Price of Beef

[whodunit]

Has anyone bought a side of beef lately? We just did and paid $2 a pound cut and wrapped!!! We have been paying about $2.09 for ground beef patties at Costco!!! I was very happy.

Are the beef prices way down? We expected to pay around $2.72 or so.

We hoped for prime rib, but they cut it into steaks. We also may have traded some brisket for some ground beef, since we eat more ground beef than anything. The people we bought it with love brisket. I think we have about 288 pounds in the freezer.

[Maura]

You are a great consumer! We pay $2.25 a pound, whole, half, or quarter, for pastured beef. We also take the heart and liver.

[Ramblin Wreck]

Prices are down at auction, so maybe it is finally filtering down to the consumer.

[Shawna]

We sell beef and get 1.40 a pound plus kill fee (75.00...and that gets split up if you don't buy the whole steer) and processing (.43 a pound). Our 1.40 and processing is figured by hanging weight. We tell everyone just ot figure 2.00 a pound and you'll be able to take some $$ back home with ya LOL!

I tell people over and over again if they can to buy beef and pork this way. It's SO much cheaper and most times much better quality.

Happy eating to you!
Shawna

[whodunit]

The main things we like about this is the price per pound, the fact we know its source, it didn't get hormones, as far as I know it didn't get antibiotics, it had a decent life while it was alive, and it was grass fed and not grain-finished (which is supposed to be healthier, albeit less tasty).

[texican]

Originally Posted by whodunit

The main things we like about this is the price per pound, the fact we know its source, it didn't get hormones, as far as I know it didn't get antibiotics, it had a decent life while it was alive, and it was grass fed and not grain-finished (which is supposed to be healthier, albeit less tasty).

Unless you ask the producer, you should assume that they DO give antibiotics, and wormer, and a host of vaccinations. To not do so would be foolish for the producer, unless they're wealthy, and can afford to lose animals coming and going.

And, if you buy from an individual, pretty much always the animal will have only eaten grass. Grain is given only in the final stages of production, to add some marbling (and tenderness/flavor).

Oh, and beef prices are in the cellar right now...

[MariaAZ]

I've noticed beef prices (meat prices in general actually) seem to be creeping downwards. I'd be jumping for joy at the prices you have been paying for local grown beef!

[.netDude]

Originally Posted by texican

Unless you ask the producer, you should assume that they DO give antibiotics, and wormer, and a host of vaccinations. To not do so would be foolish for the producer, unless they're wealthy, and can afford to lose animals coming and going.
...

Tex - I really respect all of your posts and am grateful for a lot of advise you've given to me, but I'm not sure I'm with ya' on this. I think most small scale producers, especially grazers, do not give ANY antibiotics, wormers, or vaccinations. I don't, and don't know of any others in my area that do. And, I'm far from wealthy and can't afford to lose any animals.

[r93000]

Originally Posted by .netDude

Tex - I really respect all of your posts and am grateful for a lot of advise you've given to me, but I'm not sure I'm with ya' on this. I think most small scale producers, especially grazers, do not give ANY antibiotics, wormers, or vaccinations. I don't, and don't know of any others in my area that do. And, I'm far from wealthy and can't afford to lose any animals.

I agree with texican- Most of the farms that I know (unless they are deliberately "all natural" or organic) vaccinate and worm at the same time as castration, some if they want the extra expense, give a dose of antibiotics just in case. Heifers/cows of course get sent through if they are brought up at the same time with the rest of the crowd. I know on both my parents and my husband's parents places the ones we are keeping are all natural and grained out for 90 days. If they are going to market, they are wormed, vaccinated, and generally not grained out. Occasionally one is requested by family friends, etc and they of course go in with ours, however, they are expected to foot their own grain bills as it is actually fairly costly (in comparison) to grain out properly. I know that grass fed is "healthier" but we like our beef with real beef flavor

[Ravenlost]

I haven't bought beef in several years. We eat venison.

[.netDude]

Originally Posted by r93000

I agree with texican- Most of the farms that I know (unless they are deliberately "all natural" or organic) vaccinate and worm at the same time as castration, some if they want the extra expense, give a dose of antibiotics just in case. ...

Guess it's the company I keep - we're 'all naturual', but that's how it's always been done.

[whodunit]

I guess I'd be more concerned about the hormone part anyway. I'm sure antibiotics are not much of a concern depending on how soon before butchering they were given. I know we had to wait a couple weeks after the cow we get our milk from was given antibiotics for an utter infection.

Either way, I'm sure this meat is better quality than what we could get at the store and we supported local citizens.

We also have the cow's suet frozen, so if he get a deer or two this year, we can grind it in for more fat.

I count this purchase as another move toward healthier eating, along with grinding flour from organic wheat berries, although we still have a long way to go.

[r93000]

Originally Posted by whodunit

I guess I'd be more concerned about the hormone part anyway. I'm sure antibiotics are not much of a concern depending on how soon before butchering they were given. I know we had to wait a couple weeks after the cow we get our milk from was given antibiotics for an utter infection.

Either way, I'm sure this meat is better quality than what we could get at the store and we supported local citizens.

Oh- I totally agree with you on this! Definitely better than what you would get in the store, just for the lack of processing and handling of the meat between slaughter and arrival on store shelves, let alone exposure to nasties in large feed lots, etc. I don't personally know any family farm style beef producers who use any hormone at all, and you def run that risk with regular quality store bought beef.

[sammyd]

Our local processor has been running 1.89 a pound for around 2 years. We priced ours at 2 bucks a pound 2 years ago and have kept it there as well. That's cut, froze, wrapped, you pick up at the processor.
Pasture raised, no hormones, a bit of grain daily.

[grannybones]

We have a small herd of cows-8 cows, plus calves, and a bull. No vaccines, no antibiotics unless absolutely necessary, no hormones. They are healthy. We are not against vaccines, but prefer to have the food we eat and that we sell to others to be the best quality that we can raise. We have not lost a cow or calf yet to disease. We also grain feed to finish before we butcher, makes excellent tasting beef.

[mylala]

Originally Posted by r93000

I agree with texican- Most of the farms that I know (unless they are deliberately "all natural" or organic) vaccinate and worm at the same time as castration, some if they want the extra expense, give a dose of antibiotics just in case. Heifers/cows of course get sent through if they are brought up at the same time with the rest of the crowd. I know on both my parents and my husband's parents places the ones we are keeping are all natural and grained out for 90 days. If they are going to market, they are wormed, vaccinated, and generally not grained out. Occasionally one is requested by family friends, etc and they of course go in with ours, however, they are expected to foot their own grain bills as it is actually fairly costly (in comparison) to grain out properly. I know that grass fed is "healthier" but we like our beef with real beef flavor

Just picking and poking with ya, but wouldn't grass fed be the "real" beef flavor?

[o&itw]

I'm glad for y'all that beef prices are going down in your area.

They are atrocious in the super markets here.

[Allen W]

What is the worry about vaccinating livestock and worming them?

[r93000]

Originally Posted by mylala

Just picking and poking with ya, but wouldn't grass fed be the "real" beef flavor?

Nah- beeves prefer grain the same way I prefer a steak. They like grass like I like a salad- great as a starter but be sure to bring me the good stuff before I finish up.

[copperhead46]

I keep a small herd of cattle and sell steers for beef. I vaccinate when they are weaned, de-horned, and castrated, around 6 months old. I don't vaccinate again, they are grass fed untill the last 45 days and then I add a little bit of grain for some extra fat. I usually sell at whatever the market is and the customer pays for the kill and wraping. Right now it comes up to about $2.10 a lb, still way cheaper that buying at the store and a heck of a lot better tasting.
P.J.