# Selling a steer for meat 1st time- help please!



## InHisName (Jan 26, 2006)

We bottle raised 4 calves this year- they will be about 500 lbs and we plan to butcher before winter. (dont have the hay or pasture land to winter over) - Have someone who wants to buy one- do you sell live weight? Hanging weight? How do we figure this out? The butcher said expect 55% meat from 500 lbs- does that go for Holstein steers too? These guys are grass fed only, no hormones. Thanks! Teri


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## cow whisperer (May 3, 2007)

Sell by hanging weight..... You can call around and get local beef prices! 

When we sold ours last year, we actually calculated what we had into each steer (cost wise), and charged that way.... it worked pretty much out as almost the same price as beef priced by hanging weight at that time......


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

I'm thinking you will do better selling them as feeders. You waste a ton of potential gain and profit slaughtering at this weight.


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## ksfarmer (Apr 28, 2007)

tinknal said:


> I'm thinking you will do better selling them as feeders. You waste a ton of potential gain and profit slaughtering at this weight.


I agree with tinknal. I can't see butchering a 500 lb calf. Sell them to someone with the feed to finish them out. I doubt that a grassfed holstein calf that size will dress out 55%. If I wanted beef, that one wouldn't be worth the processing cost.


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## Up North (Nov 29, 2005)

Simply charge the buyer $1.75/pound on hanging weight, plus the butchering, cutting, and wrapping charges.
Next year consider feeder pigs. Buy 'em in spring, harvest 'em in the fall at full harvest weight. higher dressing percentage, higher intelligence, and much higher on the scale of entertainment value :1pig:  Cheers.


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## topside1 (Sep 23, 2005)

Teri, why don't you sell three (auction) and put the profit from them back (hay, grain)into your fourth steer. Raise him up to a reasonable weight (900 pounds minimum) then butcher or sell. I don't know of a steer on the planet that will give you 55% meat yield, but of course I could be wrong. Who ever butchers a steer at 500 pounds will not be happy come dinner time.


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## foxfiredidit (Apr 15, 2003)

I got my steer at 1100 pounds, almost 55% of that was cut and wrapped. They aged it for 12 days and boy is it good!! Cost per pound in the freezer was $3.14.


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