per lb hanging weight

Teacupliz · #1 01/25/07, 04:59 PM

Sending our first cow to the butcher
was wondering what everyone
is charging per pound before the
butchers price for packing-
thanks Liz in NY

topside1 · #2 01/25/07, 05:26 PM

Liz I'd love to help ya out but I just don't understand the question...maybe this is what your looking for:
I take my animals to Crossville, Tn. for slaughter/butcher:
They charge a $20.00 kill fee. And .23 cents per pound live weight to cut, wrap and freeze. I sent a steer to the slaughter house in Sept. and will be sending another on Feb 16, so any information you need is fresh in my mind...Ask the question and I will try to help....

travlnusa · #3 01/25/07, 07:09 PM

I charge $2.40 per lb of hanging weight. Customers pay all processing fees

Teacupliz · #4 01/25/07, 07:43 PM

travlnusa-
that is what I am asking- what I should charge per pound-- this is a dairy breed.
I was thinking $1.50 per lb and they pay processing which is .42 a lb to wrap and cut- $50 for the kill.
topside you get a good deal-

Wendy · #5 01/25/07, 09:34 PM

Liz, I am getting half a beef from my brother-in-law. It is a dairy breed. I actually like them because they are leaner. Anyway, he is charging 75 cents live weight & then we have to pay the processing fee.

travlnusa · #6 01/25/07, 10:00 PM

You charge what you feel it is worth and what the market will pay.

I sell holsteins that are on full grain from the day they are weaned. My costs are higher thus I charge more.

If you are selling to family, you might charge less, but I still charge the same.

Christiaan · #7 01/25/07, 11:12 PM

I raise Highlands. When I have a steer I sell them for $5/lb hanging weight plus kill fee and c/w. If they want it delivered its an extra $15. No problems selling it yet. Does irritate me when I see beef going for $1.90.

Ken Scharabok · #8 01/25/07, 11:17 PM

Some rules of thumb:

Hanging weight will be about 60% of liveweight.

Freezer weight will be about 46.5% of liveweight.

13.5% difference is cutting loss from bones and fat mostly.

The average price of all cuts of beef in a supermarket has hovered around $2.65 a pound for some time.

Math isn't my strong point but... Decide how much per pound you think you beef is worth.

Say you want to net out $3.50 per pound on what will go into the freezer and feel that price is justified through value added. (And that would be about 33% higher than average supermarket retail.) To it you would have to add in transportation cost, kill fees and per pound processing. Say those were $20, $35 and $.35 pound hanging weight; respectively.

If hanging weight were 600 pound you then would have charge about $3.15 per pound. ($1890 minus $20, minus $35 minus $210 processing leaves $1,627.50 for an estimated 465 pounds of freezer beef.)

If based on liveweight, then it would be about $1.89 pound.

Above mentions $.23 processing based on liveweight. That would be equivalent to about $.38 hanging weight.

Be aware of your state's requirements on selling freezer beef. Some may require live sale only with the buyer paying all processing fees thereafter. If so, you need to have a pretty good idea of what the liveweight will be.

Steve L. · #9 01/26/07, 05:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken Scharabok

The average price of all cuts of beef in a supermarket has hovered around $2.65 a pound for some time.

Ken, is this average weighted with respect to percent yield of each cut?

henfruit · #10 01/26/07, 06:40 AM

25$ for the killing.40$ for carcus disposal,and 49cents a lb to cut wrap and freeze it.my butcher uses a cryovac machine makes a nice package.

Ken Scharabok · #11 01/26/07, 07:39 AM

I don't know, but I would think so based on this linK:

http://www.beefusa.org/NEWSANNUALAVE...AGAIN4438.aspx

Note article is ten years old and it looked at only six cuts and apparently gave each equal weight. Of course, steaks cost significantly more than hamburger, so the quantity of it generated per carcass, compared to steaks, would drive down the average cost.

Right now I can't find my source for the $2.65, but have seen it cited several times by USDA, and it doesn't seem out of line with the NCBA figure.

If you look at the list of stickys above one is on the percent of cuts per carcass. Usiing it, and local supermarket prices, should give you a local perspective.

Just a throw in on supermarket meat. Have seen the figure, while the meat section only takes up about 10% of the store footprint, it accounts for about half of the over the checkout counter total. But then, only about half of a supermarket's income comes across the counter. The other half comes from distributors paying to not only have their products in the store in the first place, but where it is displayed and how much shelf space they get.

Ken Scharabok · #12 01/26/07, 07:56 AM

Latest figures from USDA would seem to be here (at bottom of page) but I as unable to open files, perhaps because I do not have EXCEL on my system:

http://www.cattle-fax.com/data/

unioncreek · #13 01/26/07, 08:27 AM

I always look at a USDA site and get their price for "Choice" grade, then add $.40 to that. Last time I sold some it was $1.80/pound then they paid $.40 cut and wrap fee, plus whatever portion of the beef they buy they pay that portion of the kill fee. I'm going to raise it this year and it will probably be around $2.20/pound due to increase feed prices.

Bobg

swollen tongue · #14 01/26/07, 08:52 AM

live weight sales on butcher beef steers are right now running .87-.98 cents per lb. at the sales. I personally would not sale my homegrown for less than $1.25 per lb. live. AngusX here go for the most $$.
I also don't know where you can get average beef prices for $2.65 lb. in the stores nowadays. It would be more like $5.00 lb.

Ken Scharabok · #15 01/26/07, 09:14 AM

Bobg: What is the $1.80 based on? Liveweight, hanging weight or packaged weight?

Swollen tongue: What cuts are you looking at? I sincerely doubt say hamburger is running $5.00 per pound. Haven't bought burger in a while (cleaning out freezer) but believe locally is still under $1.50 pound for the cheap grade of it.

unioncreek · #16 01/26/07, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken Scharabok

Bobg: What is the $1.80 based on? Liveweight, hanging weight or packaged weight?

Ken,

It's hanging weight, I should have added that in.

Bobg

Steve L. · #17 01/26/07, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken Scharabok

Latest figures from USDA would seem to be here (at bottom of page) but I as unable to open files, perhaps because I do not have EXCEL on my system:

http://www.cattle-fax.com/data/

Here are the figures -

USDA Choice Retail Beef Price
2005 average $4.09

USDA All-Fresh Retail Beef Price
2005 average $3.64
5 year average $3.32

Doesn't explain how they weighted it, though.

swollen tongue · #18 01/26/07, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken Scharabok

Bobg: What is the $1.80 based on? Liveweight, hanging weight or packaged weight?

Swollen tongue: What cuts are you looking at? I sincerely doubt say hamburger is running $5.00 per pound. Haven't bought burger in a while (cleaning out freezer) but believe locally is still under $1.50 pound for the cheap grade of it.

I meant $5.00 lb. average in the supermarket here for beef. 90% hamburger runs 2.49 lb.and up, and steaks i.e. Rib, T-bone, new york at 9.95 lb. unless you can catch it on sale every now and then. other cuts, round, rump,chuck runs about 2.89 to 4.99 lb.

Ken Scharabok · #19 01/30/07, 03:45 PM

Just back from mom & pop supermarket:

Angus certified beef, not on sale:
- Only had one grade of hamburger (which looked lean) for $1.89 lb.
- Sirloin tip roast was $2.39.
- Whole sirloin top (and a nice hunk of meat) was $2.39.
- Round steak was $3.49 (I believe).
- Ribeye was $5.99.
- Next grade steak down was $4.99.

When the amount of cuts as percentage of hanging weight is taken into consider I suspect average would be under $3.00 pound.

This is in West-central, TN and I suspect Wal-Mart would have been less.
- Forgot to look what stew meat was, but suspect $3+.