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  • From: "Lynn Wigglesworth" <lynnw1366 AT hotmail.com>
  • To: <homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] You think they won't taxyourhomestead...............
  • Date: Fri, 5 Dec 2008 09:55:33 -0500


When you have nine or so (you've told me how you get the steer calves from dairy farms), do they all become ready for butchering about the same time. Do you sell them through a 'sale pen' (livestock auction) , OR, do you sale them live and have them delivered live to the butcher, you gives the meat to >the customer? I'm conffused about the logistics

I sell directly to customers as halves, quarters, and individual cuts. I try to wait until I have at least a quarter cow sold before I have one butchered, because I don't have a lot of freezer space (one cow takes 2 full-sized freezers). Any that isn't sold as halves/quarters I sell through my farm stand as individual cuts.

I can't get the high prices here that some people can for pasture-raised meat, but even at supermarket prices, there's a lot of profit in pasture-raised. I have about $100 in hay cost (if I've held them over the winter) plus about $300 for hauling/butchering per cow...if I sell it in individual cuts, I can gross over $1200, less if I sell bulk. I haven't been to a livestock auction in years, but 1,000 pound beef cows used to go for $250-300.

So far I can only do 2 or 3 per year, but as I increase the number of cattle and customers, I can do more (up to maybe 15-20 if my business ever grows that much). I don't do steers; I do bulls...I think they stay leaner. I also want them for breeding, and I try to get rid of them before they get too 'bullish'. One good thing about keeping them 'on the hoof' is that I can hold them up to 2 years until I'm ready to have them butchered.

Lynn Wigglesworth
Tioga Co. PA




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