Has anyone had any experience with Jerseys for beef? Meat quality, growth rate etc? The only thing I know is that they are cheap. Thanks, Ken

Like a holstein, they are boney; don't raise em, just eat em.

other then they are smaller on average than most beef breeds i dont know much.....

http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/cattle/jersey/
"Jersey bulls are known for having the least docile temperament of the common breeds of cattle."

We bought a couple and raised them as pail calves. Growth rate sucked compared to the Holsteins and they were always getting out. They were cheap for a reason.

Ken:

Yeah...we used to do Jerseys all the time. Meat is good...not as good as Angus but good. Years ago there were lots of Jersey's in this area because many folks had Grade "B" milking operations and it was natural to use one of the calves for meat. Not much milking now but can still find a few Jerseys. We have beef cows now but don't save a calf for the deep freeze because the kids are gone and the wife and I can't eat that much. We sell the calf and go to Costco and buy what we want. Get better cuts of meat and not too much hamburger. Jerseys are cheaper and I wouldn't hesitate to put one in the deep freeze if I wanted a lot of meat....not as good as Angus but it's good.

Elwood

Feed the steer two five gallon buckets of feed a day and you'll fatten that sucker up pretty good. I suggest a 50/50 mixture of horse and mule feed and a good brand of show calf feed.
A good supply of alfalfa and clean water is also a must.
As soon as he hits 600lbs,it's time for "The Ride"...

It's been a good many years but have fattened and eaten several Jerseys or Jersey cross dairy critters. I like them fine but at their best their table qualities don't quite stack up with beef breeds like Hereford, etc. The fat on a hanging Jersey carcase tends to be slightly yellow rather than white like on beef breeds. Any taste difference is too subjective for me to prove. Muscle groups tend to be narrower, which makes fewer, smaller and sometimes odd shaped steaks, like on deer. I'd make a higher percentage of the critter into hamburger.

They are edible, nutritious, good... but not quite as good as a steer bred to produce beef.

added: looks like others posted similar comments while I was typing, from similar experience.

Mr. kend;
My sister who lives a few hours up the province from me used to raise a half dozen steers a year on their small acreage. They were usually either Holstein or Jersey crosses from the local dairies and they were cheap up here too.

This was back before our girls started hunting so we�d often buy a quarter or half off of her to supplement the couple deer I was allowed. As noted by others, it might not be up to the flavor of an Angus, but it ate pretty good I thought.

Bart sounds like he�s got a decent ration down if you want to just fatten one and then take it for a ride�unless you have a kill truck that can come to the yard like my sister had.

Good luck with your steers and Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Regards,
Dwayne

Ken, I've got friends that request that I save a few Jerseys for them to butcher. They claim that they are superior to any breed for table fare. The meat is very good, almost a buttery flavor..very tender.
Their performance in the feed yard is somewhat lacking..it takes a while to fatten one. They are not very aggressive at the bunk in a large pen of cattle. However, if you were feeding some out yourself in a small pen, they would do allright. FWIW James

Another thing that comes to mind is that you can also supplement the steers diet the last month with beer. Mix a couple of cans per 5 gallon bucket twice a day. This will promote digestion and make the beast just a little happier.
I worked on dairy farm and they slaughtered the male calves after they were sent to the feed lot.
Boggy Creek Ranger has been a cowman for a long time. Maybe you could PM him.

BrotherBart;
I have to laugh here at your beer idea, not because I think it wouldn't work - I'm sure it will.

But the standard Canuck comment when we go Stateside is how cheap the beer is, ours is much more costly.

It would likely kill the average frugal Canuck to feed his steer a couple beer a day when he could be drinking it!

It's a great idea though, thanks for sharing it.

Merry Christmas to you and yours Bart.

Dwayne

Y'all ain't got cheap beer up there?
The beer that I used was called Stag. Was the cheapest thing my Pop could find.
Merry Christmas to yours too...

The Jersey is a smallish dairy cow known for the high butterfat content of it's milk.

I've eaten Holstein steers and thought them to be good steaks and burger......

Never had Jersey but can't see why it too wouldn't be just fine.

Rob him of his jewels and he'll deliver you tender meat!

actually the high end Kobe beef is given beer every day....its just liquid grain

Mr. BC30cal----You are soooo correct in that the beer in your fine country is over priced but the PUBS and people usually make the adventure worth it...plus as long as you don't crush the cans they can be redeemed for money...usually a few loonies and a couple of Toonies.

But how come Pendleton Canadian Whiskey isn't available up north?

Best wishes to you and yours.

Mr. AceNeights;
I'd not heard of Pendleton until your post. I googled it and I'd like to get a bottle just 'cause they're kinda cool looking. I've never seen it here in BC, maybe in Alberta?

Next time you're up here, try the Tangle Ridge out if your taste runs to Canadian Whiskeys. It's a 10year old made by the folks that make Alberta Springs and they do a 2nd casking into sherry barrels for a nice smooth carmel taste. Well, I think it's not the worst anyway.

All the best to you and yours this Christmas season too.

Dwayne

my wife likes Canadian whiskeys though she prefers dark rums.....used to drink Crown and has since switched to Pendleton when she started to have a bad reaction to Crown, the fact it was cheaper didnt hurt will grab a bottle of Tangle Ridge next time we are north the border....

Grain fed Jersey steers beef will be a little leaner that Angus or Herefords. Cheaper on the hoof to buy. As posted previously slower to gain. Most farmers that have mixed cattle will eat the Jersey/ Jersey-cross and sell the Angus, Herefords and their cross to market for the city slickers. When it comes to eating steak you dont find many dumb farmers. GW

nah, they sell those cause they are worth more, why eat it when yah can sell it for a better price.....got a buddy that keeps a few longhorns on his place, aint worth chit at the market but he butchers a couple a year and turns the whole steer into burger cause it comes out super lean....sucks if your making burgers but damn good for any eats like chili and the like.....we usually buy a 40 or so pounds a year of the super lean burger for such dishes....

Jerseys, as a dairy breed, will not indeed can not, produce the quality of beef that a meat beef animal, like Angus, Hereford, Siemental, etc will. Jersey calves along with the holstines are what the burger joints use to make their hamburgers. Along with South American grass beef of course.

Not to say you can't finish one out like Bro Bart has lined out for you and produce some decent beef. Just won't be the quality like you are used to getting in the supermarket. The carcasse would do well to grade good. Most will only make standard. What you buy is low choice or high good in the markets. Dairy animals just wont marble like beef animals will.

One other thing to be aware of if you do finish one. It may have yellow fat. There is nothing at all wrong with that but it looks funny and the meat trade won't accept it. Gurnesys are notorious for yellow fat, jerseys not so much but it does happen.

The reason they are sold mostly on the open market is because the stocker or feed lot boys don't want anything to do with them. They mature and finish too slow to make any money off of. Same as longhorns.

If you try it good luck but it is probably going to cost you more than you could buy market beef for doing it on an individual basis. Good experience for you though.

BCR

ps Thanks for the vote of confidence Bro Bart.

I get a couple of Steers every year and sell all but a 1/4. I get a farm exemption on 4 of my 5 acres that saves me $1000 a year in taxes. Liberal social engineering at work. I'm a little reluctant to sell the Jersey meat to others having never tried it myself. This is the Craigslist post that sparked my curiosity. I think he needs some math tutoring.
I have some young yearling feeder steers. The biggest weighing about 700 pounds. They range in pricing from $150 up to $250 per head, or give me a reasonable offer on all of them. I will do part or all trades for Hay or farm equipment. The Auction says they are bringing about 50 cents per pound for these type cattle. Which makes them a very good Buy. They are jersey steers. Please call if you are interested, as they are going to the auction on tues. morning if no one buys them off the farm. 503 769-3692 or 503 910-5380.

Jersey beef is good tasting, just not a lot of it. Get them castrated asap, though. I have a theory that with breeds of cattle, the gentler the cow, the meaner the bull. A jersey cow is as gentle as they come but the bulls are the meanest.

That is a good deal!

About half price compared to a 500-600lb angus cross steer calf.

Howdy guys! I'm new here and just saw this older thread.
Maybe I can give a little advice on Jersey beef. My family has raised/milked Jerseys for 5 generations. So I've raised and eaten more than my fare share of it - either from the kitchen or from my campfire. Have half a yearling in the freezer and two new steer bottle calves just started for next fall.

YES- In most areas of the country, Jersey bull calves are cheap.

YES- Jersey bottle babies 'can' be a little fickle to raise if you do not have clean, dry housing, and know a little about dairy calf health/feed requirements. If you're buying a calf, make sure it is "farm fresh" (coming to you directly from the farm it was born on) and not from a stock yard or calf dealer. If the farm has a milking herd, then chances are good that the calf was born there.

YES- They are slower to grow. A well cared for yearling tops out at about 650 on hoof. One of my hugest pet peeves is that folks think because they are small cattle that Jerseys survive on air. They may be little, but they can definitely put the hay and grain away! You want Jersey beef? You gotta feed it twice a day every day.

BUT- The beef from a year old steer is only slightly past what would be considered older veal calves. Grain is very fine and marbling in cut from a yearling is practically nil. But don't let that make you think it isn't tender. It's just YOUNG. Beef from older Jerseys have a distinct yellow fat which provides what I feel is a wonderful flavor.

A 650 lb (live weight) yearling Jersey bull (not castrated) yields about 200 lbs of beef, as well as the tongue, liver, heart and 50-80 lbs of soup bones. Steers will give slightly better yields. Percentage-of-yield wise, pretty similar to a "backyard" beef calf or even a deer.

The biggest problem most people have in getting a Jersey butchered is that they have the butcher hang the carcass way too long. Young Jerseys (younger than 15 mo.) do not require more than 3 or 4 days hanging cure time. A mature animal might need 5-6 days. Most slaughter houses age "beef" beef 6-8 days. You have to request the shorter hang time and convince the packing house that it is best for a small dairy animal. Not all packers are so willing. Check to see if your state has a minimum hang time.

GOSH! I sure do ramble on. Don't I? I'll shut up now. About time to feed the calves anyways.
Hope some of this may help your Jersey beef experience.

Thanks for your insight, and welcome to the fire.

If you can find MoorMan's� Range Minerals you can feed Jersey calves up to butcher weight on whole corn and when we did it it was economically feasible. Don't try it without the minerals.

Welcome CCMomma! Everybody kept an old ancient lookin', sway backed Jersey milk-cow around when I was a kid.

Japanese Wagyu beef farmers concur with Bart.