Finding a slaughterhouse/butcher

[oreohaven]

OK, so I am brand new to cattle. I have a few acres and my in-laws do, so we rotate a few head between our land. I have a steer ready to slaughter, but have no idea where to look for a butcher. Does anyone have any suggestions? I have asked some neighbors that have cattle, but it seems like they all have them as pets. Now I am sure my wife just loves the idea of being able to let our cows die of old age, but I really want to know what they taste like. Can anyone out there help? IF anyone is from the Austin, San ANtonio, or Houston area and know of a good butcher/slaughterhouse, please recommend. The cattle are near La Grange, TX, and I live in Houston... Anyway, thanks for your help

 

[TR]

OK, so I am brand new to cattle. I have a few acres and my in-laws do, so we rotate a few head between our land. I have a steer ready to slaughter, but have no idea where to look for a butcher. Does anyone have any suggestions? I have asked some neighbors that have cattle, but it seems like they all have them as pets. Now I am sure my wife just loves the idea of being able to let our cows die of old age, but I really want to know what they taste like. Can anyone out there help? IF anyone is from the Austin, San ANtonio, or Houston area and know of a good butcher/slaughterhouse, please recommend. The cattle are near La Grange, TX, and I live in Houston... Anyway, thanks for your help

Sidney411 and I were talking about that very thing just the other day. So, just because its in a very handy place, I picked up the yellow pages for our area, and found one under "Butchering". There were only 2 in there for the Brazos Valley, and one seemed to be more of a meat market as opposed to a slaughter operation, but the other one looked promising. Haven't called either of them yet, but that may be a good place to start in finding one.

 

[oreohaven]

I have tried that in the past, but only found some people that do game processing..I didn't think the two were related a far as getting good cuts of meat, etc. I will check again. RIght now I am in Iraq with the National Guard, but will be home in Dec or Jan and want to get it taken care of before my wife spends any more time messing with the steer, any more time with it and she will have it doing tricks...

 

[TR]

I have tried that in the past, but only found some people that do game processing..I didn't think the two were related a far as getting good cuts of meat, etc. I will check again. RIght now I am in Iraq with the National Guard, but will be home in Dec or Jan and want to get it taken care of before my wife spends any more time messing with the steer, any more time with it and she will have it doing tricks...

Hahaha! I hear ya....'fraid I did the same thing when my Nat'l Guardsman was on his last tour....got waaaaaay too close to the cattle. Got a new plan for his upcoming deployment to Iraq though......he's just gonna have to get someone else to look after them this time!

Slaughtering and processing seems to be a dying art around this area. I keep talking to people in other states who have a knacker c'mon out and slaughter on their place, then haul the carcass on in to process. Trying to find one here who does that is like trying to find the proverbial needle in a haystack. Although I do seem to recall at one time driving by this place that had a sign out front advertising slaughtering on Hwy 95 between Elgin and Bastrop. I think it was closer to Elgin, and it was a few years ago. May be worth a try looking it up though. Other than that, I'd call the deer processers and see if they knew of and could recommend anyone who did beef.

Stay safe over there, God Speed on your journey home, and thank you for your service!

 

[dj]

This link lists two different places in Houston, TX and I'll bet there are more.
http://www.magicyellow.com/category/But ... on_TX.html

 

[jersey lilly]

We use Anderson Processing, in Anderson, Texas, Mr Molitar will do ya right.

 

[TR]

We use Anderson Processing, in Anderson, Texas, Mr Molitar will do ya right.

Jersey Lilly, that's fantastic to know! Thanks!! I'm all of about 20 miles from Anderson, which in "Texas Terms" means its just up the road. I'll definitely keep his number in my address book.

 

[oreohaven]

THanks for the info: Anderson is around 90 miles from me, but just having someone who has actually used the service makes it worth the trip..

 

[earnhardtfan55]

There is a good one in Fairfield (not sure how far from you), but they do good work. Been using them for years. I have had 15 cows done there, 2 hogs and if they were closer to where I hunt I would take deer there too. They wrap the meat in plastic wrap and then with butcher paper which is different than most who only single wrap with butcher paper.

They also smoke meats and make great sausage and jerky.

Can't get an appointment around deer season though.

They have 2 locations - one sells retail stuff and the other is where they process.

The processing plant is at
180 FM 833 East
Fairfield, Tx 75840
(903) 389-6169

 

[TheBullLady]

There's also a good small one in Taylor. If you'd like the #, let me know and I'll try and find it for you.

We've used the one in Fairfield the last few times we've had steers to process, but they about killed me on the last one! I had a bull and a small heifer processed there and they charged $1,600. :x

 

[earnhardtfan55]

There's also a good small one in Taylor. If you'd like the #, let me know and I'll try and find it for you.

We've used the one in Fairfield the last few times we've had steers to process, but they about killed me on the last one! I had a bull and a small heifer processed there and they charged $1,600. :x

Good lord! How big were they? At .55 a pound that would be 2909 pounds of dressed weight since they charge by the pound dressed weight. They must have weighed right at 5,000 pounds live weight figuring about 40% loss for bones and hide. Unless you had some special processing.

They are getting higher but the most I have ever spent is $253, but then the biggest was 750 pounds live and 453 dressed at .52 a pound in 2003. When I first started using them they were charging under .40 a pound but like everything else they have been going up. I have noticed them going up quicker since they opened up the retail shop on 84 West.

I have spent a lot more when processing hogs because of the extra charges for smoking hams and bacon and making sausage.

 

[oreohaven]

Just got a chance to talk to my wife on the phone, looks like the steer is NOT going to make it to slaughter...ever. "#38 is much too sweet and smart to be eaten" That's what happens when your gone for year... However, she bought a bull calf a little over a year ago, and he does not look like he is going to be a producer, and "he won't let me pet him" So she is fine with him going. She is having the vet take a look at him this Friday, and if it looks like he won't be able to sire any calves, then we will finally get to tast some Belted Galloway meat, and have the hide for some decor. I will get on and e-mail some of y'all for phone #'s etc. once I get back to the USA. No place from Dallas, to Houston and San Antonio is too far, since we have family or land in all, and are always driving out to see someone, so thanks for all the help. .55 a lb? Does that include all the different cuts of meat? I had no idea it was that cheap I should have been doing this years ago.

 

[Dusty Britches]

I'm sure there's some in your area, oreo. Look under butcher or meat processing in the yellow pages. You live in Czech country, so there ought to be some.

 

[TxSimbrahShower]

We use Hoffarts in Dobbin.

Fisher's use to have a place down off 1960, don't know if they are still in business or not.

mom

 

[Farmgirl]

We use Hoffarts in Dobbin.

We haven't used them but have heard good things about them. Been in business for something like 50 years.

 

[jersey lilly]

Ok this is really makin me wonder just how close to me some of you apparently are. And wonder if I know some of ya lol

 

[A6gal]

oreohaven,

How close are you to Poth, Texas? There is Wiatrek's Meat Market in Poth off Hwy 181. There about 65 miles from me but I've used them and recommend them highly. PM me if you'd like telephone numbers.

Cindy

 

[Arnold Ziffle]

Well, if the cattle are near LaGrange, I'd suggest that you first try La Grange Smokehouse. I'm pretty sure they do custom slaughtering and they are about 5 miles southeast of LaGrange on Highway 71. As you are heading from Columbus to La Grange they are on the right hand side of the road. Alternatively, I imagine there are other such facilities located within reasonable driving distance --- such as Patek's near Shiner or Kaspar's in Weimar ( and there's bound to be some near Hallettsville, Gonzales and Yoakum). I'm not positive that Patek's or Kaspar's do custom slaughtering but it may be worth your while to give them a call.

 

[earnhardtfan55]

.55 a pound for double wrap and you tell them how you want it cut. What cuts you want how thick on the steaks, how many pounds on roasts, how many pounds hamburger packaged etc.

That isn't near as cheap as it has been. When I started getting cows from my uncle we used a place in Groesbeck which was charging .25 a pound, but the old guy retired and the kid didn't want to take over that business. We tried the place in Buffalo, but the meat we got back wasn't the meat we dropped off so we tried J & S and haven't regretted it since. Can't get them to hang the meat as long as we want cause he has so much processing to do, but still worth it.

 

[oreohaven]

Well, wife pointed out my stupidity...I have been by the La Grange Smokehouse over a hundred times, and never realized they did butchering. (seems she has told me this before, but somehow I went deaf at the time) I will ask around when I get home and find out what I can as far as customer satisfaction, I would rather spend a little bit more time or money and get better service than spend less or just go to the closest place to get poor quality service. If they are have a bad reputation, then I will try Hoffarts in Dobbins, since it is only 20-30 miles out of the way for my drive home from the farm. Thank you all for your help. Like I said I am VERY new to this, and am just a hobby farmer. I like seeing the cows out on the land, like the ag exemption, and really like eating beef, so I figured why not get some cows. I know most of you have pretty large operations, and just want to say thanks for helping one of the hobby/recreational farmers.