Post by whistlingwoman on Dec 26, 2009 12:05:29 GMT -5
Ok, I bought this jersey heifer who was supposed to be bred, but wasn't. The guy I bought her from (the guy who told me she was bred) told me that she was three years old and had had one calf already. We've attempted AI three times, and had her heat synched the last time...no luck. So, it looks like Dulcie (not near as "sweet" as her name would imply) is destined for the freezer or the sale barn. I would rather butcher her, but I have some concerns.
I've heard that there's something different about jersey meat, but I don't remember what it is...something about the fat, maybe? So my first question is whether or not the meat will be good. How will her age impact the quality of the meat? Her diet? She gets about three pounds of corn with mineral supplements each day, and all the hay she wants, and she's quite chubby. I'm guessing her at about 800-900 pounds.
The next concern is the butcher. It sounds like our local guy is going to charge $.50 a pound, but there are extra charges for picking her up, hanging, wrapping, etc. so it looks like it will average almost $1.00 a pound. And, while it may seem sentimental, I would very much want to make the process as unstressful on Dulcie as possible. So, how feasible is it to do it ourselves? We've done deer ourselves, and we have a couple of people to help, one of whom actually sounds like he knows what he's doing. The weather is cold, we could hang her in the garage, we have good knives, a bone saw and a grinder...so, how extensive is this process?
Finally, any words of advice would be welcome. If anyone knows anything that will make this whole thing easier, I'd appreciate hearing it.
Thanks.
I've heard that there's something different about jersey meat, but I don't remember what it is...something about the fat, maybe? So my first question is whether or not the meat will be good. How will her age impact the quality of the meat? Her diet? She gets about three pounds of corn with mineral supplements each day, and all the hay she wants, and she's quite chubby. I'm guessing her at about 800-900 pounds.
The next concern is the butcher. It sounds like our local guy is going to charge $.50 a pound, but there are extra charges for picking her up, hanging, wrapping, etc. so it looks like it will average almost $1.00 a pound. And, while it may seem sentimental, I would very much want to make the process as unstressful on Dulcie as possible. So, how feasible is it to do it ourselves? We've done deer ourselves, and we have a couple of people to help, one of whom actually sounds like he knows what he's doing. The weather is cold, we could hang her in the garage, we have good knives, a bone saw and a grinder...so, how extensive is this process?
Finally, any words of advice would be welcome. If anyone knows anything that will make this whole thing easier, I'd appreciate hearing it.
Thanks.