Why Do You Raise Your Own Beef?
 

Why Do You Raise Your Own Beef?


Why do you raise your own beef? Is it fun? Is it rewarding to see what you have done? Is it more economical ? Is it because that you know exactly what kind of feed went into your animal and know what you are eating? Is it because of antibiotics and or hormones that are feed to animals? Is It for taste, texture, fat content? Is it for some reason I have not listed above.
Why do people raise their own?

I will post my reason (s) a little farther down.

We are raising our our beef simply because we know exactly what is in it & how it was treated.

To sell for an income, and to know where my beef comes from, and what is put in it.

Pretty much all of the above.:thumb: And we sell grass-raised quarters and halves of beef to those who don't have the space or inclination to do so themselves.

Know where it comes from know how it was feed know how it was treated know the taste is better

We sell enough to cover the costs for us to have 2 cows a year in the freezer for our self we dont make any money but if you look at the freezer full of meat thats where the money is for us

And free fertilizer for the crops and garden

I enjoy cows.
I like the manure for our gardens and fields.

For all those reasons. Number one reason for me is that I love cows so much. The thing that will make me continue raising our beef is a book I read, "Slaughterhouse". After reading that, I would think about becoming a vegetarian before I would eat commercially butchered meat.

I like cows. My cows taste good.

Satisfaction of being in charge of my meat and its taste. Keeping my girls 4H cows around and raising beef from them. Selling freezer beef to other like minded folks that want to know how their meat is produced.

I like how my cows have differnt persanalities they are all differnt. I like knowing what goes into my meat and that they have a good life. I'm finally making some money on them though still not much when I consider all my expenses.

I want to know where my meat comes from and what goes into it. Plus if I make a few dollars or break even, all the better.

The cattle have raised and fed my children. They are a bank account. A tax shelter. A teacher. Every pound that they gain is like earning interest.
Theres a security that goes along with them. Kind of like having a large wood pile in the fall.
We almost sold out here a few years back. The kids asked us not to. Pleaded with us.
I didn't realize how woven in my children's fabric, the cattle were.
Would my family be different without cows? I'm sure it would.
I see and hear my daughter planning her own family to include cows. So its going to be a fifth and maybe a sixth generation that will be influenced by the cows.
Is it getting harder to have cows? Yes. Real estate costs are through the roof. Not to mention the cost to produce feed.
Long term the payoff is big though.
Theres people who have to go somewhere to entertain themselves. All I have to do is look out my kitchen window or set on the back of my pickup after feeding them on a snow covered field.
All aspects of my life are influenced by cattle.

Then you'd better leave most foods alone. Matter of fact, many vegetable contain estrogen
and in greater quantities than found in any feed lot animal

I like raising beef better than mowing pasture.

Maybe, but if they are in my garden vegetables, I figure that God put them there because we grow just as organic as possible. Most of the vegetables we eat come out of our garden. If, I eat out I am not so dumb to know I may be eating added ingredients that may be harmful. We don't eat out much.
I am speaking of implanting 3 hormone pills in the back of a calf's ear. If hormones are in beef or vegetables naturally, I would have no problem with that.

Of corse all the obvious reasons of no chemicals or poision unclean workersand packing plants even worse if its imported from a forien country
heres the main reason with as much of my food and water as possible my milk cow lives on the same acreage and eats from the same soil drinks the same water she feeds me the pig and our calf .living in the same micro environment in close contact our immune systems have developed through each other .another big deal there is very little stress and change .the same cows, horse, chickens, bees.have been born and raised here(except the pig but shes not from to faraway) not imported from another state or country to bring in new germs or bacteria for our bodies to have to fight off . not to sound like a tree hugging nut but none of the livestock or I have been sick in years and a big part of that can also be contributed to less trips to big superstores during coldn fle season where these bugs are freely passed about .not out of fear but having the frezsor and cellar full and with eggs milk honey mallases on the hoof.pure spring water flowing from under the mountain instead of bottled theres no reason to less driving n traffic stress happy at home .

We got our first beef from my sister's farm last fall. It is the best beef I have eaten. This year we are raising two half beef bottle calves. It is for the meat but also time with my husband and cows are so cool!!!

yeah I suppose it's pretty scary

We run a cow calf herd so we usually keep a feeder calf back to put in the feed lot. I don't know as we save much money feeding out a calf, but it is our own beef.

Im new to the cattle business. And we are starting slow. WE put our fiest beef in the freezer this winter. And man is he good. All Grass fed . Nice marbleing of fat, and tender. we have a small place surrounded by much larger ranches run by mostly old ranch families. Love these ol ranchers and they have treated us well and helped us get our start. Im sure they get a chuckle out of us and our lowline bull.
Most of them buy their beef in the store and sell all of their cows. They say we would be better off to sell our cattle and buy our steaks.
To me it is simple math. Eliminate as many middleman and their pay checks. It cant possibly be cheaper to buy it than grow it. We sold one 1/4 and that paid for the slaughter and processing and we have 3/4's in the freezer. Next year we will have two steers to butcher. Already have two 1/4's spoken for. We will probably keep one 1/2 for ourselves.
But what really scares me is the feed lots and slaughter house. I know whats in our beef. Its the way it was meant to be.
And I also look at the cattle as a retirement investment. Everyday I am amazed how much interest those calves put on. A lot more fun to watch than money in the stock market that might just dry up again (any bets).

when looking at how much money you save or lose with yourhome fed beef .you shouldn't use the prices in walmarts cooler to judge .unless you just went straight from the range to the butcher your well fed and stress free beef should be priced up there with the custom cuts in the butcher case .and if you can find a butcher shop that sells prime beef your likely saveing bundle .

Think you put your finger on the issue there, Alaska...
 

[QUOTE=Alaska;6502824]...Most of them buy their beef in the store and sell all of their cows. They say we would be better off to sell our cattle and buy our steaks...QUOTE]

It surprised me to find out town folks thought we lived on sirloin steaks every day - if you put your own beef in the freezer it's more like hamburger every day, and your steaks are likely to be pounded round or flank.

So I think that's why the old ranching families seem to be laughing up their sleeves; if you have enough profit from your operation you can afford specially aged and selected cuts without having to consume (as The Firesign Theater puts it) The Whole Mole. :yuck:

Maybe 8 years ago I read The Self Sufficient Life by John Seymour. I was enchanted by his description of how a family milk cow is "the wellspring of good health" for a farm. How all the animals and the children are nourished and made strong and healthy by this sweet and humble cow.

I made up my mind I would have me a cow, even though I had never even seen a cow up close, much less touched one. I bought my first cow almost 4 years ago and brought her home. Dh was terrified she would bite him. He stayed well away from her. I was terrified she would stomp me to death if I touched her udder. We were surprised and relieved to discover she was the most gentle and sweet creature on earth.

So now we have a little herd of Jerseys and I hope I never have to eat storebought meat again. It's important to me that our animals live a happy life and die humanely in their pasture with no stress or pain. They nourish our family and they really are the wellspring of health for everybody on our farm.

I love my cows and I love raising calves. I honestly don't care if I don't make any money. My cow's extra milk feeds the chickens we eat and the pigs and the calves. We eat no meat that wasn't hand raised by us. That's a feeling that money can't buy.

I raise Dexters. You can't buy Dexter beef anywhere near me, and after the first steer, I won't have any other kind. Plus they are so friendly, they're fun to raise.

All the other reasons, too, except for making money. Mostly, I eat it all.

[quote=RedDirt Cowgirl;6503103]I raise beef because the acreage I purchased was developed over 35 years by a rancher for rotational grazing. We liked the secluded, quiet nature of the place and didnt have any particular plans for it on day 1. I got to benefit from all of his ponds, pump houses, stock yard equipment, etc. His son still lives next door and is teaching me the ropes. Raising beef turned out to be an easy choice for us. "Just add cows".

But what Cowgirl said made me think of why I like raising beef. I love the variety and convenience that having a whole steer in the freezer affords. From burger, roasts, stew bones, cheap steaks to ribeyes, our family loves it all. Back when we were Costco meat shoppers, it was all strip steak and chuck roasts, and really quite mundane. I don't suspect many people browsing the meat counter will opt for something like short ribs. But we get to savor the perfect cold Sunday afternoon to braise them. And the endless pile of round steaks that seem to take a shelf of their own? It is a sad day when the last one comes out. ...So much flavor in that whole beef...

That IS the best part!
 

Besides the rewards and interest of setting your own steer up for your freezer, it's great to call the cuts you want back. I love the "chew and review" each animal gets (still hanging on to the last of Porter for a special occasion) at the dinner table, and sharing out with friends and neighbors. ("Wasn't he good?! I liked him even better than TBone!")

Think it's just sheer fun to have all the different parts of the animal, and like you, Crown Ranch, enjoy the traditions with different cuts. A wood cookstove shows you pretty quick what to do in the cold months, and you learn to set certain stuff for outdoor cooking in the hot times. Is it too silly to say it gives you a richer, deeper life?

Oh boy, could I write a novel on that one! It took a few decades to convince dh but now he is the one scratching on the soon to freshen heifer's neck. He's the one naming the newest calf Stew. Yup, lots of reasons, but one of the biggest is knowing the life of all of the ones we eat. I try to do my best for them as they help give me and mine our food.

Ribeye again last night nuff said.

Im really enjoying watching the calves grow.
And nothing more fun than calling the cows up and watching the herd move.

I raise my own beef because that's what you're supposed to do. I've never had to make a habit out of going to the store to buy meat of any kind (except those cruel days of running out of hamburger and we need it for a rare potluck occasion).

All of my life we've raised/hunted our own meat. It's all I know to do. If I had to depend on the grocery store to provide me with meat for the stewpot I'd become a vegetarian!!!

There's a certain sense of pride and accomplishment in raising your own beef to eat, sell, and just enjoy. I like having control over the food that I eat. If you only knew the conditions from the slaughter house to the cooler of the beef you buy, you'd be even prouder to raise your own beef. I also find great enjoyment driving out on the prairie and seeing my beautiful herd foraging on the new growth of summer grass. Or when you roll out the hay bales and watch the whole herd gather in a line while you hear them contently munching the sweet smelling hay. I'll sit hours at times just watching them do there thing, as I pour myself another cup of coffee from the tattered thermos. Having cows seem to keep me grounded and in order. It may sound funny, but spending my time with the herd out on the range is almost spiritual to me. And then when the first calf is dropped in the spring and makes it to it's feet, is something in itself. You go for another check later on, and hey, there's fresh new faces to study. Cattle is in my blood, I wish I had 10,000 of the darned things...

just had one of our cows butchered for the first time. this is the first time ever having farm raised beef. i tell you what i will never buy store bought agian! it has so much more flavor to it!