Those people interested in direct-marketing Beltie beef must first decide which category of meat they would like to produce. The decision may be based upon their own and their customer’s taste preferences. Or it may simply be conceived as an operation designed to suit existing facilities.
 
Whether grainfed or grassfed, the Belted Galloway does produce a superior meat. But the producer must keep in mind that not all Belties are created equal. Genetics play a large role in determining yield, flavor, tenderness and juiciness.

Animals destined for a meat program may be selected by ultrasound testing and growth rates, or by trial and error. Over time most producers will be able to identify which animals put the best meat in the freezer, and hopefully will nurture and expand those bloodlines.

There are many myths related to identifying good meat producers. One that sounds off-the-wall is, 'My best meat animals are the ones with softer, curlier hair.' At first blush this sounds laughable -- but when soberly considered, the statement was probably quite right. Undoubtedly in this particular herd the bloodline which tended toward soft, curly hair also happened to be the line best suited to producing quality meat.

It’s important that our meat animals be raised humanely in as stress-free an environment as possible. Customers have come to demand this! Even slaughter can be stress-free. In some regions there are agents-for-hire who will come to your farm, kill, field-dress and take the carcass to the butcher shop. Ask your County Extension Agent whether your state permits on-farm slaughter.
 
The terms “grainfed” and “grassfed” have broad definitions, but generally the word grainfed refers to animals that are taken off pasture, placed in a pen and fed grain plus free-choice hay for 60 to 120 days before slaughter. 

Grassfed proponents may feed no grain at all, or may offer small amounts in feedbunks right in the pasture.

Grainfed animals will of course exhibit more growth and more pounds will make it into the freezer. However, less pounds in grassfed steers do not equal less profit, as these animals cost less to finish. The consumer has become aware of the health benefits of CLA (conjugated lineolenic acid, which is highest in grassfed animals), and may well pay a premium to obtain beef that has not been fed grain.

The direct meat marketer may properly advertise his product as “natural” if the animal has received no hormones or antibiotics. He may advertise his product as “organic” only if his farm and herd have achieved “certified organic” status. Certification takes three years in most states.

Slaughter weights among Beltie meat producers countrywide average 1050 lbs. The typical hanging carcass weighs 60% to 63% of the animal’s live weight. 

How and when do you finish your steers? We’ll let some experienced producers answer.

David and Terri Olsen in Warsaw, OH are strictly grassfed meat marketers (photo above). They have Belted Galloway cattle and prefer late fall calving so that their 24- and 36-mo.-old steers can finish on late summer and early fall graze before slaughter. Rotational grazing is used extensively. They note customers’ increasing health-related interest in all-natural beef by relating this anecdote: 

“One of our neighbors was just here to buy another supply of our grass-fed, grass-finished beef. This is an interesting situation. The husband has terrible reactions to MSG and up until early 2005 they were buying their beef from an ‘organic’ producer. We had given them samples for the past two years but they insisted on staying loyal to the supplier claiming to be organic.
 
“In June of 2005 they called and wanted to know if we still had beef for sale. We found out that the husband had an MSG reaction that they discovered had came from the ‘organic’ beef they had purchased. We now have another steady customer. 

 “Another customer reports that her triglyceride levels have dropped since eating our beef and her blood pressure has also decreased.”

Bruce Anderson of Anderson Hill Farm in West Rutland, VT says:  “We slaughter about 5-6 steers a year and have a very small trade in the beef end. Fortunately, I can sell my steers as fast as they are dropped. 

“I usually bring them into the barn at ages from 16 to 21 months. I prefer a little larger side, while others prefer smaller ones. I put them on a ration of about 50:50 coarse 14 (sweet feed) and steam-flaked corn. After a month or so, I gradually build them up on the corn end and reduce the sweet feed. I keep them on about 8-10 lbs. of grain morning and night, along with all the hay they want. If they don’t clean the grain up, I cut back until they do eat it all. Of course, they remain in the barn the whole time. 

“Clean water is a must, as is clean bedding. I also keep them as cool as I can. I try to wait until late summer to bring them into the barn, and have a fan available if needed. Stress is kept at a minimum. Feeding times are kept consistent. 

“I keep the steers on the feed program from 110 to 120 days. We have found that the extra 15-25 days do make a difference. I bring the animals to the slaughterhouse in the late afternoon before the morning of slaughter. This gives them a chance to ‘settle down’ after the trucking and relax before slaughter. I am fortunate because the facility that I deal with allows us to hang as long as we want. I believe that from 17 to 22 days hanging time works best. The carcass has enough cover to handle it, and we feel this helps the flavor. 

“One thing that we have found out the hard way is that genetics do make a difference. While animals of the same age, on the same feed, for the same length of time, would seem to bring the same results -- they don’t!! The carcass yields can vary greatly. The only answer is genetics. Possibly the day will come when numbers are available to prove this. 

“There are many theories on how to best finish beef, and it can get as complicated or as simple as anyone wants to make it. I can only relate what seems to work for us.”

Diane and Homer Mohn in Canton, TX say about producing meat:  “We use full blood 10-generation pure Belties to increase our predictability. We furthered the predictability with careful line breeding and heavy culling. Age is not the determining factor about when they go into the feed lot, size is the key. The flavor improves with size. Those individuals that get to the appropriate size the fastest are of course preferred. Basically the steers go into the lot at about 800 lbs. or from 16 months up. 
 
“They are fed a ration prepared for our breed by Texas A&M consisting of soybeans, cottonseed meal, corn, molasses, and vitamins and minerals in very specific proportions. No growth hormones or antibiotics. Natural beef.

“The steers are fed 3% of their body weight twice a day and all the hay they want for approximately 110 days. They are weighed every two weeks and the gains calculated for each. They average about 3.5 lbs. gain per day. Any animals not putting on that gain in the first 30 days will be undesirable, and go to the auction. You can almost count on them being of poorer quality in the freezer.

“We butcher at 1100 to 1300 lbs. Ten years of trying smaller, larger or different feeding programs and animals has proven this method of success.”

Michael Caldwell in Milladore, WI writes:  “We are relatively new to the production of Beltie beef, so much of our commentary will be in the category of goals rather than experience. We operate a certified organic farm and raise natural and certified organic beef, the latter marketed under the trademark, Beltie Beef. 

“We benefit from the fact that our herd is composed of larger-than-customary Belted Galloways found in the U.S. Our breeding program seeks to take advantage of that opportunity. We select herd bulls and replacement bulls that reach 1000 lbs. at one year.  Given that our average grassfed cow is 1200-1400 lbs., this allows us to aspire to steers that will finish at 1200 lbs. at 18 months or less. Currently we take about 24 months to reach that goal, but we are making progress. 

“Our intent is to feed to optimize the effect of the genetics in our herd, and so far the marbling of our meat has validated this approach. Our production animals are grassfed. We ensile alfalfa, brome, timothy and clover hay and feed haylage (with enough dried hay to avoid rumen acidosis) starting as the late summer pastures wane and continuing through the winter. 

“We begin calving in May into the spring flush (remember, we live in the frozen tundra!) and currently calve for 2-1/2 to 3 months. 

“We look forward this year to the production of 60-70 certified organic calves and are delighted that the demand continues to greatly exceed the supply of certified organic beef.”