Great post, Luke. Your prices are about what I pay for the WI inspected processing and he does a great job. My point above is that meat processing is one area where there is not necessarily a direct relationship between cost and the quality of the job.

Your comments about the learning curve apply to more than just grass fed!

I'm not sure what you are referring to by "Master Graze" grazing corn that will allow you to finish them "BEFORE" fall. I would suggest caution here. Extreme caution. I almost killed a couple of mine by letting them graze corn that was not mature enough to early. A very close call.

Grazing corn is VERY different than feeding silage. Silage has had time for the nitrates to change form or something to that effect.  I suggest you ease into this with just a couple head the first year.

I am also finishing my animals to be processed by grazing standing corn but only after the corn is mature and only animals to be processed. The finish is worth the trouble however if the breed is right.

I agree with the breed, taste and finish comments. In this end of the cattle business there is MUCH more to it than pounds.

My experience with the couple of cross cows with Simmi in them is about the same. The calves grow like crazy but the meat quality is just not the same as my "purer" Herefords when raised side by side. I'm not being critical of the breed just that they are probably better suited to more conventional systems.

Best of luck to you.

Jim at Dawn