Hanging Weight

[farmerjan]

What is the butcher there telling you that you will get back from the hanging weight? Our butcher figures costs based on hanging weight, so usually a steer will cost about $250 to 300 for processing. We do at least 2-4 year, some to keep and some to sell. We also do vacuum packaging.
Don't know about the cost to feed them out since we do very little grain feeding. We run about 200 cows that are split in 2 groups, spring and fall calving, about 75 to 100 each. Raise the calves to feeder sale size of 450-600 lbs. I usually have 1-4 jersey steers every year and put one in the freezer yearly as well as my son selling a couple of angus/cross for beef but as I said we don't feed much grain. The feedout costs seem a little high but I don't know what hay and feed costs in your area. We figure 1 5x5 round bale per animal per 20 days, but how long are you going to feed them? You also should have a little milder temps there than we do here in the western part of VA, so they may not eat as much. You will get a little more return of meat from the angus than I do from the jerseys, but not alot.
Since your father in law has been doing it for most all his life, I think you need to do it as he has done it and to ask him specific questions about the costs and all that.

 

[OneFineAcre]

What is the butcher there telling you that you will get back from the hanging weight? Our butcher figures costs based on hanging weight, so usually a steer will cost about $250 to 300 for processing. We do at least 2-4 year, some to keep and some to sell. We also do vacuum packaging.
Don't know about the cost to feed them out since we do very little grain feeding. We run about 200 cows that are split in 2 groups, spring and fall calving, about 75 to 100 each. Raise the calves to feeder sale size of 450-600 lbs. I usually have 1-4 jersey steers every year and put one in the freezer yearly as well as my son selling a couple of angus/cross for beef but as I said we don't feed much grain. The feedout costs seem a little high but I don't know what hay and feed costs in your area. We figure 1 5x5 round bale per animal per 20 days, but how long are you going to feed them? You also should have a little milder temps there than we do here in the western part of VA, so they may not eat as much. You will get a little more return of meat from the angus than I do from the jerseys, but not alot.
Since your father in law has been doing it for most all his life, I think you need to do it as he has done it and to ask him specific questions about the costs and all that.

I think you and I are talking apples and oranges
Grass feed Jersey vs a heavily grained Angus
And we aren't looking at profit just coming out ahead on good quality beef
I think we will be OK on the deal considering you can't get good hamburger for less than $3.50 lb

 

[farmerjan]

Checked on another forum about the percentage of beef and one said they got 55% return on hanging weight of beef in their freezer. That was an animal fed for 90 days before butcher. Counting all the marrow bones it was 60% return. So I am not too far off in the return of actual meat in the freezer at 50% or a little more.

 

[OneFineAcre]

Checked on another forum about the percentage of beef and one said they got 55% return on hanging weight of beef in their freezer. That was an animal fed for 90 days before butcher. Counting all the marrow bones it was 60% return. So I am not too far off in the return of actual meat in the freezer at 50% or a little more.

So
At the end of the day
If I feed 2 steers for 90 days
And at the end I own one of them
I'm pretty good
Right ?

 

[farmerjan]

Since most of the growing is already done, yes I think you will come out fine in the amount of meat you will get in return for the cost. If you put $700 feed into them, and yours costs $350 to process that is 1050 in about 350 lbs meat then that is about 3.00 lb overall. So you will be getting steaks and everything for $3.00 lb which is less than ground beef at the store and alot better quality. Just for the sake of information, let us know what they weigh, live if possible, then hanging then the actual meat you get back. I am going to make it a point of weighing mine this year too so I can be more specific. One year I did an actual break down of exactly what I got back too as far as quantity of each - like steaks, ground beef etc.. to try to show buyers what to expect.

 

[OneFineAcre]

Since most of the growing is already done, yes I think you will come out fine in the amount of meat you will get in return for the cost. If you put $700 feed into them, and yours costs $350 to process that is 1050 in about 350 lbs meat then that is about 3.00 lb overall. So you will be getting steaks and everything for $3.00 lb which is less than ground beef at the store and alot better quality. Just for the sake of information, let us know what they weigh, live if possible, then hanging then the actual meat you get back. I am going to make it a point of weighing mine this year too so I can be more specific. One year I did an actual break down of exactly what I got back too as far as quantity of each - like steaks, ground beef etc.. to try to show buyers what to expect.

I will get the weights
And I will probably get quantities on steaks roast ground beef etc

I know we won't do as well as we normally do
Normally they give us a quarter for Christmas

It will be an interesting project at least

 

[Latestarter]

Congrats on what sounds like a killer deal. Sorry to hear your FIL is having difficulties, but that's a LOT of work for an 88 year old. Probably what's kept him in good shape all these years.

 

[OneFineAcre]

Congrats on what sounds like a killer deal. Sorry to hear your FIL is having difficulties, but that's a LOT of work for an 88 year old. Probably what's kept him in good shape all these years.

He definitely needs to cut back but he definitely needs to keep a few to have something to keep him active
We think there were 10 heifers so we will start with them
Maybe a couple of the older cows
There are 8 bull calves that Maurine is going to "fix" this week
I think they will sell some of them and keep a few to eat

 

[OneFineAcre]

So
At the end of the day
If I feed 2 steers for 90 days
And at the end I own one of them
I'm pretty good
Right ?

@farmerjan

Hey
I'm on my phone a lot and sometimes my posts are short
I read this today and it seemed kind of snarky
I didn't mean it that way
I appreciate your input

I was looking at last weeks sale prices and as low as they are now I think we are ahead of my in laws on this deal at least if they were to just sell the steers now

 

[farmerjan]

I didn't take offense although I was a little uncertain of what you meant when you said we were talking apples and oranges since I thought that the first questions were about how much meat you could expect back, not what it would cost.
But then I figured that maybe you were a little surprised that there wasn't more return from a full grown animal.
Prices here on 8-9 wt steers are in the 1.00 to 1.15 range so they would not realize a great return on their steers. I don't know what the markets there are like; but from what I am seeing they aren't great. I hate that they are going to sell in the worst time of the year, is there any way you can help them get through until it looks like grass in your area, say March or so? The cows that are bred will bring a little better if people are looking for something to go on grass, at least around here.
We just went to a bred cow sale last week and they brought in the 1100 to 1600 range. That's confirmed, vet checked preg for spring calves. Bred heifers brought 1100 to 1300. Any cull cows, for slaughter, are only in the $.50 lb range. We bought one with a calf by her side for 910. and another that was mostly longhorn with a calf for 485. That was barely kill price for her. Don't know where you are in relation to a market and since your FIL has been doing this for a long time he should be fairly knowledgeable of the markets. Maybe you/he can find someone looking for a set of bred cows. A suggestion, you may want to keep a few more of the cows since they are already knowing what to do when calving comes around. A heifer that is having trouble isn't something that an 88 year young man wants to tackle by himself whereas a cow is less likely to have problems....plus the heifers are worth twice what the cows are worth unless you find someone who wants them bred. 2 years ago here they were worth 2500 head....
2 years ago that 8-9 wt steer would have brought 2.00 lb. We sold 30, 430 lb avg steers for 1.25 back in Oct and 2 years ago we were getting 2.50 to 3.00 for that weight. We knew that those prices were too high but no one ever expected it to take the nose dive it did. We figure we can make a little money and pay our bills on 1.75 lb 450 wt steers. The 2.50 was unreal, but we only got that for 18 months and then it dropped back to less than what we were getting 4 years ago, so any gains we made we have already lost financially. Weaned heifers are barely bringing 1.00 lb for any weight from 350 to 900. And naturally we had 75% heifers born this fall so we will really be behind next year when we sell feeders.
I always tell people to expect 25% of the live weight back in meat. Then when they get a little more they are happy. But still some people think that they will get back 800 lbs from a 1200 lb animal. The weight of the guts, hide, head, legs/hooves from the knees/hocks down is ALOT. And the better the finish on the animal, the greater fat trim you will get. So if you get 350 lbs meat that is over 35% of the total animal (1100lbs) so that is good.