1/2 cow

I recently bought 1/2 cow. What a learning experience and one I will do again and from the same farm. It didn't start out that way.

I live in farm country Vermont and New Hamshire, right on the border of both. Farms every where you look. Not just produce and cows but lamb and other whacky stuff. I been wanting to buy a whole, 1/2 or 1/4 cow for awhile, never done it before. Friend of mine is dialed in with many farms and told me he could get a 1/2 cow for 450$. At the time he called I was at work, I said I'd get back to him. Couple days later I called him back and I asked how many lbs am I getting for 450$? He said 84 pounds. I was WTF? I told him it doesn't seem like alot for the amount of money. He got all defensive with my inquiries and I should trust him. I told him we are friends and we should be able to say what we want and how does a 1000 pound cow turn into 84 lbs? He was so upset he sounded like he was gonna start crying.

Long story short and after much research I learned that a 1000 pound cow turns into about 7-800 pound hanging weight(minus head, legs,tail,guts etc.) and then actual packing weight. You get charged for the hanging weight even though the actual packaged weight will be around 320-360lbs.
My cow had been killed young and at about 450-500lbs. hanging weight about 292 pounds. 1/2 cow 85-90 lbs sealed and delivered. The hanging weight and the sealed,packaged and delivered weight are different for obvious reasons(trimmings/fat etc..).

I paid about 5$ per lb across the board. Average is about 2.75-3.50 a pound across the board. What I paid was $5 a pound for tbone, rib eye, chuck roasts,97% fat free hamburger etc... All the meat was vacuumed packed and flash frozen which helps the meat last longer than butcher wrapped paper in the freezer.

All and all I am satisfied once I had a better understanding of the process. While 5$ a lb across the board is not great its not bad and its grass feed,farm fresh,flash froze and vacuumed sealed.

That 84lbs filled my upright freezer up and allowed me to generously disperse 10-12 lbs of assorted steak,roast and hamburger to my each of my kids. And the meat is deliscious. Looking for lamb meat now.

Me and my friend are still friends.

Hang on to your source. I raise registered Angus. The price of meat is going to sky rocket. Selling on the hoof already has and it is still going up. It's directly related to weather. Either too cold and wet in some places or drought in others. Farmers/ranchers are going bankrupt. That means fewer raising animals for slaughter. Supply and demand so prices are going up. I just have a small operation and have a waiting list of customers wanting my product. So far I'm not raising price but I'm soon going to have to. Texas drought is killing us. I usually have one steer for our own each year and I'm trying to decide now if I want to go longer with this years and not have one next year so I can sell one more to my customers. So the real question is to I want money in the bank or food in the freezer. I've never seen the market like this. It's crazy!

what is your known price per lb sealed and delivered?

I'll have to ask the book keeper. But no one around here seals. It's still butcher paper. We are in the poor south remember.

We use to raise 2 pigs a year and butcher first frost. Only did the bacon no hams. Talk about flies...yikes. And thunder made them go nuts. Once the kids (farm hands) got gone we stopped.

Okay, got the info from the book keeper. Last animal was $25 for slaughter and $1.29 a pound wrapped a flash frozen. It ends up costing us nothing really as we sell half to what ever neighbor is next in line that wants half. I expect this year the rate will go up. Everything else is. So we in turn raise the cost too. Seems people will never understand the cost to operate just gets handed down but they don't. You demand a raise so who ever you work for just raises their rate. You will never get ahead. EVER! Same for the beef industry. All the costs just get handed down the chain. I've seen the price in the super market for beef. I don't know why people would still buy at those rates. I can sure tell you that the people doing the raising aren't getting any of it. But I've seen the price this year at sale barn. It reflects the shortage of beef. Wait until these it the store or other outlets like restaurants. A side from an independent like myself is going to look real good. Problem people have is forking up enough cash for that first side all at once. You don't feel the hurt so much one week at a time at a store.

Wow great prices. Why not vacuum sealed for a little extra? Lotta man hours goes into that final freezer deposit.

That farm fresh and grass fed meat is deliscious,you can instantly tell the difference. Hamuburgers minimum to no grease, steaks melt in your mouth.

I use to have a small farm of chicken for eggs/meat, 2 pigs a year, goats,horse and ducks.

When the kids left I was done.