Value of half of a cow, at calf stage

[MrWolf]

Did you sell the half the cow leftover from the "Under the Dome" series?

[Wayne Smith]

Goodoleboy, that was good for a laugh. The guy is supposed to be e-mailing me the details, we'll see. When my Dad did this he raised the calf to adulthood and then sold half, had it butchered, and shared the butchering costs. We kept the other half.

He also has field run pigs, and has a couple of them ready to slaughter. The other half of the cow was sold. The other thing that interested me less was that he was talking of a Angus/Holstein or Angus/Jersey cross. Less meat on them than an Angus, and I would really like a Angus/Bison or Charlois/Bison cross. I have no idea if such calves are available around here or what they would cost. I think I would be willing to take the risk of getting in on the ground floor with one of those.

[Bad Water Bill]

Bill, there are less hazardous sources of red meat to be had.

That is just what Capt Waterman told me many years ago.

[MaryB]

Beef I buy is butchered younger because it is grass fed, last half hanging weight was 350 pounds. I only buy a quarter and ended up paying $3 a pound cut wrapped and delivered to my front door. $2.25 a pound, butcher charges $.75 a pound for processing and wrapping.

[buckwheatpaul]

After my post yesterday I did some more thinking on this subject....took 2 old dry mother cows to the sale and they averaged $1,500 each....plus we split a cow with an older couple....we raise the cow and they pay for the processing and they always want to give us additional compensation....but we refuse....they are on limited income; help us when ever we need it; and are God based just good ol' people.....the processing runs just uder $400.00 for a 2 year old steer.....we raise the steer on grass, hay, and grains (winter)....make sure they have good water.......hope this helps as well...

[williamwaco]

I grew up in the country where that was a common practice. ( Kinda)
That was not the way it worked.

Some farmers with small herds would isolate several calves at weaning time and grass feed them to about 800 pounds then they would sell quarters to the towns people - hind quarter or front quarter of both or half or the whole thing.

Most bought a half. Don't forget a normal freezer will not hold the whole calf and most have trouble with half a calf.

The price is the market price per pound at the time of slaughter.
The price is calculated on the live weight.
The net weight (meat) will be 60 to 65% of the live weight.

Check your radio stations, there will likely be a farm and ranch program. Usually early in the morning. They will report the prices of live cattle every day.

You are buying the animal upon delivery to the slaughter house.
You don't own it until it is delivered.

Average price as of yesterday $1.57 per pound ( Live weight )
An 800 pound calf would be $1,256.
In my experience that is "delivered" be sure to ask about delivery to the plant.

If you buy a quarter, the rear quarter will cost more per pound than the front quarter because there is more and better meat there.

Do not buy the cow. That is not a game you want to play.

REMEMBER. You will need a LOT of freezer space.

PS:

Pay extra for the wrapping.
If wrapped in normal butcher paper, it will begin to freezer burn in around six months.
I always paid for foil but I expect they have better options in this day and age.

[GoodOlBoy]

Hereford, or hereford bison mix would be my #1 meat picks bar none. We use to sell or trade cows on the half, but not until they were grown. It was just the way the OP made it sound kinda like trading on futures that made my hair stand on end.

Richard

[Hardcast416taylor]

The Frau`s father had his own butcher shop and took care of deer processing in the Fall. It happened every year when "JOE HUNTER" came to pick up his packaged vension that he would complain about so few packages of meat. That is when he is told about what isn`t there like the head, guts, body fluids, hide and most of the large bones. The 145 lb. deer coming into the shop may yield 70 lb. at best at the end. Funnier yet is a well shot up animal being brought in and the proud hunter saying how many steaks and roasts he wanted from the target range carcass, the FIL would then guess at how much venison burger instead he would be getting from all the shot up animal after the blood shot meat and bullet holes were cut out.Robert

[Rattlesnake Charlie]

I have found that vacuum packed meat lasts the longest. You might pay a little more for processing, but when you are throwing out freezer burned meat, it might be more cost effective. Consider how long until you consume the last of it.

[waksupi]

I never throw away freezer burned meat. I may marinade the hell out of it, but I never throw it away.

[waksupi]

Sometimes when they are sold on early halves, the owner just needs money to feed them through, if the season is dry, and they are buying hay.

[smokeywolf]

Freezer burned meat goes to the goofy wolf.

[dragon813gt]

I never throw away freezer burned meat. I may marinade the hell out of it, but I never throw it away.

Same here, my entire family is the same way. Slow cooking and smoking work wonders as well.

[MT Gianni]

Neighbors are contracted for $2.50+ a lb on the hoof in Oct. They will run around $1600 each. If this is what you want check it out. Before buying a certain calf I would buy 1/16 share in a 8 calf herd in case yours dies.

[MaryB]

I found a farmer that sells to the public, they take care of all the details. You just get on the list(she has a year wait right now unless someone drops out) and once a year I get a 1/4 of beef from them, mix of front and back(they divide it after butchering. I get a ticket with the hanging weight and net weight, I pay $2.25 on the hanging weight(not on the hoof weight) plus the processing. Good deal, it is butchered at a small local butcher shop that is kept very clean. I asked the butcher about eating rare hamburger and he grabbed a hunk from the grinder and ate it raw. He cleans the grinder between every customer, there is zero mixing of meat, you get what is yours only.

[woody1]

I know this is an old thread. Just thought I'd throw in my 2 pennies worth. We raise a steer each year and have it butchered locally These calves are strictly grass fed, grass fat, and butchered at a little over a year and a half. We generally keep half and sell half. We sell for the local price of locker beef cut and wrapped. Our current steer is contracted at $2.98 per lb. cut/wrapped based on the hanging weight. Our calves usually come in at between 350 and a little under 400 lb. I think the current calf will be every bit of that. Regards, Woody

Our calves are beef NOT dairy calves.