How many days does it take to slaughter cattle?

Raising cattle is a long-term job. From the time a calf grows to the time it is ready for slaughter, patience and scientific management are required throughout the process so that the cattle can be raised well to maximize profits. So how many days does it take to slaughter cattle? Let’s learn more about it below.

How many days does it take to slaughter cattle?

The time it takes to market cattle is affected by many factors, including the breed of cattle, starting weight, feeding method and market demand.

1. Breed of cattle

It usually takes 2-2.5 years for local yellow cattle to grow from birth to market. Some good cattle breeds, such as Simmental , Charolais , Limousin or their hybrids, usually take 1.5-2 years to be marketed.

2. Starting weight

The time of slaughter will be different if the cattle are raised at different weights. For example, Simmental cattle weighing about 400 kilograms are raised in captivity and can generally be slaughtered at around 10 months old, with a weight of around 1,100-1,200 kilograms.

3. Feeding method

For example, fattening cattle raised in stalls can be marketed earlier than fattening cattle raised on pasture, because they are given more concentrated feed and gain weight faster every day.

4. Market demand

If market demand is high and prices are good, most farmers will choose to raise cattle for a longer period of time to increase their market weight in order to obtain better profits. However, when market demand is low and prices are poor, breeders should push cattle to the market at the right time to avoid losses.

How to determine whether cattle have reached the standards for slaughter?

1. Changes in feed intake

Towards the end of fattening, beef cattle have a reduced appetite and feed intake. If feed intake continues to decline and appetite does not increase even after restriction measures are taken, it may mean that fattening is complete and the cattle have reached the market standard.

2. Observe body shape and appearance

Observe the degree of fat deposition in the subcutaneous area, jaw, thoracic region, rib cage, waist, ischial region and hamstring region of cattle. When there is more fat in these parts and the deposited fat is thicker, the optimal end period of fattening has been reached.

3. Body condition assessment

Determine whether the fat condition of the cattle reaches the upper-middle standard or above by visual inspection and touch. Cows in suitable fat condition have evenly distributed subcutaneous fat, full muscles, and no obvious signs of being thin or overweight.

4. Touch inspection

Back and waist: feel thick, soft and elastic; long ribs: the hide is so thick that it is difficult to pinch it with the thumb and index finger; root of tail: the two sides of the root of tail are soft and have a lot of fat; elbows: the hide is so thick that it is difficult to pinch it with the thumb and index finger. When cattle are found to have the above characteristics through touch inspection, it usually means that they have reached the standards for slaughter.

In general, the time for cattle to be slaughtered is not fixed and needs to be determined based on specific circumstances. Therefore, it is very important to learn whether the cattle have reached the slaughter standards. Pay attention to comprehensively considering the above factors so as to flexibly adjust the time of marketing to ensure the maximization of breeding benefits.