Raising steer for meat?

[flushcut]

Who has done it? How much land do you need per head? Rough annual cost? Feed volume? Vet bills?
My wife and I are toying around with the idea of raising one or two and having them processed for the freezer and sale. I have about four acres to play with.
Thanks for any input.

 

[Cobleskill]

Check to see if anybody is out there to process them first. Scarce around here.

 

[cory]

"Meat is a helluva thing"

 

[FireFighterZero]

Hahaha! No doubt.

Let me ask the Secretary General when she gets back.

 

[flushcut]

I have two processors near by.

 

[FireFighterZero]

Depending on your state laws...it could be illegal to sell packaged meat.


That is why we sell the live animal.

 

[Cobleskill]

I heard around here the few butcher shops we have are booked out a year.

 

[SeanKroll]

I've heard the slaughter and the butchering are far out.



I'm getting a yearling from my neighbor. Visible grazing from my kitchen window.

All has fed.

He definitely has to feed hay.

 

[flushcut]

Depending on your state laws...it could be illegal to sell packaged meat.


That is why we sell the live animal.

No I’d be selling live if somebody wanted it.

 

[Altissimus]

Have alot of friends that do it ... doesn't save any real money they say but better meat , need a big freezer.

 

[SeanKroll]

Things are different place to place.

Trying to sell at a profit might be hard pressed.

My neighbor Charlie indicates to me that he only does it out of interest (this immediate area was the family dairy farm in his youth) and for personal meat. His outlay (outside of time) is enough to keep his family in grass-fed, humanely raised, organic beef. He frequently takes a year-old cow to the livestock market to mostly cover his costs.

Our grass grows around 8 months a year, I'd guess.

When the bull is in the field, he has to feed a bunch of hay.


Around here, the Butcher tapes with NOT FOR SALE tape. Would be good barter, as its hard to find such good beef.


Seems like an economy of scale situation.



Any questions I can ask him for you?

 

[flushcut]

I think I would maybe do it as a cooperative thing between a few friends. Mostly just to share cost. I’m not really in it for the money, just the beef and marrow bones, yummy!

 

[Cobleskill]

I had a young cow butchered and thought I could sell some of the 1st quality meat to friends and acquaintances.

It was some of the best meat I ever had. Gave some to them so they could try it. That label Not for Sale made them think something was wrong with it.

 

[flushcut]

I talked with the guy the used to own the land before me and he had six cows on the property but he was feeding grass on top of grazing. He also said it would support two head without extra feed but I would have to kick the horses out. Nice to know in the future.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

My chicken tree seems to be coming along.

 

[vharrison]

I’ve never seen a chicken in a tree.

 

[flushcut]

They look just about ripe. Lol

 

[SeanKroll]

Chicken of the Tree!

 

[FireFighterZero]

We upped our price to 1800 a side.

I think its too much...we will see.

 

[stig]

I just looked at carrot prices here.
You get 9642 kilos of carrots for that price.
I'll say no more.

 

[Bermy]

I cracked up the first time I saw chickens roosting in a tree, it looks so funny

 

[Dave Shepard]

That'll keep a steer alive, but I don't think it'll fatten it up too well.

 

[flushcut]

I never thought of carrot fed beef before. Lol

 

[BlackSmith]

Couldn’t be any more nasty that grass finished beef.

 

[SeanKroll]

We upped our price to 1800 a side.

I think its too much...we will see.

How much meat is that, roughly?

I'm getting a year-old cow from my neighbor.