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OT Buying beef

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Dave H (MI)

12-23-2007 09:26:42

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We have a big empty modern freezer in the basement and was thinking of filling it with a side of beef. I have two teens in the house now and they can polish off a monstor pot roast faster than you can blink so I thought it might be a better way to go to buy half a steer from someplace. We can use pretty much all of it, bones, fat, you name it. Any tips for buying from you guys that know about beef? Anyone know a good source in SW Michigan? About what should I expect to pay and is it a savings to do this?

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Clint Youse MO

12-23-2007 21:02:02

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Re: OT Buying beef in reply to Dave H (MI), 12-23-2007 09:26:42

On the cubic feet I bought the biggest chest freezer they make or atleast that the appliance store intown can get in it there is a half of beef a whole hog and all the frozen fruits my wife put in there then some odds and ends from grocery store and it still is not full if you want to wait you can usually pick up 4-h steers in september or october and they have been hand fed and well cared for generally we sold out of beef this year and I had to go buy the neighbors 4-h calf to butcher for my self around here processing is 35 cents at a inspected plant then you have to pick it up

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Dave H (MI)

12-23-2007 11:54:21

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Re: OT Buying beef in reply to Dave H (MI), 12-23-2007 09:26:42

Appreciate the replies. Sounds like the way to go but I have to do some serious homework first.
Measure that freezer and maybe round up a partner for starters. Merry Chrismas all!

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Budn

12-23-2007 11:24:31

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Re: OT Buying beef in reply to Dave H (MI), 12-23-2007 09:26:42

The last half that I got from local butcher shop was $1.90 in the freezer.

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hayray

12-23-2007 11:23:40

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Re: OT Buying beef in reply to Dave H (MI), 12-23-2007 09:26:42

Dave,

You will be able to buy a side of beef for the price of good quality ground beef. Most farmers usually take the steer to the processor for you and once the carcass is dressed out they hang and weight it and then charge you market price by the hanging carcass weight. Then you pay processing cost on top of that. A few farmers like myself take our beef to a USDA processor and then are able to sell it by the cut weight or packaged weight. I sell my sides for $4.75 a pound for 200 pounds of meat. So my sides cost $950. You can find it cheaper by puchasing by the hanging weight, then paying processing and then going and picking the beef up, I have to charge more because I have a lot more cost after processing, trucking, and delivering the beef, plus a USDA processor is a lot farther away then the non-inspected plants. I am clear on the other side of the state from you, Southeast side. But I am sure there are plenty of available in the SW by getting on google and typing in key phrases.

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RayP(MI)

12-23-2007 11:15:37

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Re: OT Buying beef in reply to Dave H (MI), 12-23-2007 09:26:42

Call some butcher shops in the area who cater to producers and hobby farmers, and butcher brought in animals. There may be a producer who is looking for a buyer for half a beef.

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JMS/.MN

12-23-2007 10:51:45

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Re: OT Buying beef in reply to Dave H (MI), 12-23-2007 09:26:42

You'll get everything from soup bones to sirloin steak, for about the price of hamburger. Cut, wrapped, frozen, you should get about 45% of live weight, into your freezer. Hogs will dress out higher.

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Dieselrider

12-23-2007 10:11:52

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Re: OT Buying beef in reply to Dave H (MI), 12-23-2007 09:26:42

I charge $2.50/ # hanging weight but, I also cover the butchering cost. Get to know the farmer/ rancher and what he's feeding the animals. I believe you will be well pleased going that route as the meat will be far superior than anything you can buy from most grocery stores. You have no idea what they are being fed or where they are coming from.

Just a note on buying by hanging weight: The butcher will let the animal hang in the cooler for about a week. Then he will weigh the halves, that is the weight you will be buying. Then the butcher will cut to your liking but, keep in mind he will be removing some bone and fat so, the weight you receive will not be exact to the hanging weight.
You are buying a half of a steer and someone is paying the butcher to cut it to your specs. Buying this way is not like going to Walmart and buying by the pound (or at least not in the same sense).

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DitchWI

12-23-2007 10:05:05

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Re: OT Buying beef in reply to Dave H (MI), 12-23-2007 09:26:42

Check out craigslist in your area under the farm & garden section,theres usually a few people selling from of the farm. Just start calling and find the best deal. Just bought 1/2 a pig from a guy on there that was having it butchered only 3mi from my house.

Merry Christmas.
Doug

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Charles Santhuff

12-23-2007 09:53:15

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Re: OT Buying beef in reply to Dave H (MI), 12-23-2007 09:26:42

We've been using our own beef for years and my wife says it is so much better quality meat than you get in the store she won't go back to store bought. You save some money and its nice to have a selection of meat handy.

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rrlund

12-23-2007 09:39:17

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Re: OT Buying beef in reply to Dave H (MI), 12-23-2007 09:26:42

Dave,I can't help you with a half,but I'll sell you a whole live Angus,1250 pounds or so,no antibiotics or hormones,corn and corn silage fed,born and raised here for 95 cents a pound live weight. I have an electronic scale in the barn so we can weigh it here. I'm just east of Greenville. I've delivered as far as Pohls in Caladonia before. Do you have room for a whole one or have somebody who can take the other half? They'll dress 60-65% of live weight. Drop me an email if you're interested. I have them ready to go must anytime.

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Dave H (MI)

12-23-2007 11:51:54

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Re: OT Buying beef in reply to rrlund, 12-23-2007 09:39:17

How much freezer space you figure I would need AND do you think a family of four can eat a whole steer in a reasonable time frame? Not sure how long beef keeps in the freezer. I could ask around see if someone wants to go halves. I think I confused Ray somewhere down the line cause we live on opposite sides of TOWN not the state!

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hayray

12-23-2007 16:44:34

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Re: OT Buying beef in reply to Dave H (MI), 12-23-2007 11:51:54

Well that is what I thought but you wrote for the SW Michigan, I thought maybe there are 2 Dave H in MI, you must of had a typo. I think there are only 3 of us in Brighton Twp. that still bale hay. But as to the amount of freezer space, one cubic foot of freezer space will hold 33 pounds of frozen meat.

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rrlund

12-23-2007 14:08:11

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Re: OT Buying beef in reply to Dave H (MI), 12-23-2007 11:51:54

I can't find a tag on ours and we've had it too long to remember the cubic feet. It measures 24x24x40 inches inside. We put a whole one in there in October. A place that vacuum packs would help,but an average family like yours should have it cleaned up in a year or less. I can't remember where you're located,but I'd deliver to a slaughterhouse free within 50 miles of Sheridan

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hayray

12-23-2007 16:49:10

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Re: OT Buying beef in reply to rrlund, 12-23-2007 14:08:11

Who does your processing and what town are they in? I get mine done in Yale at C-Roys.

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rrlund

12-24-2007 06:57:06

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Re: OT Buying beef in reply to hayray, 12-23-2007 16:49:10

I generally take my own to Sage in Greenville,but we have used Bens in Six Lakes. I've hauled for others to Jones in Saranac and Pohls in Caladonia.

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onefarmer

12-23-2007 12:45:09

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Re: OT Buying beef in reply to Dave H (MI), 12-23-2007 11:51:54

Here is what my cow came home as last winter. If you have a full size freezer and it is truly empty, them a whole one will fit. If smaller or partly used then better stick with a half.

third party image

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brian 1

12-23-2007 09:39:12

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Re: OT Buying beef in reply to Dave H (MI), 12-23-2007 09:26:42

I pay 1/2 the kill fee and my side of the butchering bill. The locker will cut, wrap, and freeze to my tastes. Always seems cheaper to me- on a good one, locker bill runs $200-250 and my check to to the farm is based on the days market. Seems like I had $2.40 per pound in it last summer.

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paul

12-23-2007 09:38:55

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Re: OT Buying beef in reply to Dave H (MI), 12-23-2007 09:26:42

Don't know anything about your area, but there is always several farmers or hobby farmers in any area that sell whole or 1/2 beef, as well as hogs. Check out farm store bulletin boards, classified section of the paper, farmer's market shows or that type of thing. Sometimes you pay a little more for organic type of thing, your call on what is worth what to you.

I'd not go to a sales barn & bid on singles going through the ring, those are often the poor animal from the farm....

--->Paul

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Dave from MN

12-23-2007 09:37:13

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Re: OT Buying beef in reply to Dave H (MI), 12-23-2007 09:26:42

Yes, you will save, ALOT. I have been buyting live fed out, but not finished Angus/Simmental steers. Ussually about 1200-1300 lbs. I pay what ever the farmer has been recieving at the sales barn, his ussally bring top price. This January I am getting 4-5 of them, and we agreed on a price of $.89/lb-live weight. We ussually end up selling to freinds for what we have into them for gas, live weight, and $30 for using the father in laws trailer.
Last year the largest hanging half was 377#, we charged $1.58 a pound hanging weight, which is $595.66 for a half. I have heard of some people paying $2.40-$3.00 a pound hanging weight, but I couldnt do that to freinds. Ok enough babble. I would say you will spend $550-$650 for a half steer, plus processing costs, just make sure you are getting what you pay for, not paying for a angus and getting a 3 year old holstien steer.

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Walt Davies

12-23-2007 12:42:35

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Re: OT Buying beef in reply to Dave from MN, 12-23-2007 09:37:13

Man I wish I could get $.89 a lb for 1200 lb beef. It sells for $.50 a lb out here if over 800lbs.

Walt

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