Pricing Cattle

[ALBALD1]

I bought 2 steers & 2 heifers in the spring to pasture all summer & then split amongst family in the fall. I have a lot of people asking to buy a half. How do you price that. I bought them for an average of 83cents/lpound live weight. I have no scales to weigh them now, but the butcher gives me the hanging weight & "meat in the freezer weight". How do most people price it & how much profit should i expect to make from each cow? I just took one in to butcher to split with my brother. By hanging weight, I have about 1.70/pound in it including the butcher bill. I'm not looking to make a living & I've enjoyed fooling w/ them, but there is a lot of work & expense. I'd like to come out ahead at least.

[tessiers]

I usually price my steers so that my meat is free. If I have 2 steers and keep one for myself and sell one, I sell that one for the amount I have in both of them together. I have never had a problem getting rid of the meat and it is nice to get my meat for a little sweat equity. Hour for hour you are still working for very little pay.

[eccentricfarmer]

Similar situation. .60 on the hoof. 15 min after delivery to the locker...1.20. Lose about half (guts). Finish about $2/lb. I sell $2.50/lb burger, $5/lb steaks. About break even, but i like the taste, so i get to eat the profits. Every once in a while look at the stuff they call meat in the grocery store and realize why i do it at all. If i cook a lb of burger i am not throwing away a third of a cup of grease that i paid for but cannot eat. There are times have to even add some grease in the pan to cook. I have highlanders and crosses.

[ALBALD1]

this was my first year w/ cows. it was fun except for a couple escapes. Luckily we didn't lose any cows & we learned a lot about fences. I should be getting the first back from the butcher this week. I'm curious to see exactly how much beef I end up w/ in the freezer. All my #s are based on estimates that i've read about. This first heifer was 620# when i bought her the first saturday of april. The butcher said the hanging weight was 420#. I understand thats probly 50-55% which would have made her about 760-840. it figure if the other 3 gain at that rate, The shld be about 1000# in fall.I shld be able to do a little better on them per pound.

[eccentricfarmer]

There is a big run now on for grass fed beef (grain finish i guess, others would know much more than i do). Finding the markets is the tough part. Still working on mine. Turns out when they say anti biotic free it means they do not use the same antibiotics that are used on HUMANS!! Who knew. Been very spoiled by home raised beef and i do not have to worry what country it came from or how it was taken care of from slimy milk sucking new to little white packages.

[ALBALD1]

We got the first cow back from the butcher. So far we've eaten burgers, cube steak & ribeyes. Won't be buying grocery store meat anymore. Even if just for us, it's worth the effort. I came out around 2.95/lb on this one, but should do better on the rest as they will have about 4 more months on pasture to gain more weight.

[eccentricfarmer]

AH HA!!! You have fell victim to the evil plan to forever not go to the grocery store for meat again!!

Good for you, now you have the 'real' flavor!! Bet there will be much less condiment use in the household since all it does is cover up the flavor of lower quality meat not add to it. You will WANT to taste your meat more now!

CONGRATS ON THE CONVERSION!!!!!!!!!! [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[ALBALD1]

I ended up selling the 2nd steer for $2.10/lb hanging weight & I paid the butcher bill out of that. I delivered the meat the buyers house. I came out a little ahead, but I won't quite end up having my meat free like i wanted. After doing a little research, it seems most people are charging 2-2.50/lb & the buyer also pays the butcher fee. That would have meant another $212 for me. Is that more like how you guys do it? I don't want to ask too much, but this year I'm probly not making quite $100 per cow.

[tessiers]

I sold mine this year for $2.00 lb hanging weight plus butchering. My problem is who I sell it to not how much I charge.

[eccentricfarmer]

Personally, have had very few customers who want the half or whole, so sell packages. $2.50/# burger, $5/# steak. About broke even and got to eat a bunch too, so took the profits in the eats.

2 more to do and the herd is leaving to the auction. Getting too old to face down cattle. Goats should be more fun.