Beef prices going up????

[NDSportsman]

For my quarter I paid the rancher directly for the hanging weight based on current markets and paid the locker plant for the processing.

 

[Fritz the Cat]

. Also I've got two trips to the slaughter barn. One to haul the animal there and another to pick it up. Then I might have to put the boxes of meat in a deep freeze at home if said buyer isn't ready to get it when he said he would. Its just kind of a pain in the ass and don't really make much money. I also used to fatten some animals for a couple of guys, they would come and I'd shoot them, they'd gut em and take em home to cut up themselves. That worked ok for awhile, then as the market started to come up and I asked for a higher price, they haggled on me to get them cheaper, I gave in and thought this is the last time I'm fattening a steer for anyone but myself.
I do know of two ranches that are fattening their own cattle, having them slaughtered at a federally inspected barn, then selling the meat direct to consumers and one is even selling to a couple of restuarants. I'm glad it works for them but I doubt they're making much. Hauling them animals in to be slaughtered and then back to pick up the meat, storing it on farm, then hauling it all over to sell it sounds like a heck of alot of work when my day is already filled up with chores, fixing, and all the other fun stuff that goes along with owning cattle.

If they are taking it home to cut it up themselves, you cannot assist. However, if they are taking it to an inspected plant, you can shoot it, gut it, pick it up with a loader tractor and put it in their truck.

Our State meat inspection laws mirror federal. It's a stupid law but it is the law.

On farm slaughter is a great thing. The monopolists would like to ban it making all products pass through their plants.

 

[Rowdie]

The SCOTUS needs to weigh in on laws that smell this unconstitutional

 

[Traxion]

My beef guy keeps tabs on my general need date. He’s got windows during the year when critters are available and has his spots lined up at the local butcher months in advance. They call me a week before with cutting instructions. Once the ehole lot is ready, he puts all the meat in coolers and delivers to my house along with other customers in the geographic area. I write one check to him, he shows hanging weight and butchering costs. The price I pay is as good as any other local source and it’s the best beef I’ve ever gotten. He runs cutters in pretty desolate areas of WY and finishes them very intentionally. We’re talking to the point of knowing the caloric value of his finishing feed and what his gains will be from pasture to butcher down to the tenths of a percent. He’s a summer calver, doesn’t screw around with weather. And markets when he knows there is butchering capacity. He’s built crazy demand and does well. I think it’s tough to do a few here and there without experiencing the problems noted above. All in direct or just keep selling to the barn.

 

[Obi-Wan]

years back I used to buy a 1/2 from West Dakota meats here in Bismarck and at that time I believe the animal came directly from his brother in the Rugby area. Now with the new owner their “smoked meat” takes on a whole new meaning

 

[Davy Crockett]

Question for some of you young bucks that are handy with a knife, what would be a fair trade if you provided labor to butcher a beef or pork on a farm with a tractor and loader in trade for some of the meat ?