Threshold for getting condemned at slaughter, lame-ish cow

[CalumetFarms]

Hope everyone's doing well,

Cull cow prices are through the roof as you know, but we need some roasts and burger so I'm trying to salvage one for us, and try to do what's easiest on this cow.

I have a very old cull cow, had her for almost 15 years myself, and she was 3-5 when I bought her as a pair. If it sounds crazy shes even still here, she's bred back until recently.

Unsurprisingly she can't be bred due to failing hips and hind legs, looks like arthritis in her joints. I've kept her in a lot by herself, trying to make things easy on her. In this time we've begun referring to her as "grandma" lol.

She's still in good condition overall, I'd say a BC score #4. But she doesn't walk well at all, dips her head as she brings up her hind legs. But she could be trailered.

I've never processed one this old.
I know the plants use the phrase "non-ambulatory" but she does walk, just visibly not well.
Has anyone taken culls to process that were clearly not getting around easily?

 

[mwj]

Call your processor and deliver her straight to kill and she will be fine. If she has to stand in strange pens with other cattle it could cause a problem. Kill on the farm would be best for her if that is something that is available.

 

[farmerjan]

Agree with @mwj ... They have to walk off the trailer/truck... We took one for a friend, years ago; it had broken it's leg... could hop/walk... local guy said as long as it "walked off the trailer" he could legally do it... Took it there, they slowly walked it in the alley/chute and did it without it having to try to deal with other animals... They made mostly hamburger... It was not as old as yours...
There is a mobile butcher in the eastern part of the state... have a friend that found out about it since she does not have a trailer and wants to have the calf her cow has, done without having to trailer it.. gets the cow bred AI.... then takes it to a shop to hang and do the cutting etc....
Where in VA are you? You can PM me if you want... I can get the contact info for you. Our small local guy here would do her if you took her that morning when he kills if she walks off... Problem is getting a kill date....

 

[StrojanHerefords]

At this point, I think you would be better off butchering her yourself. It helps if you have a backhoe.