1/4 of a Cow?

[Corey Bryant]

Well new to the board- thankfully I found it thru a search engine.

We just moved to Colorado and I found someone who has been in business since 1983 - raising cows on corn. She sells them at $1.50 a pound (hanging weight) and she also takes them to the butcher (where he calls us to find out what we want) and then delivers everything to us. She said she it is usually a total of $400 for the complete process.

Is this a good deal? They are also corn fed only - is this good? And I think it is the hind quarter (difference)? What question(s) should I ask to know I am doing OK and what else should I know.

We primarily like filet mignon, ribeyes, roasts - well just about everything - but I just wanted to know what I might be missing or needing? Thanks!

 

[El_Putzo]

I'm assuming you are buying a quarter of beef from what you've said. I'm sure there are regional differences, but this is what I charge:

$1.45/lb hanging weight. 2 guys I work with are splitting a half and splitting the front and rear steaks accordingly. Their half will probably weigh 350 or so. I take it to the processor and they have to pick it up afterwards. Processing is 40 cents/lb.

(1.45 x 350) + (.40 x 350) = $647.50

So, divide that by two to get a quarter price, and it roughly works out to $325.

Now, I am giving these guys a pretty good deal, seeing as how I called the local locker and they are charging $1.50/lb for front quarters and $1.70/lb for hind quarters.

 

[Corey Bryant]

Yes - sorry - quarter of beef.

So at least it is a good deal. I figured as much because we used to buy from eprimecuts actually and what they charged and what we got, it just seemed like we were getting a lot more

 

[Susie David]

Corey...first thing to remember...there is just so much meat on the animal...thick steaks=few steaks. Some cuts yield other cuts, NY and Filet come from the same meat as the T-bone...NYs & Filets=no T-bone.
We sell shares in a live animal, can't sell cut meat unless it has been processed at a USDA certified facility, and broker the processing for our customers. We charge $2.00/lb and the customer pays the processing. Our steers hang between 600-750 and the customer pays between $360-$440. Our butcher divides the half when cutting so each 1/4 share customer gets cuts from both ends of the steer. DMc

 

[whatabull]

Just one thing to add, make sure it is aged atleast 14 days.

 

[Corey Bryant]

Thanks - very much appreciated! Learning something very new. As far as aging, they said three weeks, so I am hoping I am safe.

 

[Aero]

thats a pretty standard aging length. most retailers age meat counter beef for 2 weeks and freezer beef for 3 weeks.

 

[memanpa]

i agree with susie david except i am and my processor is usda azda inspected so i sell fully processed packages as opposed to shares!
personally i would be just a little concerned about the 100% corn diet! overly fat less yield more wasteage need more aging time that the leaner cattle!
14 days basically reccomended
fully processed cut wrapped and delivered $3.00 a lb. hanging weight!
i put out from 2 to 5 hd per month on the average!
yeild will vary on breed as well!and you did not specify as to breed of animal you are considering!!
incidently welcome to the best board on the net

 

[memanpa]

no i would put that figure at about hanging weight, not meat yield!!!!

 

[memanpa]

impossible to tell!! how fat?? age?? bone size? could be as much as 30% more loss depending of all of the mentioned factors taken in!
there are some excellent articles on freezer beef available thru google that give you some indepth informantion
also try locker beef

 

[cowpunk'd]

Just be aware of shrinkage and trim. My grass and corn stover (the remains of a sweet corn crop, stalks leaves and cobs) fed angus steer's hanging weight was 718 lbs, at the end of the 14 day hanging it was 688 lbs. I paid the processing fee ($.45/lb) based on the lower hanging weight because it hung in my own cooler. I didn't weigh the boxes of beef I brought home, but would estimate around 480- 500 lbs. I am very pleased with the beef, it has alot of marbling and is delicious. The butcher did a beautiful job and left just enough fat on for my tastes. But if I had been buying beef by the side instead of processing my own home bred and grown steer, I'd be bothered by the yield. Your price per pound is based on the initial hanging weight before shrinkage and trim. Your yield should be better then mine because of the Gelbvieh. I don't know what my steers live weight was.

 

[cowpunk'd]

I believe that as your finish (fat cover and marbling) increases, your yield decreases. A very lean carcass can't hang as long as a fat covered carcass, so you get less shrinkage as well. Trim is inedible stuff that you wouldn't want ground into hamburger. I'm no expert, though. There's a guy on here called "Swiss Cowboy" (I think) who knows alot about processing.