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Meat packers and retailers r getting rich!!!! Cow guy is not
Skirt steak is 19$ a pound!!!
It's not going to the guy out in the cold pulling calves.
I was a little scared to open this thread. ;-)
Matt
Yeah, god forbid they make any money.
Maybe they can sell art for $500k instead. that gets a pass from Beijing Biden.
But people actually out in the free market earning a living are they enemy. Freaking GREASY POLITICIANS.
More Government, less free Market...and tax the crap out of the entities they take control of.
It's the only way "Progressives" can pay for all their "feel good" bullshit.
"Soccermom" and "KsLiblander" in 3...2...1 ;^)
Little Meat is not cheap either.
A friend of ours bought a steer from his neighbor who had fed it out from his own cow herd. He had it processed at the local butcher shop (which is booked a full year out for cattle and hogs).
Curt told me it cost $4,000 for the steer and processing.
Makes ya wonder if the high meat costs will drive more folks to hunting??
Went to Costco yesterday. Four normal sized ribeyes were $99. Pork loin chops were $1.05 a pound. We were going to treat ourselves to our occasional ribeye, but the pig went home with us instead.
See, us meat hunters have our priorities right;-)
Free markets are great, Monopolies are not. The problem with big meat is that a few corporations (including china owned corporations) have carved up the meat market (pun intended) into what is very close to a monopoly.
I really don't think china should have a monopoly in our meat market. Monopolies depress the money farmers get for their livestock and increase the prices we pay at the store.
So I don't have an issue with Joe Biden trying to encourage some competition from smaller companies vs the big meat monopolies. Probably one of the only things I agree with him on.
Look on the bright side. It makes the cost of hunting seem more reasonable ! ;-)
A story as old as time...
companies get big and more efficient, thus can lower prices and consumers love it. Eventually they start to undercut and squeeze out smaller operations(just like with Rockefelle's Standard Oil). Eventually only big meat is left. Quality goes down, price goes up, and monopolies are born. This is happening in agriculture too.
The pandemic has exacerbated all this. Buddies who raise some livestock have been told slaughter dates well over 1.5 years out locally. Don't know much about the specifics of ranching or livestock but that seems unsustainable for a small rancher.
Slaughter dates are a yr out for the small processors. This stared when the Holcolm plant burned down in 19, which combined with fears of covid related shortages causing everybody and their brother to book dates for personal animals. The fear of inflation has kept it going. Sale barns and feed lots are still buying large scale. We've sold calves twice in the last month. Prices aren't going up with the costs of feed, fuel, and fertilizer.
I’m only booked out till May but August, September, and October are already full. I could book a lot more animals in but I can’t because I can’t find anyone who actually wants to work. Right now, I only have a crew of 6 so we are limited on how many we can slaughter and process. Had a few quit this fall and have had 4 different people lined up for interviews but they never showed up. One thing I wish for is to get rich but that will never happen in my line of work.
"I was a little scared to open this thread. ;-)"
Me too!
And do some research, who owns biggest meat packing plants in the country?
I know the drought in the MT and WY area this past year was pushing the cattle ranchers to get rid of some of their livestock early. I seen that on the local news and spoke to a rancher out their.
Catscratch is right. We just about got out of the plant fire mess, then covid hit and sent the market south. But for hedged fat cattle the basis was crazy high. Just couldn't get them moved. I got lucky and sold 3 pens the end of January for a February delivery in 2020. Packers have had the upper hand for several years. I keep hearing that the roles are in the process of reversing, but I don't see it.
Even with the high price of ammo, the freezer is full for another year for about $8.00.
“Big meat” has to pay big wages to get people to work anymore they ain’t gunna just eat that cost.
With a couple 7 foot chest freezers full to the rim it’s a good time for an insurance claim lol. But I’d have to line up a moose hunt pronto. And I’d die of a heart attack first losing all that meat
Big meat doesn't have to pay big wages. Illegals have no leverage and are in abundant supply again.
Big meat doesn't have to pay big wages. Illegals have no leverage and are in abundant supply again.
Lol, u think the people flooding across the border are coming here to work?
In my area between produce & aquaculture. (Farm raised shellfish operations) there's a large hispanic population both migrant & local full time. They work hard for fairly low wages. Usually entire families live together from great grandparents down. There's usually 4 to 6 incomes coming into the household weekly & because of their culture & surviving as a family unit they thrive. Perhaps each only brings home $400 a week after taxes but combined that's roughly 2k a week into the household. Then ya have all the folks around here on welfare with the exact same opportunities as the Hispanics that refuse to dig clams & oysters or pic tomatoes cucumbers & mellons for $ 10 an hour. It makes me sick when they cry poverty. I can't speak for the rest of the country but in my area the Hispanics are a hard working part of this community. And I can't say the same for certain other ethnic groups in this community. They (choose) to live on unemployment, food stamps & in government housing while using inequality as an excuse for their laziness. It make me wanna puke !!!
"$4 THOUSAND DOLLARS! For a steer cut and wrapped? Gosh I wonder if poaching will be a big thing this winter? Let's go brandon!" Talked with an acquaintance at a funeral last week. Former KBI and LEO. He said cattle theft has gone up significantly recently. It's always been a concern, but apparently it's getting pretty bad right now.
"Lol, u think the people flooding across the border are coming here to work?"
I've been 100% against illegal immigration since I was old enough to know a little about the world (Reagan era). With that said the Mexican's I've known are hard working people with a strong religious faith and huge family ties. They're men I feel honored to share a meal with and end the evening with a handshake. I know these particular people don't represent the whole, but the one's I've been around are stand-up people.
4k for a steer cut and wrapped is not the price for the processing. Processing was probably more like 600-800 dollars depending on the size of the animal. The rest would be the price of buying the steer from the producer.
The problems are inflation, more regulations, and Big Meat. Not one or the other.
I hope that was MASSIVE steer :) A 1500lb str at current price in the north ($1.45) is $2175+$800 processing is a little ways from 4k
Catscratch, 100% the way it used to be. This generation of illegals are not the same IMO. I farm about 100acres of produce and used to employ a lot of illegals(only people that would work) now I’m 100% H2A labor.
"Schrodingers immigrant"
Immigrants are simultaniously stealing American jobs yet are too lazy to work.
Well which is it?
Most meat cutters/processors are minorities/immigrants. Whether they are legally working there or not is up to the big meat that allows those american jobs to be stolen all in the name of investor profit
"Catscratch, 100% the way it used to be. This generation of illegals are not the same IMO. I farm about 100acres of produce and used to employ a lot of illegals(only people that would work) now I’m 100% H2A labor."
I'm going off 30yrs of accumulated experiences, but nothing real time like you have. I probably haven't even met a recent immigrant so it's true I can't speak of what has happened in the last year, just a generalization from previous experiences.
I think the one we had processed (bovine, not immigrant) late summer cost around $700 from trailer to freezer.
I had one of my steers cut and wrapped for $800 in September.
I have 3 fat beeves for sale, anybody want one for less than half the 4k posted?
Not sure where y'all are getting your steers. Just bought half a steer in December. All natural, grass fed(no fattening up on corn before processing). Steer weighed 1120 lbs and cost $1200 from the rancher. So, $600 for our half. Processing was $228 for half. $828 total cost and received 265# of meat. Some neck and soup bones so total 'meat' was around 250#. Let's see....that's $3.31/lb! Pretty sure we'll be doing this next year too! Lifetime hunting license in OK so no tag costs for deer - just $100 each to process. We'll be fine for red meat this year.
Russ didn't buy the steer it was from my herd. If memory serves me right the steer was about 1280lb when we butchered. Whoever's doing your cutting is giving a good deal.
Big Meat?...
Can't wait for the discussions on Big Hunting, Big Power, Big Auto, Big....
Hey William - was kinda referring to the $4000 post which is insane! I'm looking at the receipt now. 1/2 butchering $37.50, 1/2 beef processing $190.80(265# x .72/lb). $228.30 total for cutting and wrapping. About the same when we used the guy a few years back.
The meat business like many is cyclical. In some cycles the cow/calf guys make good money, in some cycles the feed lots make good money, and in some the packers make good money. I worked for one of the corporations that owns a big share of the beef packing industry, but I worked in a non beef packing role. There were some very lean years in beef packing with poor returns on investment. Getting the government, especially idiots like the current administration likely will not be good for the industry as a whole, or those buying meat retail.
I’ve got one I’m fixing to slaughter in a couple weeks. Interested to see what it’s gonna cost. Feeding his fat a$$ hasn’t been cheap
I just got half a steer. Friend wouldn't take any money for it, called it a gift. I paid $520 to process the entire steer, 307# per half. $4,000 sounds ridiculous
the guy who paid $4000 to a rancher for a beef is not very smart. should have shopped around and looked into prices. Even if that included butchering that is to high. Fat cattle ready to go to butcher are worth about 1.38.lb, average weight is around 1300lbs. thats $1794 before the cost of butchering.
It doesn't seem to matter what the topic is, we can count on azelkhntr to bring misinformation.
My local meat locker is selling processed and packaged whole beef for $3.95/lb. The average total weight of packaged meat is around 750 lbs. $2962 is still expensive, but it is a ways from $4000.
Matt
^^^ not really, only $1,038 away. That's a pair of sitka britches, a hat, and an all season storm chaser jacket.
I sell a fair amount of my beef in 1/2s at the butcher. After the buyer pays me and the butcher they usually end up around $3.90/ lb of meat. Sure there’s some round steak in that but your getting steaks roast and burger all below retail burger price. Also if you were to compare the quality of meat of my home raised to the pink slime crap from the store there’s no comparison in quality of steak or burger. Buy from a local farmer and if you like the product through in a tip. Costs of a cattle operation go up constantly but I can’t remember the last time beef at the sale barn went up.
Still have two more weeks of deer season here, fixing to hunt harder. Lol
Yeah the friend Rock knows that sold the other friend a beef screwed him. Better find new friends. Our beef is $2.15/ lb of hanging weight. That’s hanging in a cooler bone in, head, legs, guts out. Then you’d have to pay roughly 70 cents a pound on that half for processing.
Some producers are banding together to set up big scale independent processing facilities to get away from the major processors that control pricing. I'm in Ag and our costs are skyrocketing for everything from fuel to baler twine. Irrigation pipe was through the roof this summer if you could even find it. Our sale prices will have to go up but so far the market is lagging behind costs.
If anyone is struggling for work, get on with a processor and learn the ropes. Then set-up a mobile processing rig and you will be in good shape.
"When does rustling start" post brought to mind the movie "Rancho Deluxe." A mindless, entertaining comedy starring Jeff Bridges and a young Sam Waterston (LOL, he plays an Indian). Yeah. I'm a Jeff Bridges fan.
"Then set-up a mobile processing rig and you will be in good shape."
Pretty spendy venture right there, especially if you're doing it USDA...
Glunt, I’d like to see those producers that set up processing plants be successful. However, I predict they will fail. There is huge economy of scale in that business and the FDA, EPA, OSHA and others cause major compliance costs.
Not cheap to set-up a mobile rig but if processing for the owner and not for resale you skip a lot of the federal oversight, at least here in Colorado.
This is an article on one of the independent processing places in the works in Nebraska. Big risk for sure. I have a buddy that was the grader for a plant. We toured the whole thing. Pretty interesting. When running smooth it was 6-7 head per minute for the guy with the pneumatic gun at the start of the process.
I went through one that I believe killed 9000 per day. It is amazing to watch.
That's alot of coin for beef. Maybe the ranchers will start sell beef cow hunts as a new market? There will be a new P&Y category for free range Holstein bulls.
I checked with my friend Curt again to verify the $4K cost for the steer, and it is correct.
The hanging carcass was 950#, depending on the yield, live was was probably 1500# plus. It was an Angus steer grain fed to finish it.
Processing was around $900. The local locker is a certified organic processor, it seems their price has gone up since they received and maintain that certification.
He did not say the steer was certified organic, and I am not aware that farmer has an organic operation. If it were, that would certainly jack the price a bunch.
I raise and sell a dozen through my grocery market every year. My cut & wrap for 2021 averaged $984 per head. Slaughter is an additional $200. My cut & wrap and slaughter are all USDA inspected and retail packaged/priced so this will increase the price from standard cut & wrap/slaughter. I really think the pricing changes a lot based on your region. The meat company that does my cut & wrap requires a $200 per head deposit a year in advance to give you an idea of the demand in this area. Our main issue is lack of small USDA slaughter facilities due to over regulation, probably a result of lobbying by big meat.
Hard to say what that steer yielded Rock but at 62% that’s $7.14/ pound. Pretty steep but I’d pay $7/lb for that homeraised and local butchered over what my grocery store sells for $5.50/lb. Its kinda like homeraised chicken. If you ever had homeraised chicken you’d wonder what that stuff is that Tyson is selling you.
I agree on the chicken LINK, I just ordered the annual 100 CornishX broiler chicks to be delivered the week of 25APR.
It's all making my venison obtaining obsession more affordable. Much easier to justify my hunting and buying new stuff to the wife.
I checked the butchers around me (where buying a whole cow isn’t common) and they are 3200 for half a cow and 5600 for a full. Friend in PA who’s farm we hunt Said $4.25/lb at the butcher for pick up cryovac’d and frozen. Ready for transport. Have a new freezer on order and I’ll be heading down to pick one up.
Steak tips in MA were $19.99 the other day. PrimeRib roast i always get for Christmas usually runs me about $160. This year it was $289.00. That’s not even comprehendible
12 yards Thats how I justify elk hunting to my wife. My success rate is killing my argument though. ;) Good thing she loves elk meat.
We sold eight head of home raised angus steers last year that averaged $2.83 a pound cut and wrapped. I did some checking and this year we have 5 going in and it will average closer to $4 a pound. If any of you guys want to pay that $7 a pound, I can fit a couple more in! :)
Rock50……..from the pics of your recent butchering station build…….do you have any openings in the next 6 months?? ;-)
I’m fortunate to have a good friend that usually has a beef or two going into the butcher every 6-8 months, along with several hogs. He calls and asks if we need a half a beef or a hog. Also helps that he’s friends with the butcher and occasionally gets some “insider” information about any cancellations. The cow/calf guys and the local processors sure ain’t the ones getting rich.
I wonder if that $3100 str was just figured wrong. The numbers fit if you figure carcass price times live wieght of the animal. Or that's what it was supposed to be and both parties were happy with it. But if anyone is looking. I have a pen of fats ready the first part of May. I would sell the whole pen for $2400/hd and let someone else make extra $700
On a serious note, I wonder if there will be an increase in poaching by folks who can't afford to buy meat.
Lets see 950 pounds at current beef market $2.21per pound hanging weight is close to $2100 if the processor charged $900 to process it. Someone got taken somehow or the other.
On a serious note, I wonder if there will be an increase in poaching by folks who can't afford to buy meat.
Already started down here. People shooting cows/calves off side of road
Two issues here:
1. Labor shortages 2. Because they can!
Sure am glad my freezers are packed with venison
I believe the 4k is pretty high. The only way to charge higher and get away with it is to call the beef 100% grass fed, no hormones, no antibiotics. Which I also think is a bunch of crap. I’ve seen some pretty nice grass fed beef in my day but not many. The best are always grass fed and grain finished or grass fed with grain supplemented the whole time then grained heavily the last 90-120 days.
Their are new regulations coming down the pipeline in Appendix A and B for small USDA processors. Changes that will make it a little easier for small processors to operate with that USDA bug.
Even if someone wanted to have mobile slaughter unit you still need a place to process it. Even being USDA custom exempt a processor still has to follow and keep records just like a USDA plant does. We just don’t have an inspector on sight even though they can come in and inspect for sanitation at any give time. My family’s plant is currently working out a plan to expand and go USDA. We have a lot of local producers begging us to go that route and we have a pretty big line of sausages, ham, bacon, jerky products we want to be able to sell.
