Anyone sell beef after processed?

[LRAF]

Kept a couple steers and have some interest from some people wanting to purchase a half a side of beef. What's the normal rate? And do you pay kill or processing? Do you sale hanging weight? Just looking to see what everyone else does as I have an idea on what I'd like to do.

 

[farmerjan]

Due to laws here in Va regarding things having to be processed in USDA facilities, for direct sale of meat to buyers... we only sell 1/2 or whole beef. We've done it both ways, live weight and hanging, and use a state liscensed facility not USDA. Mostly hanging, and the buyer pays the processing so there are no questions about legalities...This way we are only delivering the animal to the facility. They decide how they want it done up, they pay and any problems are on them. That said, we try hard to make sure the buyer is happy, and I have given a guarantee with my jersey beef that I will buy the whole thing back within a week if they try a steak and a pkg of ground beef and don't like it. Only had to do it once and they thought they didn't get enough meat, not about the quality. Rates depend on market rates to some extent...right now I'm getting 1.50 lb for jersey beef, hanging. Usually it runs 2 1/2 times, and up, the live weight value in our area, but then there are premiums for specialties, like grass-fed or grain-finished... We've been getting about 3.00 to 4.00 for the angus and if you figure in the processing costs, we need for the beef to be about $7-9.00 a lb overall average, finished in the package. That's for all their steaks plus the ground beef and everything in between.. There are alot of places that get alot more, but it's not all steaks and "good" cuts. Make sure that the buyers realize that on average they will be getting about 1/4 the live weight of the whole animal in the finished product. And that at least 25 to 40% of the meat they actually get will be in ground beef( or more if they want). 1000 live =500 hanging=250 meat. Sure, usually you get closer to 60% hanging, but they have to understand that there is alot of trim etc. So many people don't have a clue....they hear 1000 lb live and they have all these ideas of HUGE amounts of meat...We tell everyone that they will be getting at least 1/2 of the hanging weight back in actual meat. If you have any left in your freezer, give a pkg of ground beef to prospective buyers so they can get a taste of it. For me that always helps to sell it, and so that they know how it tastes in comparison to store bought. Have one friend who won't eat beef from animals that are grass-fed, her personal preference. Hope this helps a bit.

 

[skyhightree1]

I sell meat but the processing fees for USDA labeled is down right robbery in most places near me and will eat up profit really quick. I also only sell half or whole... My problem is most don't want that much meat at once so I scrubbed fooling with them and stuck with pork and goats sheep

 

[boondocks]

We sell by quarters and halves. Most recently got 4.25/lb hanging wt for all-natural grass-fed Angus. (That includes butcher's fee except for the surcharge for burger patties if they want their burger pattied). If we have to deliver more than a few miles we add on a little bit for that. Sometimes we give new customers a nice cookbook on grass-fed beef. Otherwise they may cook it at too high a temp and for too long.

 

[Bestoutwest]

I sell freezer beef. By after processed I'm assuming that you mean by the cut. To do that you have to keep intense records on temperatures of freezers and have the meat inspected at a facility that is licensed. We looked into it. I said :bs: . I could make a lot more money, potentially, but the risk is higher. Hence why people sell at the sale barn and allow the feedlot buyer to assume the risk on the calf.

 

[mncowboy]

we sell 1/4s and 1/2s. $4.24 hanging carcass weight, buyer pays for processing also.