Is there any advantage to one or the other as far as feeders go. I have only ever had Steers and can buy some Black Baldy Heifers at a good price. Just wondering if they put on weight as fast etc? I'm thinking that it probably doesn't matter? Thanks, Ken

Once in the freezer,taste is the same. Steers might finish off a lttle faster and heavier, but I doubt if you put two together and feed the same,you will not see much differnce.

Not all beef that gets slaughtered are steers.

Thanks

Steers tend to marble the fat all through the meat where the heifers will put more on the outside. miles

Miles got it right. I have fed out both. Same breed put side by side and given the same ration a steer will always finish faster, dress better and grade a tad higher than a heifer as a general rule. That is why the feeder boys will always give more money for steers.

BCR

What he said-but a fat heifer is still good eats. miles

Boggy's got it right. Also, if you have more than one heifer, they'll ride each other when in heat. That affects performance some. You can get a feed additive (MGA?) that is supposed to keep them from cycling.

I don't know how the auction mixed them up but I got one heifer in a possumbelly full of steers. That poor girl stood with her ass in the corner until I could get rid of her.

Once in the freezer, good eats,just like miles said.

Dale

I'll skip the feed additive, thank you. We get enough crap in our food as it is without doing it at home, too.

We've raised plenty of steers,bulls and heifers. Once they're in the freezer, they all taste the same...assuming you kill the bulls before they get much over 18 mo.

Steers just chunk up a bit quicker and have slightly better flavor. A few years ago there was a push to conduct oophorectomies (ovary removal on heifers with a goal of stimulating growth. Didn't seem to catch on much.

maybe a grain fed bull would be OK , but we put a long yearling bull in our freezer once....he'd only been out on grass 10 days and he broke his leg .

He was in prime condition , weighed about 1500......the flavor was alright , but you would bend a fork before you could stab one of his steaks....that meat was tougher 'n nails....

You say he broke his leg. Reckon you got a dark cutter from the stress? That will toughen one up quick.

BCR

Heifers talk too much, too. Go with the steer.

Yours was an exception, probably caused by the leg. We'd kill them lighter than that, though, more like around 1000 lb. We killed them before they really got the hots for the ladies so hormone flavoring was non-existant.

BTW, why is it that guys will knock meat from prime young bulls but will go hunting for the oldest, rankest elk on the mountain, and during the rut, no less?

I always heard that if they are losing weight when butchered they will be tough and if gaining weight tender. I am not talking about a day or so to clean out before being butchered. miles

Many years ago in the early 60's, times were hard. We bought old dairy cows that were going down hill in production for 3 cents a lb,and got them butchered for 2 cents a pound.Kinda tough ,but good eating as they were fed good grain/hay all thier lives for good milk production.God but those old gals were tough.We ate a lot of pinto beans and tough cow back then.

A heifer will gain more wieght per day than will a steer

I'm playing heck finding a couple of steers to put on my 5 acres. I thought I had a deal, but the person couldn't deliver. Lots of cattle in Central and Eastern Oregon, but not so much here in the valley. A guy tried to sell me two 550lb Angus Steers for $750 each. I don't think so. I'd probably pay a dollar and that seems like a lot. Ken

Had some Holstein steer given to me one time by a dairy farmer. It ett real good.

Way too high. Steers are best but not much better than heifers or even young bulls. I would buy the heifers.

my butcher said the bull's carcass looked A OK , and as I mentioned the meat's flavor was good . I don't think the stress made him tougher , but I'll concede a 1000 pounder would be quite a bit younger .

But myself , I'd put a band on that 1000 lb. guy and stuff him with corn for 2 months .

As for hunter wanting to kill the rankest , biggest bull elk on the mountain , I think most will also tell you that a young animal or a cow elk will eat better....

And as for heifers gaining more per day than steers , I'm thinking that would be news to any professional cattle feeder...

Just check then newspaper every day in the business section for beef prices. Even a dollar is high. Probably more in the 90 cents range,but I havee not looked for awhile.
You'd probably do better in buying one ready to finsih out rather than pasture for ayear.

wow.....i think i pay round that give or take for a two year old for the freezer which are around 1000 pounds on the hoof....