What are you paying for ground beef

[LouNY]

Straight Angus and Lowline Angus

The 1100# steer I spoke of was Charolais x Angus I expected to yield 51-55% live weight. Registered Angus bulls that flunk out as potential breeders and go to slaughter net 57-60% of live weight. Tell me breeds you are familiar with and % of live weight you expect them to dress out. It's too late for me to start a new program but my Grandsons will be all ears to hear what kind of steers you are raising that disappoint unless yielding more than 70%.

Most Angus will yield better then that, and the Low Line Angus especially and the compact size of a low line helps with the initial cost also.
We expect 70%+, yes we do include the heart, liver and tongue, also the tail bone.

One other thing is the growing conditions, the aviliblity of water and the quality of the pastures and feed.
One issue that can be a problem here is brood cows getting to fat.

 

[MossRoad]

Unfortunately this is more common than not.
Of the handful of slaughter houses, around here, I have heard horror stories from various people about all of them.
I have had issues myself with two of them myself.

We have friends that raise beef, and we buy some from them every year. He's changed processors in the past few years, as he does not believe he's gotten his own beef and pork back for various reasons.

 

[jaxs]

We have friends that raise beef, and we buy some from them every year. He's changed processors in the past few years, as he does not believe he's gotten his own beef and pork back for various reasons.

If the problem is widespread I have to wonder why I've never heard of processors being sued and/or criminal charges filed against them. The cost is very reasonable to have vets run dna. If dna was taken from animal before turned over to processor,could one not say positively whether packaged meat was or was not from same animal? My experience has been they weigh their thumb,steal a few pounds or both. Those would difficult if not impossible to prove.

 

[Snobdds]

We have friends that raise beef, and we buy some from them every year. He's changed processors in the past few years, as he does not believe he's gotten his own beef and pork back for various reasons.

You know what the funny thing is...unless you do it yourself, there is not a person around that can prove or disprove otherwise.

It's all a honesty and integrity game.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Damn, you must live in a shady area where everyone is out is screw everyone over.

You are such an innocent. Have you ever heard the phrase, "What they don't know won't hurt them?"

 

[Jstpssng]

In this awful economy, we’re switching to Hamburger helper.

View attachment 748485

You can make your own for less money... and it tastes better.

 

[Jstpssng]

You know what the funny thing is...unless you do it yourself, there is not a person around that can prove or disprove otherwise.

It's all a honesty and integrity game.

If somebody was blatantly doing that it would be easy to prove via DNA testing.

 

[jaxs]

Straight Angus and Lowline Angus

Most Angus will yield better then that, and the Low Line Angus especially and the compact size of a low line helps with the initial cost also.
We expect 70%+, yes we do include the heart, liver and tongue, also the tail bone.

One other thing is the growing conditions, the aviliblity of water and the quality of the pastures and feed.
One issue that can be a problem here is brood cows getting to fat.

That is nothing short of amazing. As I said earlier,I'm too far along in years to start a breeding program but a bloodline yielding 70+% would revolutionize beef cow industry and registered Angus breeders would pay handsomely for stock .

 

[Snobdds]

You are such an innocent. Have you ever heard the phrase, "What they don't know won't hurt them?"

shady area confirmed...

 

[ponytug]

Haven't bought any in a long time. I raise my own, and also raise beef for others
I take them to slaughter. I charge them $4.80 per # hanging weight

We get a big premium here for grassfed.

I must look like a sucker because noone else ever mentions the problem I have with taking a steer to processors. A few examples.
Dropped a 1100 pound steer at processer and they charged me for 770 pounds hanging weight. The finest 1100 # steer on earth will dress out 660 pounds. Took a steer in Monday and got a call Thursday saying he's ready and their freezer is crowded,please pick up asap.
After that last episode the next steer I had killed I didn't give them a work order to prevent them cutting it up without sufficent time in the cooler. Pretty clever of me,right? When I called 14 days later to give them a workorder,they gleefully announced "he's processed and ready to pick up. They used workorder i gave them 2 years earlier for processing a cow that broke a leg. I've had steaks that coon hounds couldn't chew and meat tasting like it was laced with Lye Soap. Hth would a man know what Lye Soap tastes like you might ask? Little country boys that cussed in the early fifties know EXACTLY how it tastes. For the record,those incidents took place at various processers.

Our current processor always wants a new cut order before they get the carcass.

I will say that our local brand inspector is quite savvy and has matched up thefts by DNA, making the trials a slam dunk. DNA typing the mother the father, or siblings makes it really easy. Grand theft for livestock here starts at $250 in value.

All the best,

Peter