From Birth to Steak a Look at Where Your Beef Comes from Calves Finishing • a Cow Gives Birth 285 Days After • at Approximately 900 Lbs,Or About She Becomes Pregnant

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From Birth to Steak A Look At Where Your Beef Comes From Calves Finishing • A cow gives birth 285 days after • At approximately 900 lbs,or about she becomes pregnant. 12 months of age, grain finished cattle destined for beef go on feed • Most calves are born in either the (a balanced ration of grain and Fall (September-November) or roughage). This can be either on Spring (January-March) although the farm or in a feedlot. some cattle producers will calve all • Grain finished cattle are put on feed to help them efficiently gain weight, year long with a goal of about 2 lbs of gain a • At birth most calves will weigh day. between 65 and 90 lbs. • They will stay on feed until they Processing • Calves will stay with their dams reach about 1200 lbs, approximately • Once steers (and sometimes 14-15 months of age. They will be (mothers) for 6-9 months heifers) reach the proper weight ready to process when they have a and fat cover, they are then • During this time their primary Weaning certain amount of external fat. processed. On average these source of food is milk from their • At 6-9 months of age the calves are • Grass finished cattle will continue to animals will weight approximately dam, and the grass or roughage weaned off their dams and placed in be fed forage (grass and hay) until 1200-1300 lbs, though this weight a field or pen with other calves of a they reach the proper amount of fat will vary - anywhere from 1000- (hay) that is available. 1500 lbs and rarely more or less. similar age and weight. cover and weight. Generally, these • Some producers will provide cattle will take longer to reach the • On average, beef cattle have a some supplemental feed for calves • Most calves will weigh 500-700 lbs proper stage. dressing percent of 60-62% (usually referred to creep feed) at weaning. • For both grass and grain finished meaning a 1200 lbs live steer will • These calves will be backgrounded cattle, the breed (Angus, Simmental, have a carcass weight of about 720 etc.) will have an effect on how long lbs (1200x0.60). for several months. Backgrounding • As the carcass is processed, some simply means feeding calves mostly it takes to reach the proper stage, so weight and age will vary some of the fat and bone will be trimmed on forage (grass or hay), with some between breeds. away. Because of this, a 720 lb supplemental feed if needed. This is carcass will yield about 468 lbs of meat (depending on the amount of an economical way to add pounds to fat and bone left). the calf without having to spend a lot • The carcass will be cut into steaks, of money on feed so that they can roasts, ground beef and other cuts. enter the feedlot at a higher weight. It can be sold as a whole or half beef, or can be sold as individual • Calves will generally stay here until retails cuts like you see in a grocery they are approximately 900 lbs. store.