beef question

ronbre · #1 07/30/09, 12:33 PM

we have an opportunity to get 1/2 beef and/or 1/2 pig...and Joel..my son was wondering about how much a normal good size beef will dress out to?

just an idea how much meat we have to make room for in the freezers.

we'll split 1/2 3 ways..Joel and Evan (his renter) will get 2/3 and we'll get 1/3 of the half..

also if anyone has any idea on 1/2 pig too..we got some before but got totally cheated on both the beef and the pig..but these are more reputable people..

cg5071 · #2 07/30/09, 01:41 PM

we get a full pig and i want to say ours are about 160-180 lbs. these are smaller ones i think than the huge ones you would get at a fair. this is about 300$ or a little more with smoking and stuff.

not a 100% certain on this either but our families grassfed half beef was about 200lbs. these werent steers or anything, just the beef that grandpa raised. no idea on cost there, i was a kid. last time i looked into getting some i believe it was $3 a lb

Karenrbw · #3 07/30/09, 02:29 PM

Dressing percentage for beef cattle is usually 60% to 64%. This is an average. What that means if you have a 1000 pound steer, you will get about 600 pounds of beef off that animal. There may be a lot of leeway on this number depending on the body build of the animal. Remember that when you are splitting a 1/2, there are more desirable cuts and less desirable cuts on that half and you will have to figure out who gets what.

Pat · #4 07/30/09, 02:58 PM

Our butcher shop just cuts the beef down the middle, and lables each half for the family buying. Now if you are doing the 1/3 - 2/3rds deal... it would be depending on who gets what cuts. (they'll do the same for quarters ((labeling for front or rear quarter))).

That 300 is about the right weight for 1/2 beef, and about 80 pounds for a side of pork. (we like to take ours to the butcher at 225 - 250, and I figured on the 250.)

We sell our "extra" meat on the hoof, and take it so the butcher shop as part of the deal to buy it.

Pat

ronbre · #5 07/30/09, 04:34 PM

we are splitting the 1/2 with our son..so we'll be dividing out the shares..we'll make sure we all get good cuts and less desirable cuts both..that way no one is getting cheated.

however he would rather have ground and steaks than roast i know..and in the winter i don't mind the roasts..even though they might be less desirable..i like to put them in the slow cooker..and he likes to grill..so i'll have to keep an eye on him so i get some steaks.

so it looks like I'm looking at between 2 and 300 dollars for my 1/3 of a half...guess i can handle that if it keeps me in meat all winter (just two of us..that would come to about 3 # a week for 6 mo..or 1.5 pounds a week for an entire year..we aren't huge meat eaters..so this is a good deal for us..but i wouldn't mind having the pork too if i have freezer room.)

whodunit · #6 07/30/09, 09:49 PM

Nothing more delicious than eating a grilled T-bone steak that you paid $2-3 a pound for instead of the $8 a pound you would have paid in the store.

Fae · #7 07/31/09, 06:30 AM

I am looking into buying a side of beef from a local(within a hundred miles) cattle ranch that has grass fed beef. It cost more but frankly I don't care. I am sick of eating what passes as meat from the supermarket. They said usually a side is around 350 lbs and it will cost me about $1,300. That's a lot of beef though just for my DH and me. I am looking forward to not eating hormones and antibiotics.

woodsy · #8 07/31/09, 10:46 AM

Just split a side of beef with a friend. a 400 lb side split in two came up to about 125 lbs. each. The butchering cost was $2.40 per lb and comes packaged vacuum sealed already frozen.
So with the waste factored in , about 38% of the side, actual cost was $4.00 per lb.
Came out with about 70 lbs. of grd beef and the remainder in steaks and roasts.

unioncreek · #9 07/31/09, 03:23 PM

We sell our beef by 1/2 of a 1/2, that way you get all the choices of cuts off the beef and we don't have to price a front or rear half out seperately. Our halves usually run 350 pound, but after cutting and wrapping you usually end up with around 70% of that weight.

Bob

.netDude · #10 07/31/09, 09:52 PM

My halves (beef) average 300lbs dressed and take up 4 shelves in a large upright freezer.

cg5071 · #11 08/04/09, 02:05 AM

imo, you wont regret getting a pig. there is no comparison to the store bought 4.99 lb sausage flavor and the great flavor you get in a farm raised pig. ham, loins and all the extras you get. i looked up how to cut one on the internet first or else i wouldnt have had the slightest when they asked how i wanted it. good, luck. hope you enjoy.

there is extra room in a small 4ft chest freezer with a whole pig/hog.

**highlands** · #12 08/04/09, 05:32 PM

Here:

http://sugarmtnfarm.com/blog/2006/07...pig-share.html

is an article about half a pig, extrapolate to a whole pig for those who want, and it includes pork cut chart with lots of details. Click on the pork chart for a larger version.

Cheers

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
in the mountains of Vermont
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/blog/
http://HollyGraphicArt.com/
http://NoNAIS.org

nathan104 · #13 08/04/09, 11:40 PM

Just made our appointment with the local processor for the middle of october to have our first calf butchered. She is an Angus heifer calf and right now is right close to 1000 lbs according to the measuring tape. She is around 20 months old. Raised on pasture with a little sweet feed every day to keep her coming around us. We have someone who wants a side but not sure if we will only take a side for ourselves or will want more. Our processing cost is $45 for kill fee, and then .50 cents/ lbs hanging weight for processing and vacuum packaging. He said usually he hangs the beef for around two weeks but varies it depending on how its aging checking it daily. This is a USDA processor. We raised a couple of pigs last year and put a 300 lber in the freezer. This is our first experience with home grown beef though. We raised two heifers with the second one being a brangus heifer of the same age. Havent decided what we will do with her, whether to just sell her, or maybe breed her, let her calf, and then sell. Still trying to decide.

Anyone have any suggestions or tips on what to state on the cuts? I know there is basic cut sheets, but not sure if there are any tips. When we had our pig done, I just got the basics and was really unhappy with how thin the bacon was sliced. Wish I had known to specify that beforehand. So, any tips on beef processing would be great.

I was hoping to find a local on farm kill guy but no luck. So, I will have to haul them in the trailer 20 miles to the processor. They wont even take the meat unless it shows up walking. So, hopefully, the stress of that day doesnt influence the flavor of the beef.