Cull cow dressout

[Hpacres440p]

I know culls are selling live for decent $ right now, but has anyone processed one for resale? Trying to balance expenses (processing cost) vs income at $5/lb for ground beef compared to just selling live. She has a grace period until July, regardless, after an attempt to AI (purchased her in Dec) and weaning her calf.
Realistically, she is an old, thinner cow-is she even worth beefing for private use or direct sale (I know she's at least McDonald's quality)

 

[SBMF 2015]

Realistically, she is an old, thinner cow-is she even worth beefing for private use or direct sale (I know she's at least McDonald's quality)

No. Send her to the sale barn, put you check in the bank. Your worries are over. Take it to the butcher, sell some, put some in your freezer. If your customers or you aren't satisfied it will be a long, disappointing time getting rid of her.
Old cows are hard boned. Yellow fat, not white. She's better than McDonald's,but she probably fits in those five lb tubes of grnd beef at Wal-Mart.
On top of that. She probably won't have a very high dressing %.

 

[Aaron]

Those old girls can be pretty lean carcass-wise.

Sent one in January with cancer eye to plant for local retail outlet. She was about same or little better shape than one in picture. Dressing % was under 50%. 532 lbs hanging @ $1.28 US/lb = $681 US. Had to pay kill fee on top plus I trucked her in myself, so I ended up making $400 US. Still a few bucks ahead over a bullet and baiting wolves.

But for most cows, unless you have a phenomenally voracious hamburger market and can make the money flow like water, send them to the sales barn.

 

[Little Joe]

I ground up a fat longhorn cow back in the fall and was happy with it and so were my customers. I guessed her 750-800 live weight, hung at 500, yield was 300 lbs of hamburger. I might've guessed her a little light live weight based on her hanging and yield. I sold her for $2.60/lb hanging and I paid processing, so I ended up my part $1.85 x 500= $925. Not bad for a cow I paid $390 for and she raised one half ultra black calf also while I had her.

 

[Allenw]

She looks like she still has the potential to gain weight. If she does gain weight she'll yeild better.

 

[Hpacres440p]

She looks like she still has the potential to gain weight. If she does gain weight she'll yeild better.

Need some rain for grass to grow first

 

[Silver]

Her fat will turn white if fed right for a time. She could use the weight anyway.

 

[Hpacres440p]

We do have a local packer who buys culls, of course that will be a hanging weight price, which at that point may or may not be an advantage. Is there somewhere to find packer prices by butcher class? (Cutter, canner, utility etc). I can watch sale barn reports for live, but am clueless where to find packer prices.

 

[BC]

I guess that cow will dress about 45%. Cow processors have their own grades unlike fat cattle. That cow would have brought in mid to upper 50's early this week.

 

[Hpacres440p]

I guess that cow will dress about 45%. Cow processors have their own grades unlike fat cattle. That cow would have brought in mid to upper 50's early this week.

Live? That helps. Thanks

 

[SBMF 2015]

Her fat will turn white if fed right for a time. She could use the weight anyway.

90-120 days or more in a feed lot eating corn. Making white fat cows can be a costly undertaking.

 

[SBMF 2015]

We do have a local packer who buys culls, of course that will be a hanging weight price, which at that point may or may not be an advantage. Is there somewhere to find packer prices by butcher class? (Cutter, canner, utility etc). I can watch sale barn reports for live, but am clueless where to find packer prices.

our sale barn breaks cows down by class in their mrkt report. Fairview sale barn Fairview, IL

 

[Silver]

90-120 days or more in a feed lot eating corn. Making white fat cows can be a costly undertaking.

Some studies suggest much less than that. I just feed mine good dry alfalfa / grass hay and very little grain so they have been off green grass for a couple of months and never have yellow fat.

 

[SBMF 2015]

Some studies suggest much less than that. I just feed mine good dry alfalfa / grass hay and very little grain so they have been off green grass for a couple of months and never have yellow fat.

Interesting. Age plays a big role in how cows change over. Younger cows say 6 and younger will do it more easily.

 

[Walking W]

Reading the post I am still amazed that my 100 day grain fed 1190 lb Charolais hung at 570 lbs and packaged at 350 lbs. Does this sound suspicious to anyone here or am I just overly optimistic about what should have happened? I am thinking of driving further to see about a better processer.

 

[Silver]

I am mostly suspicious of the live weight. The 350 lbs packaged for 570 hanging is bang on.

 

[Walking W]

I am mostly suspicious of the live weight. The 350 lbs packaged for 570 hanging is bang on.

I ran my trailer across the scales at the feed store before and after unloading her. I actually thought she would weigh even more than she did not less. Don't know what else I could do. I have used them several times in the past before unloading at the processor. She was a good sized Charolais about 18 months old. I bought her and re-bred her mom Dec. 2020 and she was old enough that her mom was weaning her. On the bright side, I tried a rib-eye this weekend. Sure was tender and good tasting.

 

[M.Magis]

I ran my trailer across the scales at the feed store before and after unloading her. I actually thought she would weigh even more than she did not less. Don't know what else I could do. I have used them several times in the past before unloading at the processor. She was a good sized Charolais about 18 months old. I bought her and re-bred her mom Dec. 2020 and she was old enough that her mom was weaning her. On the bright side, I tried a rib-eye this weekend. Sure was tender and good tasting.

Were all of the axles on the scale?

 

[Walking W]

Were all of the axles on the scale?

Well, of course they were!

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Did he weigh the HLT with the carcass weight? If she was a real heavy boned Char, and full at time of weighing, it's possible - especially if processor did not include the weight of HLT.
50% would be 595#