Beef on the hoof

[Dace]

Tell me how this sounds....I think I found someone to buy some beef from. First question is when you buy a live animal to raise up for butchering is it called 'on the hoof'?
I really have no idea what I am doing here

'well we have 6 market heifers that will be ready to be butchered in 2 months so if you would like one let me know, and people that usually go in on an animal will do it after they bought it so it is usually friends but i treat the animal as it is sold to one person and you divide it up with your friends afterwards that's usually how it works,
They are around 16 months old and we are located in de luz, fallbrook and they are fed grass hay and steamed barley'

I am still trying to figure out the price, but the diet looks appropriate right?

 

[Dace]

Here is a follow up with the price...
heifer is $1.40/lb alive which is around 650 lbs because these are miniture cows and someone has to come out and butcher them which is $150 and they cut and package the meat for .89/lb which is around 350 lbs cause excluding organs, head, feet, skin so you roughly get 350 lbs of meat for around $1300 which works out to be $2.90/ lb if you were to buy it at the store and that includes all the cuts like ground beef, filet mignon, porterhouse, t bones, roasts, tenderloin and ribs so it is a pretty affordable deal if you are able to pay for it upfront

Thoughts?

 

[Tallman]

When you get a price for a beef to be butchered there are two prices.

The "on the hoof" price is the price per pound that you will have to pay as the animal is alive and standing up so to speak.

The other price is the price after the animal has been slaughtered and is hanging. With this price you do not pay for such things as the hide, the head, the legs, or intestines. In our area this is called the "hanging weight" or some call it "on the rail."

The "on the hoof" price will be a smaller price, but you are paying for everything. Which is better? It depends on how the animal dresses out. I usually buy using the "hanging weight."

Hope this helps.

 

[freemotion]

Haven't done this yet myself, but have been researching and talking to my dad about it.....the farmer.

Hanging weight will be more accurate as to how much meat you might get. Also, dairy vs beef breeds.....less vs more meat. It doesn't say the breed.

How good a deal it is also depends on whether you want the bones for broth, the fat for tallow for soap or bird feeding, the organ meats to eat and to use for pet or chicken food. The more you use of the animal, the more of a good deal it is.

Also to consider, do you use all cuts of beef, or are you willing to? You might want more hamburger or stew beef, for example, over roasts or steaks, depending on what you like to cook or eat.

You can have organ meats ground up for pet food, too. So you don't have to deal with a whole heart, for example.

 

[hoosier]

... so you roughly get 350 lbs of meat for around $1300 which works out to be $2.90/ lb ... [/i]

Thoughts?

Their math is wrong, or I missed something. [$3/lb x 350lb is $1050] That is closer to $3.70/lb.

 

[Blackbird]

I don't know, but all this talk about on the hoof and on the rail is making me hungry.

The ad seems a little odd, or maybe its just me.

 

[Dace]

I am glad that I am getting your input...a few think it sounds odd and noticed that the math is wrong.

Learning as we go.....

As for cuts of meat, I don't care, we would work with whatever. I would like to share with 4 people so that the first go around will not be such an expensive lesson. I would use bones for stock and probably some of the fat (is that good for cooking lard?...I would think pork would be better)

I will email her back and ask about the breed as well as clarify the cost.

So does the consensus seem to be to buy beef on the rail/hanging weight rather than on the hoof?

 

[SKR8PN]

I always buy my beef/pork/whatever hanging weight, I pay the farmer and then I pay the processor straight away and eliminate any profit potential the grower may try to add in. Last beef we bought worked out to less than $2.00 per pound TOTAL. That's after paying the farmer and the processor. We always have the processor do the steaks, two per package, vacuum sealed and frozen. The roasts we get anywhere from 2-5 lbs per, vacuum sealed and frozen. Anything that they would normally grind into burger, we have them bag it separate and don't grind it and don't freeze it. That way we can pick out the nicer stuff and can it, and trim the excess fat off the rest before we grind it. We have a patty maker attachment for the grinder that works great. We vacuum seal 3 or 4 patties to a package and freeze them ourselves. The only organ meat we take is the heart, the liver and the tongue, everything else we leave to the processor to do with as he pleases.

 

[Dace]

SKR8PN isn't the farmer and the grower one in the same? See what a novice I am

Here is her response to the price (works out to $3.90 lb) and breed:
ohh yes that is right on i just said around i did the calculations on my cell phone sorry, and she is a miniture hereford, if these were regualar sized cows they would be about 1,250 lbs finished and cost three times as much


Although my little pea brain says a full size cow would be twice the price not 3 X??

 

[keljonma]

SKR8PN isn't the farmer and the grower one in the same? See what a novice I am

Here is her response to the price (works out to $3.90 lb) and breed:
ohh yes that is right on i just said around i did the calculations on my cell phone sorry, and she is a miniture hereford, if these were regualar sized cows they would be about 1,250 lbs finished and cost three times as much


Although my little pea brain says a full size cow would be twice the price not 3 X??

I think this isn't the best person to do business with, doesn't sound trustworthy ........ she is tooooo fuzzy with her numbers and I think the excuse "I used my cell phone for calculations" is bs.