[loosey]

Hi all

I'm rarely in the cattle forum but wondering if someone can help?!

A good friend of ours has offered us a young bullock for meat. He was meant to be for breeding but only one testicle has descended. He is 18 months old and he thinks approx 350kg. He will let us have him for £250.

We are way off venturing into cattle so are still clueless about costs.

Does anyone sell beef to friend and family? How much do you charge? All our pork is sold by half or quarter carcass so not a price per kg .... do you sell by kilo?

As far as I can tell this is a very good price for the cow and we are only being offered it because we are very good friends and do him a good price on pork and chicken.

With pigs it is likely, that if left uncastrated, the meat may well taint ... is this not tyhe case with cattle too?

Any help appreciated! We are being lept on for prices by lots of friends and I have no idea what to tell them!

[jacquip]

Hi all

I'm rarely in the cattle forum but wondering if someone can help?!

A good friend of ours has offered us a young bullock for meat. He was meant to be for breeding but only one testicle has descended. He is 18 months old and he thinks approx 350kg. He will let us have him for £250.

We are way off venturing into cattle so are still clueless about costs.

Does anyone sell beef to friend and family? How much do you charge? All our pork is sold by half or quarter carcass so not a price per kg .... do you sell by kilo?

As far as I can tell this is a very good price for the cow and we are only being offered it because we are very good friends and do him a good price on pork and chicken.

With pigs it is likely, that if left uncastrated, the meat may well taint ... is this not tyhe case with cattle too?

Any help appreciated! We are being lept on for prices by lots of friends and I have no idea what to tell them!

You have to charge enough to cover your costs - cost of purchase, transportation to the abattoir, cost of killing, hanging, cutting and packing (about £250/£300).  You should not have any taint with an animal aged 18 months (EBLEX have done taste tests - I have slaughtered a bull aged 19 months and that was perfectly fine).  I know more or less what I am going to get off my animals but I have no idea of the breed or conformation and finish of your animal as I can't see it, so it is very difficult to say exactly what you are going to get back from the butchers but you could end up with say 100 kgs or so of saleable beef so just divide by your costs to work out your price per kg. I am assuming you are registered with EH if your friends/family are not collecting the meat directly from the butcher you use to cut and pack your meat.

[shetlandpaul]

if i was you i would be snapping it up.

[loosey]

No I'm no Jacqui, hence needing to give people a price as I have nowhere near enough room to store a whole cow's worth of beef otherwise (we already run 4 freezers!).

People are asking me how much for a 1/4, but again, undure what to tell them. Waiting for butcher to come back to us!

[jacquip]

If you charge about £7.00 a kg you will be doing alright.  £250 for a 350 kg beast is ridiculously cheap.

[ramblerskitchen]

Hi  I paid 300 for quarter of a cow about 2 years ago.  Not sure of the weight but it was a Aberdeen Angus.   

[shetlandpaul]

we paid 220 for a rear quater last year. so at a rough guess you could be looking at about £700  of beef. you will be surprised how fast you get through it though.

[robert waddell]

that size of bull going through the auction would make £2 per kilo=£700  you either buy it or leave it the choice is yours

[loosey]

Thank you all, we've bought him and he's booked in for next week. We've got friend who will pick up quarters and are happy to pay £200 for rear end and £180 for the front which means we will get our quarter for free ... suits me!

[shetlandpaul]

jammy begger.

[loosey]

jammy begger.