Post by Applelonia on Feb 12, 2023 22:52:37 GMT -5
Tomorrow we are having a steer butchered - he was separated this afternoon and is worked up - pacing fence line and bellowing. Will this greatly affect meat flavor? Texture? Or is it minimal affect to the meat?
I moved both Coon and Co thinking since they are buddies they’d help keep each other calm …doesn’t seem to be working. They were okay at first …for a few hours and then tonight they are all worked up.
We had a butcher date in May, but our hay guy had an extra spot (with the same butcher) that he was not going to need. He is going to be hauling the steer for us tomorrow.
About a month ago, I separated the steers in preparation for future butchering …give them time to calm down with being separated from their herd…only to discover the electric fence was not working. And they were attempting to go back to their herd …found them with front halves out and back halves in …I immediately put them back with their herd.
Ended up having several issues going on with the fence. Our electrician worked on it a little last month …then was not able to come back until this past week to work on it again. Saturday we got a different fencer hooked up - and final issue fixed - finally fence is hot!! Still have some corrections to be done to the main large pasture/back pasture area, but cows are not in those zones now.
So, I moved the steers behind the barn this afternoon in with Iris and her herd. Can not load from their current pasture area - hence needing to move them. From the barn zone - he’ll be herded into the end stall and gates will funnel him onto the trailer that will be backed up to the overhead door.
I’d prefer to move him in the morning to the barn area…but, our hay guy will be there before sunrise - he has his own steer going in that morning as well, so I can’t risk messing up his appointment if I couldn’t get the steer moved from his herd to the barn zone. I needed to move them from their herd - into the center holding pen area - then about a 400 or so foot line through an open pasture - that has Flower and Rowie further down - and then into Iris and herds spot behind the barn.
If I did it in the morning, I’d be out there at 5am or so - complete dark - sorting and herding them. Most know voice commands so I open gates and tell certain ones to hold and herd others through, but in the dark …especially with Heiffy …Heiffy is one you always need to know where she’s at and watch her. She’s in heat, so the thought of venturing in there with her in the dark is unsettling. And with her being in heat that was getting the steers worked up as well, so in that regard it’s good they were moved.
I moved both Coon and Co thinking since they are buddies they’d help keep each other calm …doesn’t seem to be working. They were okay at first …for a few hours and then tonight they are all worked up.
We had a butcher date in May, but our hay guy had an extra spot (with the same butcher) that he was not going to need. He is going to be hauling the steer for us tomorrow.
About a month ago, I separated the steers in preparation for future butchering …give them time to calm down with being separated from their herd…only to discover the electric fence was not working. And they were attempting to go back to their herd …found them with front halves out and back halves in …I immediately put them back with their herd.
Ended up having several issues going on with the fence. Our electrician worked on it a little last month …then was not able to come back until this past week to work on it again. Saturday we got a different fencer hooked up - and final issue fixed - finally fence is hot!! Still have some corrections to be done to the main large pasture/back pasture area, but cows are not in those zones now.
So, I moved the steers behind the barn this afternoon in with Iris and her herd. Can not load from their current pasture area - hence needing to move them. From the barn zone - he’ll be herded into the end stall and gates will funnel him onto the trailer that will be backed up to the overhead door.
I’d prefer to move him in the morning to the barn area…but, our hay guy will be there before sunrise - he has his own steer going in that morning as well, so I can’t risk messing up his appointment if I couldn’t get the steer moved from his herd to the barn zone. I needed to move them from their herd - into the center holding pen area - then about a 400 or so foot line through an open pasture - that has Flower and Rowie further down - and then into Iris and herds spot behind the barn.
If I did it in the morning, I’d be out there at 5am or so - complete dark - sorting and herding them. Most know voice commands so I open gates and tell certain ones to hold and herd others through, but in the dark …especially with Heiffy …Heiffy is one you always need to know where she’s at and watch her. She’s in heat, so the thought of venturing in there with her in the dark is unsettling. And with her being in heat that was getting the steers worked up as well, so in that regard it’s good they were moved.