White fat

[Fen Farm Dexters]

Got our first short leg steer back in the freezer last month. 140kg dead weight, 100kg cut up - (sadly not the size of the short leg in the earlier thread on carcass weights. 27mths old.

The fat is not at all yellow compared with a half dexter we bought to taste test before we started out with them. Only been fed grass and silage, albeit in its first winter our silage was whole crop wheat/blackgrass.

I'm aware there were two other dexters in for slaughter at around the same time so wondering if we got ours back, although the weights sound about right for ours. Is DNA test feasible/affordable to check its ours?!

[domsmith]

I think the whole crop wheat could be your answer!

I doubt they would mix up a short dexter with any one elses carcass. where would it get you dna testing the other carcasses will be with their owners and you might end up with nothing.
I do also find the colour of the fat varies, summer finished cattle ar usually yellow ish in colour.

does it taste good thats the important thing, we just got one back, not enough cover on it and i am very disapointed, will have to do better.

dom

[Broomcroft]

I read that the colour of the fat depends on the level of Carotenoids (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carotenoid) in the forage or grass. It can also indicate grain-fed beef I believe. The whole-crop would probably have made it whiter than normal but if that was some time ago you'd have thought it should have gone back to yellow by now. Our fat isn't exactly yellow, more of a maize colour. Never had white though.