10/16/2026
I used to find it odd that people who raise cattle buy their custom beef from me-flattering, but odd.
I guess because I have eaten home grown beef my entire life I never considered someone wouldn’t eat the beef they grew.
The most common reasons I’ve been given are:
1) “We did that one time, & the meat wasn’t fit to eat. I’m not wasting my time again.”
2) I’m not set up to feed a steer, & I don’t want to have to do it everyday.”
There’s no doubt that feeding a steer until it’s finished (ready for processing) is a commitment!
You have to start with good genetics to get a good product. The hard truth is no matter how much feed you put to some steers, the meat won’t be good.
You also have to have good quality feed, proper care, & a salt and mineral program. Without those things in place all the time, it won’t be a good product.
The time commitment is the one that challenges most people-myself included. However, I’m one of those “if I start something, I’m finishing it no matter if it kills me” people.
Once last year, it came time to feed our steers, & it started coming a storm with lots of lightning. My son asked, “Aren’t you going to feed?” I told him I thought I’d choose to live instead of risk it that day. He was shocked.
That’s the thing. You have to feed steers every single day. Weather, how you feel, getting home late, mud, snow, ice, whatever. You still do it!
You can’t feed a steer 30 days or 60 days and have a finished steer. That’s just a fact.
It can be the best quality animal out there, & you won’t get high quality beef with such a short feeding period.
When you buy a half or whole steer from me, know that years of building our Angus genetics have gone into your animal.
Every steer has been on a fresh, high quality feed program since before it was weaned & has been on full feed for a minimum of 120 days before it’s slaughtered-never missing a single day.
My family teases me by calling the steers my “boys.” & asking me “Are you going to feed “your boys?.”
I guess that’s a compliment? or just shows commitment to raising a product we’re proud of?
