what to charge for slaughter cow?

[Anonymous]

I have two young, open, cull cows (800 - 1000# each)that I have been feeding a mixture of good hay and a beef grain mixture - heavy to the grain. I am selling them to some friends and have no idea what to charge. I know what slaughter and packaging will cost. Can anyone tell me what I could get for these animals per pound? on the hoof and hanging weight?

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[Anonymous]

I fed out some young lightweight steers and sold them direct for $3.50 per pound hanging.

 

[eric]

About how much does the slaughter / processing cost for an 800# steer?
And, where would one go to have this done? I live near Dallas, and I dont know of any butcher plants near here! We take our deer to the local processing plant where I hunt at, but that is 300 miles away. When you arrange for the processing, do you just drop the steer off and the butcher takes care of the rest, or do you kill the animal and bring him the carcass?

Since this is something I look forward to doing someday, (eating the meat, not the butchering/killing), could you please tell me the arrangements you have made?

 

[fit2btied]

The processing plants near us in Southeast Missouri work different ways. The one we usually use is a larger facility and an appointment is not necessary except maybe in late August or early September when they typically have a lot of animals from local county fairs - even then you will be able to get the animal in within a week. We deliver the animals live to them which is a great convenience to us even though this plant is about 45 miles away. You can deliver animals after hours and weigh them yourself and leave a card on the pen. They are also a certified USDA facility if you need that. Our last processing had a $12 killing fee for hogs and a $20 fee for cattle with a $.26/lb processing fee based on the animal's hanging weight. The more local facilities are smaller and you must make an appointment 30-60 days in advance. They do not having holding pens so the animals must be farm killed by a separate contractor and you must get rid of the waste yourself or negotiate it into the killing fees. Since they handle a lot of county fair animals it is nearly impossible to have an animal processed in early fall. The smaller more local facilities around here are quickly becoming a thing of the past. Good luck in your search.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks Mike.....

hanging weight, is that after being drained and entrails are removed, or is that right after being klled?
800#'s x .26=$208 / so it costs less than $250 to have a steer processed?
Any other costs you can think of, as that sounds very inexpensive for 300-400 pounds of meat, as I seemed to of read somewhere you get around 60% eating meat out of a healthy steer, is that about right?