Fat or "Finished"?

"Finished" is a trade word in the cattle industry for animals that have hit their peak weight without excessive body fat.  This three year old barren heifer has a lot of the beef frame we are breeding for but couldn't give us any calves.  She has been on the same feed as the rest of the herd- hay, grass pasture, and cull carrots.  I'm guessing the marbling will be great on this carcass but would need an ultrasound to know for sure how much body fat there will be.  She probably weighs 1400 pounds.

Grass "finished" beef happens naturally with the Galloway breed.  It only happens in most of the exotic breeds with antibiotics, hormones and high octane feeds that are forced.  That's the source of most of the commercial meats in the stores.

Youngest Heifer #45 Finally Drops a Boy #77- 6/23/16

I lost 45 for a couple of days and she showed up with a very friendly, curious red tipped boy 6/23/16.  I didn't have the heart to spoil his trust by grabbing him and tagging him.  We'll put #77 in his ear first time through the chute.

Breeding Duty 2016

Starting July 4 the genetics for next year's calves will be deposited by these two bulls.  #47 will lead.  His dam was from this herd and went to John Hett who bred her with a gentle giant that finished out over 2000 pounds.





After 30 days the cleanup breeding will belong to Hercules #291.  His dam is another of our cows that transferred to Aaron Seeger who manages the herd in Delta.  Hercules's dam was artificially inseminated from semen collected from the late registered Glenfiddich Pericles # 21137 from the Blegen Galloway herd in Canada. Pericles was a champion at beef exhibitions in Canada and the US.   His mature weight was 2566 pounds. Hercules is really developing well and is not yet a year old.  He will be the lead bull next year.

I go into some of this detail so you know that a lot of intentionality goes into managing a quality beef herd and producing dependable, good natured breed stock that is still good eating.

Bulls Enjoy Dandelion Hay

I have been so thankful for this bunch of bulls this summer.  They have been out three times.  Twice they let themselves out by unhooking the gate.  They enjoyed grass from the road right-of-way and put themselves back by the time I showed up in the morning.  Last time I left a gate open and two of them walked out to mow grass and were very obliging to walk back where they knew they belonged.  The cows come up to tempt them almost daily but they have never gotten through those gates.

#31 has Black Bull- #76- 6/4/16

#31 had been away from the herd for a week and finally showed up with a speedy little bull- #76.  Will probably name him Emil after Emily Hughes that got married on the farm today.