Hanging wt, what do you charge?

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Alan

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I'm entertaining the thought of selling quarters and half halfs to clients. The steer I just had slaughtered cost me $3.20 per lb to put in my freezer. This included the cost of the steer, wormer, hay and I also grained for 90 or so days. the $3.20/lb also includes kill and cut and wrap.

A) what would you charge a customer?

B) what do you charge per lbs these days? Grain? worm?

Thanks,
Alan
 
Apparently costs are high in your area. We charge between $1.50 and $2.00 a pound hanging weight. Varies with the cattle market. Typically get $1200 for the steer.
 
I did this a couple years ago for a group of people. I charged the same price as the meat locker was charging for a half or quarter, which at that time was $2.00/lb. The people that bought the beef thought the price was very fair and I got more than I would have if I had sold it at the sale barn earlier even with the extra feed. The only confusion I had was people not understanding that there are different cuts on the front and rear quarters and so I had the meat locker just do the whole beef and then divide everything equally so all 4 people got the same cuts and types of cuts. I believe I paid for processing. I also had to explain that the pounds you pay for and the pounds of meat you get are not the same since you pay for the hanging wt, with bone included. All in all, it worked out well for us and people want to do it again.
 
braunvieh":2jhsd11v said:
The only confusion I had was people not understanding that there are different cuts on the front and rear quarters and so I had the meat locker just do the whole beef and then divide everything equally so all 4 people got the same cuts and types of cuts.

I call this a split half (50% of a front and 50% of a hind)
The only issue is that some folks want more hamburger, so in that case I have to eat more steak... :banana:
 
Thanks for the replies, I'm trying to put the charges in perspective. My view is this; hay or grass is $120/ton. Min. charges for wormer, ect. I grain for 90 days, I understand that many of you don't. So to break this down over a 90 day period;

Grass or hay (grass has value in the real market): $300 (50lbs per day x 90 days +/-)

Wormer and misc. supplies: $50

Minerals and supps: $100

$450 for 90 days to feed up the beef, 600lb hanging weight is basically 80 cents per lb to feed up... without grain. leaving you a 2yr old with a value of $1.20/lb or $720 (based on $2 per lb charge for hanging weight).

Are you able to raise a steer two years and make enough money for your trouble at $720... knowing 20% fat hamburger is going for $2.50/lb in the supermarkets. The question of putting a quaility product out is a must also... so in my case it's the reason for the wormer and grain. I know "grass fed", but tender is an issue also. Also this isn't hauling weaned calves to the auction yard, you winter them, and have to deal with cleints and the problems they create... it's not just dropping a weaned calf off and waiting for the check.

Your thoughts, are you charging enough?
Alan
 
Ok lets figure this another way
I sell my calves they weigh 600lbs and bring $1.20 pr lb so that is $720
The ones I keep are on the lighter end or they just don't fit the package so I keep them
grain is $250pr ton and hay is $.038 pr lb and the calf weighs 550lbs
I put them in a lot and feed them good hay and grain for 90 days at 8lbs a day and get 2lb of gain per day so the gain is 80lb in 90 days that calf then weighs 730lbs the grain cost me $90 for the 90 days and the hay cost $87.50 and then

I up the grain to 15lbs a day for 90 day so the grain cost for that 90days is $187.50 and the hay is still $87.50and I get 3lbs pr day gain the calf now weighs 1000lbs

Now I up the grain to 30lbs a day or full feed for 60 days and I get 3.5lbs pr day gain the hay consumption drops to 20lbs per day so grain cost is $225 for that 60 days and hay cost is $45.60 and gain is 210lbs

that calf now weighs 1210lbs and I sell by live weight at $1.25 pr lb so I gross $1512.50

then subtract the hay,grain and the price I could have got from selling the calf at 550lbs

1512.50 -$723.10 feed= $789.40-$660 price I could have sold for before feeding for a net total of $129.40

so is feeding that calf for that 240 days worth $129.40 for your time and labor and if you are selling by hanging weight at $2.00 per lb I cannot even see that you can break even

The cut and wrapped meat and me selling at $1.25 per lb come out around $2.75 pr lb for the customer
kill is $20 and processing is $.40 pr lb hanging weight
 
Angus Cowman":2i3zgm4c said:
so is feeding that calf for that 240 days worth $129.40 for your time and labor and if you are selling by hanging weight at $2.00 per lb I cannot even see that you can break even

The cut and wrapped meat and me selling at $1.25 per lb come out around $2.75 pr lb for the customer
kill is $20 and processing is $.40 pr lb hanging weight

That's why we have the purchaser pay the butcher fees. Last year with everything included the actual cost per lb of delivered meat was around $2.9x for each person, including everything from steaks to burger. All of the meat is vacuum packaged, also. We grain ours for about a month after weaning, about 3-4lbs/day or so, then they're turned loose with the weaned heifers for about 4 months on stockpiled fescue. Then they go in the lot and are fed for about 90 days, I don't have the cost figures for this year's group yet but I'm keeping pretty close tabs on them so far.

For simplicity's sake, let's use a 1000lb animal. If you sell him at $1.25/lb on the hoof, that's $1250. If he hangs 60%, that's 600lbs x $2/lb to the tune of $1200. If by chance he hangs 65%, then it's $1300. Six one way, half a dozen the other.
 
cfpinz":1jpzkn50 said:
Angus Cowman":1jpzkn50 said:
so is feeding that calf for that 240 days worth $129.40 for your time and labor and if you are selling by hanging weight at $2.00 per lb I cannot even see that you can break even

The cut and wrapped meat and me selling at $1.25 per lb come out around $2.75 pr lb for the customer
kill is $20 and processing is $.40 pr lb hanging weight

That's why we have the purchaser pay the butcher fees. Last year with everything included the actual cost per lb of delivered meat was around $2.9x for each person, including everything from steaks to burger. All of the meat is vacuum packaged, also. We grain ours for about a month after weaning, about 3-4lbs/day or so, then they're turned loose with the weaned heifers for about 4 months on stockpiled fescue. Then they go in the lot and are fed for about 90 days, I don't have the cost figures for this year's group yet but I'm keeping pretty close tabs on them so far.

For simplicity's sake, let's use a 1000lb animal. If you sell him at $1.25/lb on the hoof, that's $1250. If he hangs 60%, that's 600lbs x $2/lb to the tune of $1200. If by chance he hangs 65%, then it's $1300. Six one way, half a dozen the other.
Sorry Cf I thought I had changed that to be if you are selling for less than $2 pr lb

Oops my bad
 
what?":255e54im said:
TODAYS MARKET CONDITIONS $1.35 HANGING. CUSTOMER PAYS ALL KILL AND PROCESSING COSTS.


at that price i can buy yers and resell it to my customers...sure would make my life alot asier
 
I picked up a quarter at the locker this morning. It was $1.95 a lb cut wrapped and frozen! I was satisfied and so was everyone else :cowboy:
 
I go 2.00 hanging weight to friends and family and 2.50 to everybody else. Try to time it to utilize pasture efficiently and not be buying any feed if I don't have to unnecessarily and manage my time. If you have em at your house its a small piece of your day but if you have to drive at all to get to em you gotta be efficient . Ours are five minutes away and I do everything to make it a once a day trip and make it quick.
 
Ours is $2.75 per pound hanging, including cut and wrap ($.50 per pound). The buyer also pays the kill fee, or for a half, half of the kill fee. They are grass fed.
 
I get $2.89lb hng wt. plus they pay the processing, I am thinking about getting my license so I can start selling individual cuts of meat and combo packs.
 
I am getting $3.25 on the rail. Customer pays kill and processing fee. I sell on the rail because the cattle dress out in excess of 60%.

I start with a custom ration called butcher calf one for 30 days-then butcher calf two for 30 days-and after they are warned up, I finish on butcher calf three for 60 days. I do not feed hay with the ration--just the grain in a self-feeder--all they can eat. I only sell 1/2 or full beef. Every new customer has become a repeat customer and I have not had any complaints about the meat or price; only priase on the quality of the meat. I have yet to sell beef to a customer that has not wanted more. They all think it is cheaper and better than what they can buy in the store. All we can purchase from the local grocery stores is select beef. I guess that is what happens when you live in a small town.

It is a pain in the arse though. When the animals are in a confined space, they are always messing with the water float; hose; tank; and whatever they can reach. I guess they get bored. If I did not have back surgery scheduled for next month, I would have about ten on feed right now. It is a pretty good niche if you can work your way into it and if you can produce consitently tender beef for your customers.
 
I was wondering what is the age limit on the beef you are selling at time of slaughter. What is the maximum age heifer or steer you will send to slaughter for your customers??
 

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