out that my rate of gain and dress percentage will go up.  I have had only one set so far that were born and raised here so far.  The steer average 1.98lbs/day and the heifer gained 1.58lbs/day.  

What I believe is happening here is a combination of things.  Until I am able to meet my demand with my own supply of steers I have to purchase calves at the auction or other sources to raise for meat.  This means that those steers have been weaned from their mother before coming here and most were stressed during the move also.  This stress coupled with a change of diet to all grass causes a period of little or not weight gain.  I do not wean the calves here.  I let their mothers do that when the time comes.  This means it will be done gradually and without any stress.  Meanwhile the calves raised here learn to eat out of the feeder very early  so by the time they are weaned they are already getting a full stomach of hay and are used to the diet.  If the numbers hold true from the first two born and raised here I will be able to take a steer from birth to 1200lbs in the same number of days or fewer than I can purchase a 500lb steer and fatten it out. 

These numbers probably won't mean much to most people, but to anyone who has or is currently raising cattle for meat they mean a lot.  I am very happy that my grass fed system is working.  I have always been told growing up that you have to have grain to raise a cow.  I am proving everyday that I can not only raise a cow on grass only but I can get good daily rate of gain (ROG) also.  I would like to be in the 2.25 to 2.5lb/day ROG range.  This will come with better genetics and time!

Last topic I want to bring up is the new pig feeder.  We put the barrel on top of the trough to allow for constant feed supply for the pigs.  This was a great idea and worked well for the first four days.  That's when the pigs figured out that the feed would continue to be there even if they rooted it out onto the floor.  So that is just what they did!!  They pretty much emptied the feeder all over the barn!  So to stop the waste I added a board to one side of each end of the feed, the side they were rooting feed off of, so they couldn't just flip it over the edge.  that worked for a couple of days also.  Now they are flipping it off of the other side.  So I think I will add a board to the other side and they will have to eat one at a time.  If you have any ideas feel free to leave them in the comments.  I am open to suggestions.  I will have to post some good pics next time we clean the pen.  

Clean the pen....that is another thing.  Due to the cold and the snow, the pigs decided to make a potty spot in the barn!!  Not cool.  They are making a mess in a hurry and I am not happy about it.  We will be building some pig pens and lots that can be cleaned with a skid steer as the current one can only be pitched out under the rubber flap covering the door way for the pigs to go outside.  We are gonna try something new the next time we clean.  We are gonna clean the pen as good as we can and then spray it down with Clorox to remove the poo and pee smell so they no longer think there is a potty spot in the barn.  

I will keep you posted,

Kenny