[Helen Wiltshire Horn]

I sent my first steer to the abattoir last week.  He was a short Dexter and very nearly 30 months old.  I was quite surprised at how light the carcass was.  Dead weight was just over 130kg.  The butcher who is hanging the meat says the carcass looks good quality and has a covering of fat and he was fed hay over the winter and the odd bucket of beef nuts over the past few months (he actually described it as "like Kylie Minogue - small but worth looking at!"). What do you find average?  I am tempted to try a non-short next time but have heard confiicting reports about how much extra meat you get.  Also, if dead weight was 130kg how much actual meat will I get for my freezer? 
Helen

[shygirl]

crumbs, that a low amount of meat for 3 yrs work.
shetlands are much bigger weight wise but still small easy cattle.

[ShaunP]

 You should get about 65% of the  carcass weight back for the freezer.  I have 2 carcasses currently hanging that where 26month old long legs that came in at 182kgs and169kgs on  the hook.


Dexter tongue for dinner tonight!!

[Helen Wiltshire Horn]

Shygirl - I was just so put off larger cattle with my Belted Galloway and want to stick with Dexters as I find them small enough to fit in my tiny trailer and easy to handle.  When I have a bit more time on my hands and more "cattle confidence" I might investigate different breeds. 

[landroverroy]

Depends on how much his live weight was. Some strains of Dexter are particular miniature. If, for example, he only weighed about 250kg live, then 130kg dead isn't bad.
Incidently I've never had anything like a 65% killing out percentage from a Dexter - that would be an exceptional result from a continental breed.
I find Dexters great for home consumption as you're not snowed under by a mountain of meat. 

[ShaunP]

Depends on how much his live weight was. Some strains of Dexter are particular miniature. If, for example, he only weighed about 250kg live, then 130kg dead isn't bad.
Incidently I've never had anything like a 65% killing out percentage from a Dexter - that would be an exceptional result from a continental breed.
I find Dexters great for home consumption as you're not snowed under by a mountain of meat.

For clarity,65% of carcass not liveweight

[landroverroy]

Sorry ShaunP - you did say that - I read it too fast.

[Helen Wiltshire Horn]

So it sounds as if 130kg isn't too bad.  He was on the petite side so I am tempted to try non-shorts next time.  That said, 80 or so kilos of delicious beef sounds pretty good (plus the fact that my husband is curing the hide).  All a  very interesting first for us. 
Helen

[HappyHippy]

So it sounds as if 130kg isn't too bad.  He was on the petite side so I am tempted to try non-shorts next time.  That said, 80 or so kilos of delicious beef sounds pretty good (plus the fact that my husband is curing the hide).  All a  very interesting first for us. 
Helen

How did you get your abattoir to agree to give you the skin back? (or is it home slaughter?)
My Shetland cattle are going off soon and I'm not able to get the skins back because apparently you need to be licenced to collect them 

[Helen Wiltshire Horn]

Our abattoir (STM, Henfield, West Sussex) salted it shortly after skinning it, and we collected it the next day.  They are allowed to release them to you provided that the cattle came from you, and provided that you will be sending it on to a licensed entity for finishing the tanning process after you have salted it for a couple of weeks.

We investigated it, and there are limited people that carry out the process.  First it needs to go up to Holmes Hall, and then it gets sent down to Pittards in Exeter.  You will need to get a number from Pittards, and they will charge for their work and the Holmes Hall work.  For a Dexter hide the price is £149 plus VAT.  The chap at Pittards is very very helpful - Robert Painter - 01935 474 321.  If you contact him, he will email you an explanation of how to do the initial curing with salt, and answer all your questions.

[shygirl]

im planning on keeping our hide too. what time of year is best to slaughter if keeping the hide? obviously not in moult but summer or winter coat?

[Helen Wiltshire Horn]

I don't know about best time of year as am new to this but his summer coat looks pretty handsome.  The abattoir nicked one piece of the hide but it is a small repair job and it looks really impressive as a rug, especially the tail! 

[landroverroy]

That's interesting about the tanning.
I think £149 sounds pretty reasonable compared to what it costs to get sheepskin cured.
 

[Helen Wiltshire Horn]

So far the hide is drying out really well and looks great.  There are a few bits where my husband didn't trim off enough fat but I gather it will be ready to go to the tannery this week.  If it works out ok I will try and upload a photo of the finished product.
Helen

[MKay]

Shygirl, there is a young lad in Lybster who will tan yours for you, he regularly does calf skins and dingwall are easy to deal withabout ggetting skins back.