Talking freezer beef, meat market prices?

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Toby L.

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I have a question to ask about what to charge. I've seen it before on these boards, but why only charge $2 dollars a pound? When I call up the local meat market to get a quote they tell me $3.89 pd. I figure 40 cents to process and $40 kill fee, that only knocks it down to $3.48 pd. Now if there buying halfs for $2 pd. theres a $1.48 hidden fee that there getting. Correct me if I'm wrong. Is that around the same price that these meat markets are getting all over the country? Or maybe it's a regional, or specialty thing. Go ahead everyone and call your local market and get a quote and see if it's the same everywhere. My wife called last summer and they told her that it could run upwards of $1100 just for a half. I think thats crazy
 
Here is what happens. You take a 1000lb steer to get processed. After the hide/blood/head/organs are all removed it hangs at around 600lbs. You have it cut and packaged and you end up with 400 lbs of meat.

Some people around here price it at $1/lb on the hoof (1*1000)= $1000/steer
Other people price it at $1.65/lb hanging (600*1.65) = $990/steer
Processing is $.40/lb + $40 kill = $240+40 = $280

After it is all said and done you get 400lbs of meat for $1300 = $3.25/lb of meat.

My wife called last summer and they told her that it could run upwards of $1100 just for a half.

$1,100 seems unreasonable or they have giant cattle in your area.
 
you have a few issues here
1. to sell by the cut , here in kansas , you have to have a USDA inspection , not just state , there are some other requirements to be a " retailer" which increases your cost
2. If you get your price up too high you are going to narrow the folks who will buy your meat down to the downright stupid and the ones with so much money they don't care , thats a small market.
3. If you have an somewhat aware buyer , you have to be reasonable. I can go and sale shop meat at the three groceries near us and buy cuts at 2.00 a lb all day long , sirloin , roasts , burger , everything except the finer steak cuts. So you have to compete with that mentality a bit plus sell the quality of your beef.
 
terra8186 said:
Here is what happens. You take a 1000lb steer to get processed. After the hide/blood/head/organs are all removed it hangs at around 600lbs. You have it cut and packaged and you end up with 400 lbs of meat.

Some people around here price it at $1/lb on the hoof (1*1000)= $1000/steer
Other people price it at $1.65/lb hanging (600*1.65) = $990/steer
Processing is $.40/lb + $40 kill = $240+40 = $280

After it is all said and done you get 400lbs of meat for $1300 = $3.25/lb of meat.

They want $3.89 hanging wieght for a half.
 
kscowboy":2q9hvbgo said:
I can go and sale shop meat at the three groceries near us and buy cuts at 2.00 a lb all day long , sirloin , roasts , burger , everything except the finer steak cuts.


I can do that too. One of our local grocery stores is selling boneless ny strip steaks for 3.99 per pound. I bought a pack to see if they were any good.

Let's just be polite and say that they were not prime. I could probably have used them better to re-sole my work boots instead of having them on the table.

I can also buy some 1.29 per pound hamburger meat that drains off 2 cups of fat when cooked out.
 
Lets not forget that first time buyers of a half a beef most of the time will also have to buy a freezer, If they can't save some money and eat better beef in the long run they will just buy package meat at the store.
 
i'm talking decent beef granny soo , not junk. Just trying to illustrate the same decisions I made before buying beef . There are some around here that try the high dollar sale . I sell mine for 2.50 a lb hanging. Its a lot more work to sell than when I had it at 2.00 a lb hanging. Economy is tough and the buyers get out their calculators and take a hard look at it.
 

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