[NZelmo]

Hi, we are in our first year of raising two dexter cows, and would like to know more about how you recommend we sell the meat.

I have bought a dexter "box" at £95 and loved it.  How does everyone else sell their meat, and do you simply sell it by the weight?  How many customers could you split your dexter meat into if selling by the "box"

Thank you all, this is a fabulous forum for great knowledge sharing.

[Factotum]

When we lived down south, we used to buy dexter beef from a friend in Shropshire - we bought a quarter of a beast at a time and usually got about 20-23kg of meat.

It kind of depends on the weight of meat you're going to get back - the first Shetland steer we butchered we sold in 12.5 or 25kg boxes-  our Shetland was a fair bit bigger than the dexter and a quarter box would have weighed nearly 48kgs. That's too much for most people's freezers.

You will need a 'tame' butcher who can prepare it for you, cut into joints etc & make mince and he should weigh & label it for you. You may need to think about how you're going to get it to your customers - can they collect direct from the butcher, does it need transporting to them - how will you keep it at the right temperature if you're thinking of taking it to them yourself.

Hope this gives you something to start on.

Sue

[MKay]

Either buy dexter cross Angus steers or AI a Dexter cow by an AA. Then get them up to 250kg and get a butcher to buy them off you dead weight with 25% retained for yourself.