Anyone need beef?

[SMiller]

I have 1 extra cow this winter, going to slaughter tomorrow.

This is a black Angus steer that was raised on my farm and fed cattle feed (corn mix) twice a day, round bales of hay, and all the pasture they wanted. Cattle was dewormed regularly and NO growth hormones or any other drugs.

This cow is being delivered to Archer's in Fishers in the morning, I would guess it to be at 1100lbs+. This is the best beef you will ever eat hands down, a 1/4 of a cow will stuff/fit a freezer in your fridge if you pack it right.

This will not be cheap, it is the best, if you want crappy dairy beef go to the grocery or McDonalds.

Let me know if anyone wants some, could buy in 1/4 1/2 or whole. These will be dry aged for 2 weeks (won't be ready to pick up for two weeks)

This is a actual picture from this fall, I am keeping half of one for my freezer.

 

[bocefus78]

Price? Somewhat interested. What all comes with a quarter?

 

[ArcadiaGP]

NAME IT AND KEEP IT AS A PET AND LOVE IT AND TELL IT BEDTIME STORIES AND INVITE IT INTO YOUR HOME DURING POOR WEATHER.

D:

 

[jagee]

Curious about ballpark price as well. I have a deer in the freezer but some cow would be nice too. I would probably not go more than 1/4 though.

 

[miguel]

Curious about ballpark price as well. I have a deer in the freezer but some cow would be nice too. I would probably not go more than 1/4 though.

^ This ^

 

[CindyE]

i might want a 1/4 if the feed mix was non-GMO.

 

[SMiller]

All feed came from Wallace grain in Sheridan IN, you would be welcome to call and have them read you my tickets (ingredients) as I have a account there, this is the same beef I feed my family...

I will let everyone know price and cuts tomorrow, only bad part is only one brisket per cow...

 

[SMiller]

NAME IT AND KEEP IT AS A PET AND LOVE IT AND TELL IT BEDTIME STORIES AND INVITE IT INTO YOUR HOME DURING POOR WEATHER.

D:

I let them in the barn to load them today, does that count?

 

[Clay]

I would also be interested in a ball park price for 1/2 or 1/4

 

[DocIndy]

Also interested in price. Been looking for beef to fill the freezer since I struck out during deer season.

 

[jerp239]

I too would be interested

 

[indyjohn]

Man. I really need one of these

And one of these

 

[CountryBoy19]

For all those asking questions, I cannot speak for the OP but I can speak for my experience from buying beef on the hoof.

#1 Most people base the price on market price for beef cattle. If you buy 1/2 and the steer is 1100 lbs as said you will pay market price (~$1.70/lb right now) times 550 lbs. Your 550 lbs will net ~340 lbs of beef. You will also pay for the processing. Typically (in my experience) this is done in 2 different transactions, 1 you pay the beef owner for the cow, and 2 you pay the processor for the processing.

#2 If you want a 1/4, the common practice now is that you get half of a half. This way you get half of all the cuts. Otherwise you would choose the front quarter or hind quarter. Half of a half gets you half of everything on a cow. The only catch is that most custom butcher shops will only make similar cuts as the other half of the half. IE, I'm getting half of a half, Joe is getting the other half. Joe wants his steaks 1/2", I want mine 1-1/2". We're going to have to compromise on thickness or one of us is going to have to bail out on buying the beef.

#3 What comes on a beef? Well, everything, and if Archer's is a custom butcher shop then you get to choose what/how it's cut & packaged. You can choose what steaks you want, how you want them cut, how you want them packaged, you get to choose what roasts you want, etc whatever you don't want typically gets ground and packaged in bulk or as patties (you choose).

Is it worth it? Absolutely. You may pay a bit more than grocery store price for their premium ground beef, but for that price you're getting steaks & roasts too... You get a cow that you know the source of, you get beef cut how you want, and you always have it in the freezer so when you want some steaks, they're right there, just thaw, cook, enjoy.

 

[mom45]

I can't remember the last time I saw $1.70 a pound for beef. I have paid $2.20 or higher for the last ten years at least. That price is based on hanging weight (not live weight) and does not include processing. Processing fees are higher if you ask them to make patties out of part of your burger or to make summer sausage, etc.

A lot of people don't want the "odd" cuts so if you like heart, liver, oxtail, etc. be sure to tell the butcher you are willing to take those.

I always make sure I get brisket when I get my beef done and have them cut it into 3 to 4 pound pieces so it will fit in my big crockpot for my favorite recipe.

 

[CountryBoy19]

I can't remember the last time I saw $1.70 a pound for beef. I have paid $2.20 or higher for the last ten years at least. That price is based on hanging weight (not live weight) and does not include processing.

I'm not sure I understand what you're saying. Are you saying you've been paying $2.20/lb (current price for dressed beef halves) for live cattle weight? If so, I think you're getting screwed. If you're saying you're buying the beef based on hanging weight & dressed prices it's probably not too bad (technically you're paying for the dressing part twice unless your beef seller pays for the dressing part of the processing. Either way, just educate yourself on what you're expected to pay; as with anything, there are honest people and dishonest people. Some people will charge dressed prices ($2.20 or more per pound) for live cattle.

Processing fees are higher if you ask them to make patties out of part of your burger or to make summer sausage, etc.

That's correct.

For example, one of the 2 places my beef gets processed at charges for the following
Dressing $50/cow
Cut, Wrap, Freeze (this is paid on every single pound of meat you get, not matter how it is cut), I forget the cost/lb
Grinding, $.05/lb
Patties, $.40/lb
A few other misc charges I can't remember

So your steaks, roasts, etc are included in the cut, wrap, freeze charge but any grinding or patties adds additional cost.

 

[mom45]

I'm not sure I understand what you're saying. Are you saying you've been paying $2.20/lb (current price for dressed beef halves) for live cattle weight? If so, I think you're getting screwed. If you're saying you're buying the beef based on hanging weight & dressed prices it's probably not too bad (technically you're paying for the dressing part twice unless your beef seller pays for the dressing part of the processing. Either way, just educate yourself on what you're expected to pay; as with anything, there are honest people and dishonest people. Some people will charge dressed prices ($2.20 or more per pound) for live cattle.


That's correct.

For example, one of the 2 places my beef gets processed at charges for the following
Dressing $50/cow
Cut, Wrap, Freeze (this is paid on every single pound of meat you get, not matter how it is cut), I forget the cost/lb
Grinding, $.05/lb
Patties, $.40/lb
A few other misc charges I can't remember

So your steaks, roasts, etc are included in the cut, wrap, freeze charge but any grinding or patties adds additional cost.

The per pound price I pay the farmer (my cousin) is not based on live/pre-butcher weight. It is based on the dressed hanging weight of the half that I am receiving. I do not pay the butcher a kill fee. Just a per pound fee for cutting and packaging. The butcher I prefer charges a bit more but my meat is all in vacuum sealed packages and they do a great job so I am okay with their fees. Even with the higher cutting/packaging fees, the end product is cheaper per pound than ground chuck in the store for all cuts that I receive. Hard to beat that...especially knowing how and where that meat was raised and that it wasn't shipped in from South America or someplace like much of the meat sold in the stores.

 

[jedi]

Is it worth it? Absolutely. You may pay a bit more than grocery store price for their premium ground beef, but for that price you're getting steaks & roasts too... You get a cow that you know the source of, you get beef cut how you want, and you always have it in the freezer so when you want some steaks, they're right there, just thaw, cook, enjoy.

^This!!!
I was lucky to get in on a deal like this with KLB (another NWI INGO member) on a cow his sister in law raised up here.
O.M.G. the meat is beyond ANYTHING you can ever get from the local grocery store!
My family only eats ground beef so for us that is all we get but

I'm down to only 2 lbs left and need to see if he or someone else locally will go in on another cow deal like this.
OP and others lucky you if you can get in on this deal.

 

[Dirtebiker]

Looks like there's already a lot of interest, but I'll throw my name in there too. Price dependent of course.
feel free to pm me.

 

[jetmechG550]

If nobody wants that brisket in your 1/2 or 1/4 let me know, I have three Big Green Eggs that would love to smoke it. It would be nice to get a quality brisket.

 

[CountryBoy19]

The per pound price I pay the farmer (my cousin) is not based on live/pre-butcher weight. It is based on the dressed hanging weight of the half that I am receiving.

Ah, gotcha. That is quite common as well. Most farmers don't have a scale for live weight, not many butcher shops do as well. So they use the hanging weight.

Even if you don't directly pay a "kill fee" you're paying for it in the meat packaging price most likely. Just be aware that if the farmer is basing the price on dressed halves price (~$2.20/lb right now) that is the market price for dressed, refrigerated beef halves that are going to the packers. Considering that you're paying the processor to kill, skin, gut, clean, separate the beef halves (even if it's wrapped into the cut/wrap fees), and then paying the farmer the price for beef-halves that already have that done, you're paying a bit of extra. It may be small, and likely doesn't matter to you (doesn't matter to me either), just we ware of it.

^This!!!
My family only eats ground beef so for us that is all we get but

That pains me... it really does... My in-laws just got a half beef and that is how they wanted it. I was able to talk my MIL into trading pound-for-pound, my ground beef for their steaks & roasts.

Can I ask why you only eat ground beef? Do you eat steak etc in restaurants? FWIW, steaks from a quality cow, processed how you want them are phenomenal. Some of the best steaks I've ever had have been cooked at home on my grill from a quality cow. They will completely blow grocery store steaks out of the water and they will rival the steaks at a good steakhouse. I can't stand going to somebody else house and they bought steaks at the grocery store; I can tell the difference in the meat quality. Just fyi; I'm not judging, just trying to let you know what you may be missing.