Butcher Prices - Revisited

[hayray]

They are 12 month old heifers so I guess you could say they are first year heifers. The cutability on my choice heifers seems to be around 26% and on my steers around 35%.

That is interesting I wonder if that is from their younger age at slaughter. Heifers will yeild as well or even slightly better than steers for hanging %.

Hanging percentage yes, maybe even more because of how much fat they put on. Hanging (dressing) percentage vs. cut weight - there is big difference. If they are going to my processer vs. me selling at the auction then I will not let them put on as much fat. The commercial buyer uses that fat because that tallow gets trimmed off and sold and blended into many other products, I loose a certain amount of money on the tallow because I have no outlet for it but I get charged for that trim loss from the hanging weight for processing, so that is why the heifers may often have the same or higher dressing percentages as the steers but no were near the cutability.

 

[somn]

Hanging percentage yes, maybe even more because of how much fat they put on. Hanging (dressing) percentage vs. cut weight - there is big difference. If they are going to my processer vs. me selling at the auction then I will not let them put on as much fat. The commercial buyer uses that fat because that tallow gets trimmed off and sold and blended into many other products, I loose a certain amount of money on the tallow because I have no outlet for it but I get charged for that trim loss from the hanging weight for processing, so that is why the heifers may often have the same or higher dressing percentages as the steers but no were near the cutability.

I have never sold heifers thru the locker as they don't get a large enough carcass. So you probably are right. But boxed beef weight can be changed more by cutting order than sex ever will. I sell by hanging for that reason. They buy what they get if they want everything trimmed up and ground for hamburger throwing away all trimmings that is there choice they paid for it.

 

[hayray]

I don't get a difference in boxed meat yield based on cutting instructions. The carcass is trimmed of excess fat regardless so it does not change my meat yield.

 

[JMichal]

It all depends on what you put into them and for how long. Somn you said you finished yours for 9 months. What are they eating, and how much? I guess at 1.50 you could make a profit if you were just feeding them hay or winter grazing, Is that why it takes so long? Also what breed are your cattle? You also need to figure the cost to maintain your pastures, and many other things. I have a feeling you are not figuring in all your costs.

Breeds are angus, lims, sims, chars, and holstiens. My pasture consists of cement and dirt mounds not much cost to maintain that. The ration changes throughout their life mainly consisting of corn, ddgs, wdg, corn silage, ground grass hay, and protien pellets. Just how short of time do you think it should take to finish cattle. I'm sure you have a extensive history in running a feedlot maybe you could do as Chris B suggested and go around offering your wisdom to the big feedyards let them know they are doing it all wrong. You may have a feeling I'm not figuring all my costs and I know for certain that I am if I wasn't I would already be out of business. If you can't make a profit right now selling your beef at $1.50 per hanging pound you need to rethink raising cattle.

Don't blow a gasket there. Maybe you need to take a nerve pill. Or move to Califonia where you can get some legal weed for medicinal purposes. Calm down.

 

[somn]

I don't get a difference in boxed meat yield based on cutting instructions. The carcass is trimmed of excess fat regardless so it does not change my meat yield.

Difference in cutting order can result in over 200# less boxed beef per 1000# carcass. I've seen 128# just between sides. That is why I wondered who set the cutting order you or the customer. I just as soon not lose dollars on those 128#. But if I sold retail cutting order would be a very important factor to me. But when you charge $4.50 per packaged pound you won't ever get hurt even on a complete grind. Unless of course you need to haul a long way to the locker and then a long way to deliver it. Slaughter, cut, and wrap will usually be predictable enough not to worry about that price changing.

 

[somn]

Don't blow a gasket there. Maybe you need to take a nerve pill. Or move to Califonia where you can get some legal weed for medicinal purposes. Calm down.

Even if it was legal I would die before you will get me to smoke any weed. After a night of experimental drug use I watched a classmate sit in the chip isle at hy-vee opening bag after bag till he found something that tasted good and always thinking the people walking by and looking at him were cops funny thing was he was right the cops were coming.

 

[JMichal]

Don't blow a gasket there. Maybe you need to take a nerve pill. Or move to Califonia where you can get some legal weed for medicinal purposes. Calm down.

Even if it was legal I would die before you will get me to smoke any weed. After a night of experimental drug use I watched a classmate sit in the chip isle at hy-vee opening bag after bag till he found something that tasted good and always thinking the people walking by and looking at him were cops funny thing was he was right the cops were coming.

:lol: :lol: Sounds like fun. The wacky weed is prolly safer than the crap they are giving our kids now (ritalyn) etc. Why would you sit watch you friend do this anyway?

 

[somn]

Don't blow a gasket there. Maybe you need to take a nerve pill. Or move to Califonia where you can get some legal weed for medicinal purposes. Calm down.

Even if it was legal I would die before you will get me to smoke any weed. After a night of experimental drug use I watched a classmate sit in the chip isle at hy-vee opening bag after bag till he found something that tasted good and always thinking the people walking by and looking at him were cops funny thing was he was right the cops were coming.

:lol: :lol: Sounds like fun. The wacky weed is prolly safer than the crap they are giving our kids now (ritalyn) etc. Why would you sit watch you friend do this anyway?

He was not a friend he was just a classmate. In fact I'm almost sure he was the one who broke the windows out of my truck and stole a Ford Factory radio. Must have needed money real bad. When we went in to rent a movie we saw him on the floor I couldn't hardly wait for the cops to come.

 

[JMichal]

Sounds to me like you all needed some good weed to mellow you all out.

 

[larryshoat]

Sounds to me like you all needed some good weed to mellow you all out.

I've got one word for you "rehab" .

Larry

 

[JMichal]

Sounds to me like you all needed some good weed to mellow you all out.

I've got one word for you "rehab" .

Larry

Sorry Larry, Been sober from everything since 1986. Also don't get all blown up about BS like somn does.

 

[mwj]

Sounds to me like you all needed some good weed to mellow you all out.

I've got one word for you "rehab" .

Larry

Sorry Larry, Been sober from everything since 1986. Also don't get all blown up about BS like somn does.

When you are mature enough to tell the differance between BS and a persons livelyhood you will get along better in life!!

 

[hayray]

I don't get a difference in boxed meat yield based on cutting instructions. The carcass is trimmed of excess fat regardless so it does not change my meat yield.

Difference in cutting order can result in over 200# less boxed beef per 1000# carcass. I've seen 128# just between sides. That is why I wondered who set the cutting order you or the customer. I just as soon not lose dollars on those 128#. But if I sold retail cutting order would be a very important factor to me. But when you charge $4.50 per packaged pound you won't ever get hurt even on a complete grind. Unless of course you need to haul a long way to the locker and then a long way to deliver it. Slaughter, cut, and wrap will usually be predictable enough not to worry about that price changing.

The biggest thing that makes a difference for me on cutting loss is a bone cut or boneless cut order. I do have a standard cut with bone in and try to avoiding bone out orders and try to avoid very many custom orders anyways. I have to travel 90 miles one way to get to the nearest USDA inspected plant. What cutting orders change your meat yield that much? I would sure like to know. I would actually think that grinding the whole would actually result in less weight because of the bone loss?

 

[somn]

I would actually think that grinding the whole would actually result in less weight because of the bone loss?

You are correct grind will result in the least weight possible. along with the most expensive slaughter and cut and wrap bill.

I have two completely different customers. You could not find to different cutting orders if you tried. For this reason I intentionally made the one wait until the other ordered as I was curious what the difference would be. First a little background on the customers.

First customer we will call smoke. The first time smoke ordered a side of beef from me after he gave his cutting instructions to the locker the locker plant called me and asked me is this guy for real? I said why heck yes why. They said well he told us we were not to throw away any fat at all it was all to go into the burger. And that he did not want any of his steaks trimmed the only thing he wanted thrown away was the outside rotten stuff from it hanging 18 days. I said well do what he wants as it is his. So basically they only cut it up into smaller pieces. Now several weeks later I met him on the street he told me it was the best beef he has ever eaten. He told me that he only needs to have the lp gas turned on for a couple minutes on his grill until the fat starts dripping and then he shuts off the gas and the burgers and steaks will cook themselves. Talk about a disgusting thought. As he told me this he was using one cigerette to light the next one. So health is not a real concern.

Now the other customer we will call her healthy. She is a early to mid 40's. She is the type of lady runs everyday at the gym. Salads for dinners the whole 9 yards. Her cutting order was 96% lean hamburger, not a stitch of fat on the steaks and roasts, no short ribs none of that kind of stuff and she did not want a single bone sent with her meat as she was repulsed by the idea of gnawing on bones like wild animals.

So we had a 992# carcass. 496# sides.

Her cut and wrapped net weight was 256#

His cut and wrapped weight was 384#

After talking to the owners of locker plant smoke even had some trimming done on this steer said he had to many grill fires.

So when charging retail you would have lost 128# on this steer on account of cutting order. You sell it at $4.50 so you lost $576 before you paid the difference in cut and wrap fees. Now at $4.50 for 256# = $1156 you are still way ahead of the $744 market value of the meat that I charge. But that is where you need to put a value on your time and extra costs. I would rather sell hanging. Because then it is the customers choice what to do with it. My hands are washed of it. If they want self cooking meat fine by me if they want extra lean everything fine by me. Both will pay the same.

 

[hayray]

Somn,

those are two huge extreams for sure, I have never encountered any orders thatg extreme. Almost all of my sales are from my standard cut order and most of my sales are variety packs of small amounts of meat, so the $4.50/lb is the baseline lowest price, a side and quater are less per pound and I just have a set weight on what the weights are unless they order a custom cut, then they get whatever that is. A side is 200 lbs. of packaged meat, a quarter 100 lbs., then I have a 50 and 25 lb. variety pack. The thing that gets me is that no matter how much you try to explain to some one the difference between cut weight and hanging weight they just won't get it. A lot of potential customers find a guy like you and they are for sure they are paying $1.50/lb no matter what, so that is the down fall of doing it my way, but the extra profit is still out weighting that benefit.

 

[aplusmnt]

We have always had people happy with $1.00 per pound live weight. And that is a pretty basic advertised price in this area. That is delivered to the local meat locker.

They may bring cheaper at the sale barn but you have to spend the time to bid on them, wait for a single, hope for the proper finish then transport them to your butcher.

S100 cwt seems like a fair price for all parties to me. On a good finished steer I would think that would work close enough to the $1.50 pound hanging weight somn mentioned. But I am sure Somn has sold more finished steer before lunch on any given day than I have in my life.