Close to $2.00 killer bulls

[Little Joe]

A good cow will hang up 50%. So a good 1,200 pound cow will hand 600 pounds. Nearly half of the hanging weight is in bone. So that works out to 300 pounds of meat to grind. So using nice round numbers a 1,200 pound cow costing $1.25 is $1,500. $1,500 for 300 pounds of meat is $5 a pound. Have you priced hamburger in the store lately? Also the packers sell the offal. The small guys have to pay to have it hauled off.

For me I will have another $480 tied up in processing costs on that cow + hauling + meat pickup so we'll say $600 for round numbers, so I'm at $7/pound to break even, not counting my time.

 

[Little Joe]

Live weight x .67 x .67 will get your yield in meat, so a 1200# cow yields 540# burger, if she's in good flesh. At 1.50 that's $3.33 a pound in the meat. According to a google search burger is $4.77-$6.77 per pound, I don't know what it is locally because I raise my own. There's room for profit in there somewhere, especially at packer volume levels.

Packers are making the money on the processing which I'm having to pay out of pocket. I agree with @Dave, I don't think you'll get the kind of yield you projected with a cow that's all burger, those are closer to the numbers I get on good young cattle in assorted bone in cuts and burger combined. My hanging weight will typically be 62-63% of live and yield 65-70% of that on young fed out cattle.

 

[Dave]

I read a report yesterday that listed Offal selling for $11 and change. If the packers are breaking even on the meat that $11+ a hundred adds up to a pretty good dollar.
Here the kill is all farm slaughter. They charge $20 to haul off all that stuff. Plus another $20 in at the plant for everything that doesn't go in a package. I save the $20 at the slaughter by having them put it in the tractor bucket. It goes out to the bone yard for the coyotes to dine on.

 

[farmerjan]

Heard yesterday that cattle were off $15 this week... and that the prices were dropping? Anyone heard anything?

 

[Logan52]

So far most of the drop has been in the futures. Cash market is also off, particularly calves and yearlings. Pound cows and bulls are holding up the best, but they are also off over $5.
Supposed to be the bird flu deal, but the market seemed to be looking for a reason to cool off.
Is it a time to get back in a little if you have the grass? I do not know.

 

[Dave]

Here the kill cows and bulls held steady. Not much in the way of calves or yearlings coming to town this time of the year. What little there is coming is generally pretty poor quality. Brandings happening every day. People moving cows off feed and out to grass. Numbers of cattle and people in attendance at the sales is way down. Sales that get 2,000 -3,000 head every week September through February now getting 300-400 head a week.

 

[Rmc]

All those bred cows are big money if the big packers take advantage of it. Can make as much of fetus products as they paid for the entire cow if everything is done correctly. Bovine fetus serum is big money . Makes offal prices look like peanuts.

 

[elkwc]

Heard yesterday that cattle were off $15 this week... and that the prices were dropping? Anyone heard anything?

What class are you talking about. In this area cows and bulls were up. 8 weight ms up off 6-8 dollars and lighter calves 3-4 dollars. The board went down as some say due to a convenient crisis. One reason I don't have any confidence in the market. Too many outside factors have an influence on the market.

 

[farmerjan]

I don't know what class was off,... the guy does custom buying and he said they took $15 off the cattle...
Our steer market were off a good $10-20 most sizes... but then some hit $4.00 last week for 3 wts... the bigger ones in good groups were down about $5-10 yesterday... Heifers were up about $5-10 though.
We sold 12 steers that weighed around 740-750 and they brought 2.50... last of the steers , except 2 odd ones that are a bit bigger 800 lbs or so... they might go to a different sale with a few cull cows...that is much more "friendly" to singles and pairs and such.... might go to pasture for summer and beef or sell in the fall....

 

[gcreekrch]

Live weight x .67 x .67 will get your yield in meat, so a 1200# cow yields 540# burger, if she's in good flesh. At 1.50 that's $3.33 a pound in the meat. According to a google search burger is $4.77-$6.77 per pound, I don't know what it is locally because I raise my own. There's room for profit in there somewhere, especially at packer volume levels.

That cow will yield 360 lbs in burger.

 

[BFE]

That cow will yield 360 lbs in burger.

The ones I have had butchered come up with far more than that, but also they are younger and in good flesh. I don't fatten out a steer, but take a younger cow that didn't breed back and eat them, they're really the best value as far as eating your own beef.

 

[Little Joe]

The ones I have had butchered come up with far more than that, but also they are younger and in good flesh. I don't fatten out a steer, but take a younger cow that didn't breed back and eat them, they're really the best value as far as eating your own beef.

Did you just get burger or did you get some bone in cuts as well?

 

[gcreekrch]

Did you just get burger or did you get some bone in cuts as well?

Exactly.

 

[BFE]

Did you just get burger or did you get some bone in cuts as well?

Exactly.

You don't get any bone in cuts after 30 months thanks to BSE. At least, none off the spine. No bone in cuts, burger, tenderized ribeyes, strips, filet. Last one had more trim due to a dark spot on one of the ribeye's. 11-12 flats of meat, approximately 50# of per flat.

 

[BFE]

So, not exactly.

 

[ClinchValley86]

I sold around a 900 pound momma for burger this winter. It hung around 500 pounds and they said they got about 225 pounds of ground. She was pretty lean, but not thin.

 

[farmerjan]

I sold around a 900 pound momma for burger this winter. It hung around 500 pounds and they said they got about 225 pounds of ground. She was pretty lean, but not thin.

That's what we figure...25% of live weight is actual meat in the freezer... any more than that is considered a bonus....

 

[gcreekrch]

So, not exactly.

Maybe Illinois cows are built differently than our low quality northern cattle. Most here are 50% dressed and lose another 40% to make burger. We just killed a 1580 lb cow and she yielded 455 lbs of burger and 15 lbs of tenderloin. Do the math.

 

[BFE]

Maybe Illinois cows are built differently than our low quality northern cattle. Most here are 50% dressed and lose another 40% to make burger. We just killed a 1580 lb cow and she yielded 455 lbs of burger and 15 lbs of tenderloin. Do the math.

I stand corrected. Thank you.

 

[gcreekrch]

I stand corrected. Thank you.

I learned the expensive way too. It bone in cuts go to the freezer you only take 30% off carcass weight.