How Old to Butcher Cow for Beef
As a rough guide, it takes about three years to enhance a cow for slaughter, however the exact fourth dimension depends on the breed of cow, the desired employ for the meat, the personal preferences of the farmer, and the physiology of each individual animate being.
In this article, nosotros'll be looking at exactly how long it takes to raise a cow for slaughter, and the questions around how long it takes for a cow to grow to total size, the differences between different types of cow, and some edge cases similar veal and dairy cows.
How Old Are Cows When They Are Slaughtered?
Unlike types of cow are slaughtered at different ages. As a baseline, regular beef cattle which are raised from dogie for beefiness are slaughtered at around 32 to 42 months of age co-ordinate to the USDA.
Co-ordinate to Angus cattle specialists Due south Fork Angus, angus cattle reach their full size bodyweight at around two years old.
Since Angus cattle are the nigh widely raised beef cattle in the United states, this makes sense and ties in with the USDA figures above, allowing some time for calving and muscle growth earlier slaughter.
Although regular beef is slaughtered at between two and three years on average, there are many other situations in which cattle may exist slaughtered much younger or much older than this. Let's take a await at some of them:
How Old is Veal When It'southward Slaughtered?
The meat from baby cows is chosen veal.
Veal calves are unremarkably male dairy calves, which are an unwanted byproduct of the dairy industry caused by the fact that dairy cows must exist kept perpetually pregnant to ensure continuous milk production.
Since they tin can not produce milk and the thinner bodies of dairy breeds aren't efficient for beefiness, they are unremarkably sent to a veal subcontract shortly after nativity.
Veal is typically around six to eight months one-time at the indicate of slaughter, although even inside the category of veal in that location are unlike types.
Bob Veal – calves which are fed an fe-deficient liquid-only diet and slaughtered at simply a few months one-time.
Veal – Calves which are around six to viii months old at the point of slaughter
Rose veal – Calves which are between eight and twelve months old at the point of slaughter.
Read more than about veal in our article – What is Baby Cow Meat Chosen?
How Old Are Dairy Cows When They Are Slaughtered?
Dairy cows are more profitable to the farmer for producing dairy than they are existence sold for meat, then dairy cows are only sent for meat once they tin can no longer produce milk.
As dairy cows get older, they tin can no longer reliably become pregnant and their milk production decreases.
When the dwindling milk production ways it is no longer economically viable for the farmer to keep feeding them, dairy cows are sent for slaughter.
Dairy cows are typically sent for slaughter when their milk production and fertility starts to driblet off at effectually vi to eight years onetime.
Read more: When are cows too old to give nativity?
How Old Are Bulls When They Are Slaughtered?
Like dairy cows, bulls are more assisting to the farmer when they are carrying out their specific task, rather than beingness raised for meat. In the case of bulls, this is reproducing and increasing the herd size.
Bulls assist create new cattle, which may be used for either dairy or beef depending on the bull brood.
The value of a bull comes from their genetics and their power to create new cattle. When a balderdash tin no longer reliably reproduce, they are sent for slaughter.
In an commodity for Hereford magazine, Hereford Balderdash proficient Ron Skinner explained that peak fertility is at around four years, and it's mutual to run across a rapid decline in bull fertility at around 7 years of age.
Many bulls develop leg or hoof issues long before they start to see a refuse in fertility, which makes breeding difficult or impossible for them and results in them being sent for slaughter sooner.
Bulls are typically sent for slaughter when they develop injuries which prevent them for breeding, or when their fertility starts to refuse between four and vii years of age.
Read more than: Tin we consume meat from bulls?
How Long Until A Cow Is Fully Grown?
Cows typically achieve their maximum body weight at around two years old, however their torso composition continues to change afterward this, and then beef cattle are raised until about 32-42 months old to achieve a dainty fatty/muscle structure (marbling) on the beef.
Best Age To Slaughter A Cow
The optimal historic period to slaughter a cow really depends on the goal of the farmer. Maximizing profits from a cow might hateful slaughtering it early, just maximizing the quality of the meat might mean feeding information technology for an actress year to build more muscle.
Dairy cows and bulls are usually only killed once they are besides old to be useful, and veal is usually slaughtered inside a few months because information technology'south not economical to feed them.
As a general rule, the optimal historic period to slaughter beef is effectually 32 to 42 months of age. This maximizes the quality of the meat, and ensures that the cows accept reached their full size.
Can Y'all Slaughter A Moo-cow At Whatsoever Historic period?
Yes, you can slaughter a cow at any age, however there is an optimal age for meat quality.
Cows which are slaughtered too immature provide meat which is lacking in color and nutrients (veal) and cows which are slaughtered too former have tough, muscular meat which is not suitable for steaks and other prime cuts (bulls and barren dairy cows).
How Long For A Cow To Go An Adult?
In a research newspaper from the American Journal of Animal Sciences, it was constitute that the boilerplate historic period at which a cow reaches puberty is 357 days, although they don't reach their total body weight until around ii years old.
Conclusion
To sum upward, cows become slaughtered at various different ages depending on what type of moo-cow they are, and why they are getting slaughtered.
Regular beef cattle are usually slaughtered at around 32 to 42 months old, since at this age they are fully grown, and their muscles have developed enough to give the meat a overnice marbling.
Some other types of cattle are only slaughtered in one case they are no longer useful for other purposes. Examples of this are dairy cows who can no longer produce milk, and bulls who tin no longer reliably reproduce.
Male dairy cow calves are typically slaughtered at six months or earlier. Since they can't produce milk and they are not a good brood for beef, it'south not worth the time and coin to feed them.
Stuart is the editor of Brute Facts. He edits our writers' work as well as contributing his own content. Stuart is passionate about sustainable farming and animate being welfare and has written extensively on cows and geese for the site.
Source: https://faunafacts.com/cows/raise-a-cow-for-slaughter/
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