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Ever heard of "double muscled" calves?
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cotman
Posted 10/18/2009 00:10 (#889371)
Subject: Ever heard of "double muscled" calves?



NW Tennessee

I have been around cattle all my life and have never heard of this until today. I will relate the story as told to me: A few weeks ago, a man in his mid to late 60's that has raised cattle as long as I've known him, sold his crop of calves at a nearby sale barn. They ran a group of his steers through, and the buyers had them cut one out to sell seperately. Then when they ran a group of his heifers through, the same thing happened. He said he was talking to a guy next to him and didn't really notice what they brought until he picked up his check. The two that were cut out sold for 20 cents or so less than than the rest of the groups. Really nothing that unusual, except he was curious as to what was wrong with the calves. So he looked up the buyer and asked what was wrong with them. Buyer told him the steer and the heifer both were "double muscled" in the rear end. Not sure what part of rear end, but that's what he said. Buyer told him Limousin's were bad about that. While I'm not sure what kind of cows he's running now, he was using a Limousin bull. Just wondering if anybody can enlighten me about this. As I said, he or I have never heard of that before and neither have a couple of other neighbors that raise cattle and always have. TIA

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Illini Fan
Posted 10/18/2009 00:36 (#889391 - in reply to #889371)
Subject: RE: Ever heard of "double muscled" calves?



Greene County, Illinois
Sure it's primarily a recessive gene. I have seen a few, but never had any. There is a breed, I believe the Belgian Blue, that have been bred for that trait, and they can pass it along in crossbred calves. Supposed to be leaner beef, but of course have calving problems.
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Redman
Posted 10/18/2009 01:51 (#889410 - in reply to #889391)
Subject: RE: Piedmontese were promoted for that trait(nt)


SW Saskatchewan
nt
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Markwright
Posted 10/18/2009 03:38 (#889424 - in reply to #889410)
Subject: RE:In Europe most are raised for the Kulard process


New Mexico
Charolais ( FR ), Belgian Blue ( Belgium ), Piedmontese ( Italian ), Blonde Aquataine ( FR ), and Limousins ( FR ).
Also some of the Red Pieds ( Southern Italy ).

On the Piedmontese..it's a pretty refined gene. Calves are born normal and aquire the double muscle affect from about 6 weeks on.

The extra muscle actually has a shorter meat cell fiber structure ( healthier mycostin setup ) so is tender when handled correctly. The meat tests are similiar to American Bison...about 90% less fat content than traditional American Beef. More tender than Choice Beef.

The Kulard process basically strips the muscles out then cross cuts those....so the carcass whole of steaks / roasts ( the higher value cuts ) is considerably higher as compared to the usa process methods.

Some real fancy looking, good doing black cattle are out of Holstein cows / Piedmontese bulls.

Perhaps the best Meat raised ( as far as being consistently extra gourmet ) is a Saler / Piedmontese cross.

One of the few pens of steers ever graded by the USDA as 0 ( zero ) yield grade, Choice quality grade was at the Akron CO ( CSU) all breeds feeding and carcass eval test in the early 80's. Those were all out of a Pied bull named Captain and some CharxMaine Canadian Cows.

There's some good things about the Pieds....gentle, moderate size, and do alot for a grass based operation ( definitely a gourmet type meat ).

USDA Meat Animal Research Center at Clay Center NE did say 5 years of studies and tests on the Pieds, raised a bunch of em.





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NEMOScott
Posted 10/19/2009 09:23 (#890983 - in reply to #889424)
Subject: Re: Ever heard of "double muscled" calves?


Callao, Missouri
If they are lean, work on grass and have a tasty meat why are we not using them? Is it like only blacks are good. They sound like the perfect cow calf breed or cross. If I remember right I looked at some at the state fair years ago and wondered then. Ben
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Markwright
Posted 10/19/2009 17:46 (#891237 - in reply to #890983)
Subject: Re:They don't fit the USA grain fed


New Mexico
choice scenario which has been the usa norm and system for years.

In Italy, they milk the Pied cows ( special cheese deal ), and calves are turned out to forage ie cleanup the vineyard orchards.

This is a Nationalized breed in Italy, govt there is involved and the cattle are considered as somewhat of a national treasure ..they are tough to export from because of the afore.

1st Batch of bulls into Canada was Brindisi, Captain, Corralo, Camino perhaps a couple others and a couple females too.

We did flush a Pied cow named Sherree at CSU...some of the 1st embryo splitting in the USA was eggs from her.
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3w farms
Posted 10/19/2009 10:23 (#891032 - in reply to #889424)
Subject: RE:In Europe most are raised for the Kulard process


S.E. Iowa
Any place you can get a technical explanation on the Kulard process or diagram of cuts
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Markwright
Posted 10/19/2009 17:49 (#891240 - in reply to #891032)
Subject: RE: Tech explanation is in the above post


New Mexico
Seam out the muscles and cross cut em.

diagrams are next to impossible to get.
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Rendell Shira
Posted 10/27/2009 11:09 (#901931 - in reply to #889424)
Subject: RE:In Europe most are raised for the Kulard process


central Ohio
Can you give some documentation that Charolais & Limousin are double-muscled? It was always my understanding that those 2 breeds are heavy muscled, not double muscled. DM is a genetic defect & causes dystocia for starters.

We used Charolais bulls on Hereford/Holstein cross cows 40 years ago. Dystocia was usually caused by excessive bone size, not muscle mass as those calves didn't display excessive muscle at birth.

In the late 60's & early 70's when many of the Continental breeds were introduced to North America, some of our "experts" called Limousin "double-muscled". Pieds & Belgian Blues are true double-muscled breeds.
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Markwright
Posted 11/3/2009 04:54 (#911813 - in reply to #901931)
Subject: RE:They are not all double muscled, some though


New Mexico
in Europe are selected for the trait.

google up culard cattle breeding

You will see several links which may interest you.

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dairyman78
Posted 10/19/2009 14:27 (#891183 - in reply to #889371)
Subject: RE: Ever heard of "double muscled" calves?


S.C. Wisconsin
A few years ago we crossed on of Holsteins with Belgium Blue and she had a bull calf so we fed it out with our Holstein steers and had it butchered for our self and it was one the poorest beef we ever had. It wasn't marbled and it was like eating shoe leather.
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Markwright
Posted 10/19/2009 17:53 (#891243 - in reply to #891183)
Subject: RE: Ever heard of "double muscled" calves?


New Mexico
In Belgium they cesarian almost every calf.

The blues are born double muscled, every one raised special for the Kulard ( Culard ) market.
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