meat cow price?

Mickey · #1 07/25/12, 01:36 PM

Can anyone tell me how to figure out what a cow might be worth if sold for meat? She's a 7 year old Dexter in very good condition (meaning a bit "fluffy" LOL)

InvalidID · #2 07/25/12, 01:39 PM

You could check your local auction house, but I suspect they don't get much in the way of Dexters. Another tip would be to look on Craigs List and see if anything similar is being sold there.

Otherwise you'll get hamburger prices at the auction. Pretty much any slaughter cow would be comparable I think.

Mickey · #3 07/25/12, 02:16 PM

So I guess I would first need to know approximately how much she weighs. Do they sell weight tapes for cows like they do for goats?

InvalidID · #4 07/25/12, 02:20 PM

They do yes, but I'm honestly not sure if they'd work on a Dexter.

bruce2288 · #5 07/25/12, 02:34 PM

at the salebarn good slaughter cows are bringing in the 70's/lb. Going through the commercial channels a Dexter would get a dock due to the small size.

rancher1913 · #6 07/25/12, 02:50 PM

her age will affect the price as well---goes along with bruce2288 post on slaughter price

Mickey · #7 07/25/12, 03:04 PM

Well she's not going thru an auction and I'm just trying to figure out what would be a fair price for her if I were to sell her for meat.

nosqrls · #8 07/25/12, 03:33 PM

Selling live or or on the hook. Grass or grain finished. Has she ever had meds. or no. These are all things to be considered. If no meds. and grass fed only she can be sold as grass fed organic and fetch a higher price. If someone is willing to pay for it. that said she could go for 70 cents /lb. walking to 7.00/lb on the hook.

Mickey · #9 07/25/12, 03:47 PM

Thanks folks

Tana Mc · #10 07/25/12, 04:32 PM

I watched a very plump 8 yo dexter cow sell for .42/lbs at the sale barn yesterday. I about died. Total price for her and her nice bull calf was less than $450.

We sold an open heifer ( that is why we sold her...) for $1.22/lb.

nosqrls · #11 07/25/12, 04:43 PM

You have to watch selling open heifers because they not breed sometimes due to heat and some breeds take longer to mature and some cows of same breed take longer to mature. I have two cows same breed one first calved at about 2 1/2 the other was over 3.
So don't be one of those that if she ain't bred by 1 1/2 sell it.

G. Seddon · #12 07/25/12, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tana Mc

I watched a very plump 8 yo dexter cow sell for .42/lbs at the sale barn yesterday. I about died. Total price for her and her nice bull calf was less than $450.

We sold an open heifer ( that is why we sold her...) for $1.22/lb.

Sad to hear about the Dexter. It's a real shame when people take Dexters to a sale barn. They should know by now that they'll be discounted heavily due to the Dexters' smaller size and, in most cases, horns. Makes me feel ill.

sammyd · #13 07/25/12, 05:26 PM

Any animal that is not a standard beef breed will be sold at a sales barn for way less than if you sell them privately.
Buyers are trained to know beef animals so that's what gets the big bids.

SteveO · #14 07/31/12, 09:17 AM

Because of the age she will be deboned so at most you would get 200-250 lbs of meat if grass fed 5$/pound in the package.
Either put her in the freezer or sell her breedable or bred for 800 to 1000$
A sale barn would be a waste of time

Steve