Free Beef???

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Ouachita

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Western Arkansas
I got an email from a friend who's neighbor has a cow that come up lame. From his description, the cow has somehow broken a leg and is down. This happened sometime between dark last night and daylight this morning. The owner has tried calling all local slaughter houses and they will not take her. They tell her by law the cow must walk in (this is true as I understand it, but I have taken a cow in that had a spinal injury from the bull getting rough, no problem so I suspect the real reason they won't take her in right now is because they are way overloaded due to deer season).
Long story short, they are offering to give this cow to someone, anyone, who can make use of the meat. I'm still awaiting more info; age, recent meds, etc., but am curious if anyone here has "field butchered" an adult cow, and if so provide any helpful tips/tricks. (I've never butchered anything larger than a deer, so really don't know how many hours I should allow if this deal works out). Even if I just harvest the best cuts for personal use, the remainder of the meat can be donated to a local 501C3 animal rehabilitation facility for animal consumption. They have previously been very generous with the $$$ amount I can detuct from my taxes.
The weather will be ideal tomorrow; high of 33 degrees, no rain until late evening and that is forecast to be the frozen type. And I have a big tractor with FEL to hang. In the end, I'm not expecting to get prime beef by any stretch, but think it would be a good experience for my family, help a neighbor, and make use of the animal. Thoughts?
 
We butchered a steer one time. It broke its neck in the pen . He was about 800 lbs . I didn't like the taste we didn't have a place to hang it for aging .. It should be fairly easy . Pick her up with the fel . As you cut the weight of the hide will pull itself off . Actually it was easier to skin than a hog to me. The rest is like a deer just quarter it or debone it while hanging and ice it in a ice chest . You might be able to ice it down a few days like a deer .if it was me I'd debone as much as possible ice it in a ice chest for a week . Drain the water every day and add ice . Then grind it into burger .
 
Yes - they have to walk into the kill plant by law.

Broken leg for more than 24 hours before killing?

Likely she is fevered or hot.
'
Might be a dark cutter.

Far as I am concerned put her down.

Sooner the better with a busted leg.

Meat can be had at any time but there is at least to me the moral issue of sitting on this animal and waiting.

Cheers

Bez
 
There is a lot of reasons that the local packer will not and truthfully cannot in this day and ageslaughter the cow,fever, stress,and other things [like rumor's about them processing a cripled animal] etc. As far as the actual do it yourself process, that is just comman sense,if you have even been around anykind of home butchering. Where we live cooling this time of year is 'nt any problem more likely to freeze solid but this all said,the cow should have been processed as soon as she was discovered. Have seen broken legs healed and the animal harvested 6-8 weeks later. Good luck
 
I had recieved some incorrect information. I just got to communicating direct with the owner of this cow and she sent me the following email:

"The leg isn't broken just a growth between the hoof making it very hard to walk and she just wants to lay down all the time, no fever. I think this may encourage hubby to get out of the cattle business because of his disabilities. It will all be taken care of tomorrow, we were not waiting just could not get to it today. Thanks again."

My desire to get involved was not the prospect of free beef, although I titled my post that way. I was really wanting to help a neighbor and was curious about others opinions. Thanks
 
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I have done it being a journeyman butcher I quartered the cow with an electric chain saw.
Then broke the quarters down into there respective cuts.
The problem goes back to what JSC was talking about it would be much better to have a cooler and let that meat hang at least a week.
Another thing this isn't a deer unless you have some real processing equipment your in for a job.
 

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