I just recently came across a local farm here that is selling for $4.80/lb hanging weight. My eyes about popped out of my head.
Price, live weight - finished beef
- Thread starter ksmit454
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kenny thomas
Well-known member
sstterry said:
One farm here has been selling for $4.50 hanging for severel years. But most of it goes to the local cities. Much goes to your area ssttery .
kenny thomas said:
What do the Cities do with it?
kenny thomas
Well-known member
Not sure except he advertises as grass fed with no shots. Probably 90% goes to Greenville, Morristown, Bristol and Knoxville
farmerjan
Well-known member
Took one to the butcher this afternoon as we are going to both be tied up in the morning. 1/2 is sold for 4.50/lb hanging weight; and we pay the slaughter costs.... the other half is questionably sold, so if not it is ours. They may only be able to take a quarter. Took a heifer of mine that was confirmed preg about 2 months because the sorry witch won't stop sucking other cows. She was bigger than the jersey she was sucking and I caught her on a first calf heifer that has a 2-3 month calf on her. End of problem. She has some dairy in her, is in good flesh, and ought to taste good. He had a steer that wasn't as big as he wanted to have killed so I said take that "sorry bred witch". Don't have any qualms about doing her since it is barely there, and she would be getting on the truck for town next week otherwise.
Going to set up a date for once a month from Aug of 2021, which is the first available date that they have now, right through the end of 2021. Have several that could go, and if I get another open cow like this jersey cow, it would be a good hamburger cow, so if we have dates then we can be flexible. If we don't have anything, they have a waiting list of people wanting a date, so there won't be any problem of them filling it with someone else. This whole waiting for a kill date a YEAR away is absurd.
Going to set up a date for once a month from Aug of 2021, which is the first available date that they have now, right through the end of 2021. Have several that could go, and if I get another open cow like this jersey cow, it would be a good hamburger cow, so if we have dates then we can be flexible. If we don't have anything, they have a waiting list of people wanting a date, so there won't be any problem of them filling it with someone else. This whole waiting for a kill date a YEAR away is absurd.
Little Joe
Well-known member
I charge $2.75/ lb hanging weight and customer pays processing. I have repeat customers. I probably could've charged more this year but decided to stay with my usual price. I don't make a killing at that price but it's still profitable.
Little Joe
Well-known member
I also require deposits about 45 days ahead of time so everyone is committed and they have technically taken ownership at the time deposit is paid so that gets around inspections.
Son of Butch
Well-known member
A hanging weight of 61.8% of live weight means 2.75 hanging is the
equivalent of 1.70 live.
fed cattle set all time record high of 170.9 on November 17, 2014
2019 peak 129.10
2020 peak 124.73
If 1.70 lb live is not making a killing, I guess I don't know what is....
At what point does making a killing become price gouging?
20% over market top? 30% 40%?
1.70 is 41.7% over current market of 1.20
btw
processed a steer last week butcher fees came to 77 cents lb hanging weight
take home was 58% of hanging and hamburger was 67% of the take home
1982vett
Well-known member
I'm guessing that was what was left of the e-coli free hamburger that was still available....
Little Joe
Well-known member
The meat comes out cheaper than getting it at grocery store, is better quality and they know where it came from. The prices your basing that on above are cattle fed in a feedlot where they buy feed by the semiload and mix it with whatever else they get for free or cheap, I assure you I have alot more in the feed bill on mine than a feedlot by buying it 1000 lbs at a time. Last year a quarter averaged $700 and was 125 lbs of take home meat, came to $5.60/lb retail weight. Hamburger meat in the grocery store at that time was $6/lb. , good steaks are usually $12-$16/lb. Considering I buy them'feed them' haul them to butcher and usually pick up the meat I think their getting a good deal, and like I said, I sure ain't making no killing on the deal. I see alot of farm fresh beef advertised for $4-$5/lb hanging weight. A few of the local places are selling locally grown beef, hamburger was north of $6/lb before COVID hit. So I'm trying to figure out where my price gouging is coming in. I'm sure not going to go through all that trouble any cheaper. If I had to do it any cheaper I'd be better off just selling calves at the sale barn and not have to feed twice a day 7 days a week and all the other extra that goes with the butchering. Basically I'm everything from the order buyer all the way to retail.
I am right there with you Buddy. We've been getting 3.50 a lb hanging, plus processing. Which is a decent profit. But we are going up to 3.75 or 4.00 a lb plus processing this year.
I subscribe to the notion that the market will bare what it will bare. Demand is high. Supply is low.
They know exactly what they are getting. Quality beef. And I work my arse off to get them said product. Like you say, 2 times a day, every single day. Causes me to miss out on all kinds of stuff. Therefore I want to be well compensated.
That was my largest problem with getting into cattle. The conventional approach of selling calves at the sale barn ends up leaving you in the negative. And I think people are use to not making anything. Well excuse me...but I find it very unfair...and sad.
Middle men will absolutely take your profit if you let them. Its just a matter of having the nerve to put yourself out there. Sure...people will accuse you of gouging. But no one is holding a gun to anyone's head. Just know people pay for QUALITY. I dont care what it is. They can always go to Walmart and get some meat.
We haven't promoted anything...and haven't had to try 1 time to sell a beef. We already have a list of folks wanting some. Butcher said its some of the best beef coming through his place. And to not be afraid to make money.
I do like you're getting a deposit 45 days before slaughter. I think I will adopt the practice.
We all deserve to make the money. Stop being afraid of it. If you're charging too much, your product will not move. Its obvious which direction your price needs to go, be that up or down... supply and demand.
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On another note, what is the deal about selling our animals to restaurants? Can they sell meat through their restaurant that was not USDA inspected?
Say I owned burger food truck. Sell nothing but hamburgers. Could I buy cattle, have them processed at my local processor, and then sell burgers from that animal legally?
Say I owned burger food truck. Sell nothing but hamburgers. Could I buy cattle, have them processed at my local processor, and then sell burgers from that animal legally?
You've got to be USDA inspected to sell to the public. To me, a USDA inspection means nothing but that's just how things are. We had a local guy selling sausage that got busted not long ago. Had to bury his inventory in the ground. He had an irate customer turn him in.
Little Joe
Well-known member
Shaz is right, has to be USDA inspected to sell as individual cuts or to sell to restaurants. Custom exempt is only good for selling a portion by hanging or live weight to individuals, and the individual should have ownership of their portion before it's killed.
I am with you Jeanne, maybe old fashioned maybe ? I could not look a customer in the eye and say I need that much from a steer or a lamb that we raise. A fair profit is good enough. Some seem to want a full years income from a dozen animals.
RustyTub
Well-known member
Picking up on an older thread...what are folks charging for freezer beef these days? Live weight and/or hanging weight.
Little Joe
Well-known member
I'm now at $4.50/lb hanging weight and I pay processing, these were cattle bought last fall at $1.50/lb. I'll have to re-evaluate prices moving forward with current cattle prices I'm thinking I'll have to be at $5/lb hw to be profitable. I know many in my area have been at $5/lb hw for a while now, even before cattle prices went up so much. I'm getting alot of demand for burger, I've been grinding a few fat, healthy, open cows straight off of grass and the demand is there for that meat. I'm thinking of buying some cheaper type calves that wouldn't be the type for all cuts and grazing to put weight on then grinding and see how that works. If I had a good source for open cows that were healthy I would go that route but buying through the sale barn you never know what your gonna get with cull cows.
GoWyo
Well-known member
Last ones we sold in August 2023 were $3.30/# hot carcass weight, which was 750-800#. Buyer pays processing. This fall we punted on freezer beef and sold bawling steer calves @ $1,681/head at the sale barn. We would have had to put our carcass price at about $4.00/# to account for risk and interest to feed out steers this year.
Little Joe
Well-known member
Would that price include processing?
farmerjan
Well-known member
Says buyer pays processing in the post.
