First time butchering

[Reed77]

What tips would you give to a person who is butchering/slaughtering for the first time?

[postroad]

Bring it to a profesional.

Thats my bias on butchering cattle.

Pigs and chickens, no problem for me. I just do not have anywhere to hang a beef for aging.

[Reed77]

What if you don't have access to a professional? (I do, but what if?)

what is the ageing time? (I've heard 10 days, but IDK)

[postroad]

Originally Posted by Reed77

What if you don't have access to a professional? (I do, but what if?)

what is the ageing time? (I've heard 10 days, but IDK)

That will work. I aim for 14 myself but I have Dexters. Some people will age a full size for three weeks or more.

I suppose a person could learn to skin and gut a beef "rustler" style on the ground and cut it into manageble chunks while it lay on its skin.

How to keep the carcass cool in the heat of summer for that length of time?

[MO_cows]

Don't start out with beef. Do deer, goats, hogs and work your way up. A lot of beef quality is in the processing and it's a sinful waste if it's done wrong and the meat ruined. Not all carcasses need the same hang time, that is part of the knowledge and expertise of the butcher.

[postroad]

Originally Posted by MO_cows

Don't start out with beef. Do deer, goats, hogs and work your way up. A lot of beef quality is in the processing and it's a sinful waste if it's done wrong and the meat ruined. Not all carcasses need the same hang time, that is part of the knowledge and expertise of the butcher.

I second that. I wouldnt send a thousand dollars worth of beef to the dump to save 200.

[Reed77]

Why must you age the carcass?

I'm starting with goats right now, but I'll have a few chickens and maybe sheep sometime this year or next

[postroad]

Originally Posted by Reed77

Why must you age the carcass?

I'm starting with goats right now, but I'll have a few chickens and maybe sheep sometime this year or next

To let the muscle fibres "degenerate" a bit. Makes them tender and easy to chew.

[Reed77]

Do you need a bone saw? what is the average temp to keep the area when ageing and when freezing?

[Slugmar]

Most local butcher shops will let you hang there for a fee.

In my area it cost more then 200 dollars to have some on cut it up the last one we sent out to cut up was over 700 dollars that was also to the butcher we like and not the cheapest one in the area but not the most expensive also. That was over two years ago.

[Reed77]

Anderson, ca huh? I'm in redding for now

Will they come to you or do you have to go to them?

[Slugmar]

We usually take it to them. Clear creak market on 273 and kents market out by the airpot will let you hang them there clear creak is 3 dollars a day not for sure on kents anymore.

Goats I just hang in a freezer at my house but pigs and steers I hang at other places.

yes I would say you would need a saw of some type you can go to harbor frieght and buy a portband saw cheap and just use it for processing and splitting the animals. Look to find a table saw, meat grinder, sharp knives a vacumm pack machine and some helpers takes my family of 4 plus my sister, brother in law and mom and dad usually a good 4 to 5 hours to cut up, grind and package a steer.

[postroad]

Originally Posted by Slugmar

Most local butcher shops will let you hang there for a fee.

In my area it cost more then 200 dollars to have some on cut it up the last one we sent out to cut up was over 700 dollars that was also to the butcher we like and not the cheapest one in the area but not the most expensive also. That was over two years ago.

My Dexters only weigh half as much as a full size animal.

Usually have a hanging weight in the 375 pound range.

And the last few years the price has been inching upwards.

My price does not include shooting skinning and transport.

[Reed77]

So how much experience would you say you would need to do it alone? (assuming you have the proper tools/facilities)

[Slugmar]

not for sure imho, just to move one around by your self you would need to be pretty strong I can lift the front shoulder by myself but the back leg and loin I needed help this last one was 18month grass fed only hanging was 585 so he was on the light side im guessing.

[bruce2288]

Yes you can butcher a goat by yourself. A good hand meat saw would be a help, but you do with out if you bone everthing out. A heavy meat cleaver will cut chops. There a a multitude of videos on line for instruction. Meat is aged around 38 degrees and high humidity. Cooling and cleanliness are the most important. Go for it. If your cuts don't look exactly like the butcher shop does it matter? Some help and guidance from someone who knows what they are doing would be a big help. I would bet someone in your area butchers their own deer.

[oregon woodsmok]

I don't do beef myself. I pay the expensive butcher because he is an artist at aging and cutting meat to get the maximum flavor out of it. His shop is spotlessly clean and the meat is flash frozen and wrapped so it doesn't freezer burn. Plus I get every scrap of my meat back. No steaks walk off with the employees. It's worth every penny.

I occasionally slaughter my own hogs because pork doesn't have to age.

I could do a steer if I had to. The big requirement would be some sort of hoist strong enough to lift an entire steer off the ground. And then plenty of time. Beef could be hung to age in the barn if you slaughtered in late fall and lived in an area with freezing winters. Wrap it in cheese cloth to keep the blow flies from laying eggs in it.