Mike Holland can tell a lot about the quality of a steer’s carcass simply based on its appearance.
Holland is the co-owner of Holland Brothers Meats in Duncansville, Blair County. He said consumer demand for freezer beef has been strong since the pandemic began, and it’s important for farmers to produce quality animals to keep the new customers coming back.
“The animal should be less than 30 months old, but as far as weight, we like them to dress out at 600 to 650 pounds. It gives a nice, full steak with marbling but not too much fat,” Holland said.
Animals that are larger result in more waste during processing. The cost of that waste is passed on to customers, who pay based on hanging weight.
Holland does custom butchering for several farmers in his area, and he also buys finished animals to fill orders at his shop. When selecting a steer to purchase, Holland looks at the rump and brisket to determine how well the animal is finished.
“If the brisket is hanging down with a lot of skin, I know it’s going to be a lot of fat. I like to see wide hindquarters but not overly big,” he said. “Once you see a carcass on the rail, you can imagine what it would need to look like.”
Holland can tell a difference between animals that have been finished on grass versus grain.
While there are farmers who are successful at finishing beef on grass, Holland said grass-fed steaks are typically smaller than those from an animal on a grain diet.
Better than grass-finishing, in Holland’s opinion, is an all-natural ration consisting of hay or grass, corn silage, and grain.
“You want to give the customer a quality animal that has marbling and nice steaks, but isn’t overly large or small,” Holland said. “Give them a good bang for the buck with plenty of quality if you want them to keep coming back.”
May 29, 2021 at 05:06PM
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