am I in over my head - RE: mini cow

[slackwater]

I just thought, for a newbie cattle owner, that a mini would be easier.

Also less strain on the pasture. I wasn't expecting him to be so completely uncontrollable. I mean, escape artists, I can handle. I have a mule with the same tendencies. BUT, when I do catch her, I feel confident that she's under control. I don't see that happening w/this bull/steer any time soon, and I don't think I'm equipped to handle him in the mean time.

I know, I know, this was a stupid decision. At least I had good intentions, right???

I figured that this would "break me in" to owning cattle and I could step up from there. Now I feel like a pre-emptive failure

I'm going to scramble like crazy to find someone to slaughter him for me, and let the seller know that is what I am doing. I think that is the best way for me to rectify the situation - buy the steer AND keep myself safe. Then, I will buy the balance of my meat at the 4H auction at the county fair this fall (then I know it's raised locally, and somewhat sustainably, b/c I know *of* most of the farmers), and put out feelers for buying a calf in the spring.

Sound like a plan?

And...thanks all for putting up with me. Obviously I have a lot to learn about "sustainable microfarming" beyond chickens

 

[CedarRidgeChicks]

..sounds like a plan!!!

 

[Kelly G]

I don't think you're stupid! We all make mistakes - but so much is learned. It will all work out just fine...I promise.

He's going to make some nice hamburgers!

 

[greathorse]

Naw cattle can just be a pain and most of us learned a lesson the hard way. I bought a few calves and had a bad setup. It took them about ten minutes to scatter to the wind, the neighbor that sold them to me had a good laugh.

I think you made a good choice to butcher the little bugger. Even though he is small he still outweighs most humans by a lot which makes him hard to handle.

 

[onthespot]

any chance you could just make a slaughter appt and take him straight from pasture to slaughter? Cut your losses, cut your risk to near zero, get some meat, live and learn. Get a calf next time, and get him steered before he gets hormones. You can also make sure he is polled or dehorned at the same time.

Oh, you just said that, LOL. great minds...

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Yep, I'd go ahead an slaughter him now. I wondered why you were wanting to wait. At 18 mos he's probably ready to go.

 

[EweSheep]

18 mos??? Time for meat locker!

 

[lasergrl]

For slaughter I never understood how minis would have less impact on the pasture. You can butcher a full sized beef at any size you want and they get to that size ALOT faster and the animal itself is ALOT cheaper.
A full size beef could be butchered before one year old and be the same size the mini would be by 2 years. So your pasture is being eaten down for two years instead of one, and you get the same amount of beef.

 

[slackwater]

Quote:
Maybe, but I guess I was hoping that the same rules apply to cattle as to other livestock. Minis aren't as hard on pasture - whether over 1 year or a dozen - than the same - or even fewer - quantity of large livestock.

I was also hoping a mini would be easier to handle, for a first-time cattle owner.

I have been proven wrong on all accounts!

How much would you expect to pay for a full-sized beef calf? or a 15mo, 400lb mini steer?

 

[lasergrl]

We buy "feeder" bulls at auction and pay about 66 cent a pound, and a 500 pounder is plenty big for us. We end up with about 250 pounds of grassfed beef for $1.50 a pound. We send them right to slaughter usually. Although we are raising up a jersey steer now for some high quality beef.
I regularly see beef breed feeder calves for sale privately for $500 but from a feeder auction you can get one much cheaper. Go for a red one and you will pay less and you cant taste color. Around here, a red calf should go for 75-80 cents a pound while the blacks are $1 to $1.10
I have mini cows, but they are just pets/novelties. For eating, a standard sized is the way to go. Sure they eat more in the short term but overall you feed less because they are ready months after you buy, depending on the size you want.