I’ll tell him about how he should buy naturally grass-fed cattle and then continue to feed them natural grass. You can truly taste the difference in homegrown. The cost to butcher cattle is generally divided up into a few sections. This is an Angus Farm in Columbiana, Ohio that raises and sells 100% grass fed and finished beef. We don’t travel with our cattle and my father never vaccinated either. Raising your own beef ensures quality meat without the addition of toxic chemicals or hormones that may be present in commercially produced beef. If we were younger, we would raise grass fed beef on our land(it has been in the family for 150+ years). Thanks for all the answers! However, I was the skilled labor for a 5th gen rancher, on a ranch with 10,000 head on average, in the southern part of the country. Here’s a great article that goes into more depth on the science of aging the beef for taste. ( Fortunately the neighbor is nice about it and has just accepted a breeding fee!) All of our steers are named, will come when called for treats and scratches, and will load easily into a trailer with a bucket of grain. Our pasture is 30 years old, has a mix of grass, clover, and a bit of thistles we’re manually chopping down to keep from spreading. Meal prep is easy, since beef goes with everything, right? . This amount of meat will yield about 3/4 pound of jerky. In fact, we’ve had people taste our beef after having beef that was finished on corn, and prefer the flavor of ours. Nothing like home grown! I know I feel dumb, but I’ve never had small herd knowledge. I enjoyed your article. The ground is quite compacted after 30 years of animals, so a plowing under would help with any moss and to loosen up the soil for more grass. We haven’t actually planted grass, but many folks like Orchard or Timothy grass. Is it more economical ? As for your pasture, I don’t know that I’d go through all the work of plowing under and replanting unless it’s full of weeds, thistles, and not very much grass. and Honey, er, Hormones. It certainly doesn’t affect the taste at all. They also have bulk orders available at $4.25 per pound for a whole or half steer. I was trying to turn them back toward the house and she and her henchcows kept darting past me. We have been considering for sometime getting a cow. Unless you go crazy and get the whole thing turned into beef sticks (high processing cost per pound) or something like that, the majority of your butchering costs can be for just the basic (the $0.56 in this example) charges per pound. Unless, you're lucky enough to have a bull in the neighboring field who hops the fence when it's time, and then goes back home. It is much cheaper to free range your hogs than to continuously purchase grains. On to the subject of cost: how much is this calf going to cost you? The processing prices will only apply to pounds of meat, not pounds of total animal. That means you would have needed to pay $164.00 x the cwt of the calf to buy it. That doesn’t mean it can’t be worth it for somebody else, we just don’t have what it takes to raise pigs economically. First cutting hay is the initial crop of... link to 7 Tips To Help You Choose High Quality Hay, The calf will be less expensive to buy than a beef feeder, If you live in a dairy producing region, there will be plenty of these calves available, year round, Uninitiated are skeptical about dairy genetics for beef. The cost of raising your own cow and butchering it will cost you between $5.00-$6.50 a pound depending on your existing infrastructure and resources. We fill up an old bath tub with water and for 3 cows, it lasts about 2 to 3 days. We are on 100 acres and while we have only a few animals it was necessary to buy in hay recently. Adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet doesn’t have to break Pros and Cons of Raising Your Own Grass Fed Beef. There is a cost for hay, grain, fencing, barns, vet bills and all things necessary to raise your own meat. That being said, we need to be sure to be talking about the same things to make an accurate comparison. We have bought some bobby calves from the slaughter house, AU$450 for 7. I look forward to hearing about your ventures with the cattle. The bigger the calf the more it will cost to purchase and the faster it will finish. An often overlooked option when it comes to raising your own beef is dairy feeders. Glad it helped! If yes, what cuts of meat have you used, how have you spiced, prepared it, etc? Breeding-If you keep a cow to breed back every year, you either have to purchase a bull, artificially inseminate, or haul your cow to a bull or a bull to your cow every year. Explore. What would be the absolute smallest amount of land you could raise a cow? My husband also had to carry pails of water, morning and night, in the winter until he got plumbing in the barn. We have a small herd of Red Angus so I have been eating my own beef for about half of my life now. Most people think they need to stop at a vegetable gardening, simply because of space limitations but it's possible to raise meat – even in your backyard! We've never bought beef from the store. Great information on grass fed beef. When you're raising or purchasing your own beef, you want to make sure you're getting as most from it as possible, but many people don't know there are quite a few cuts of meat you should be getting right on butcher day. While raising your own grass fed beef isn't for everyone, if you have acreage, it's something to consider. I grew up on a Dairy farm in Arlington Wa. I am figuring that you are wanting a full size beef steer (or heifer). Just curious how you do that? I know it’s not much land, but as I am sure you are aware, if you are not lucky enough to inherit any land it can very expensive to buy acreage. Our own pasture is managed organically, even though we're not certified. We raise our own every year and we also own a meat shop (custom). This post has some meat processing, so it might not be the most sightly post on our blog. Thanks so much! Grass fed and finished steer There is a lot of raw meat. The grass is very tall 3 feet due to neglect. We already raised our own grass fed beef, but we got our own chickens, purchased organic, and increased our vegetable and fruit plants. Great on the table. I wasn’t sure if you rotated out the cows that were bred or used the same ones year after year. Or contact your local butcher and ask for referrals. I do think it is often cheaper to raise your own animals. It’s to help extract the minerals and goodness from the bones, so your stock is even better for you! According to the EWG report, “sixteen pesticides were detected in the 8 baby foods tested, including three probable human carcinogens, five possible human carcinogens, eight neurotoxins, five pesticides that disrupt the normal functioning of the hormone system, and five pesticides that are categorized as oral toxicity category one, the most toxic designation. I’ve never had to vaccine. Holly, we haven’t had goats for milk yet. The calf will be less expensive to buy than a beef feeder It is a bit of a change of culture compared to buying meat as you need it, but you soon get used to having all those options right at home in your own freezer. I'd talked about the difference so passionately that a co-worker bought half a beef from us. Short version here is it depends. We raise our own every year and we also own a meat shop (custom). Yes we do feed some, use antibiotic, fly tag and worm …. Let’s go through many of them question and answer each thoroughly. > Is it cheaper to make your own beef jerky? How many years do you rebreed your cows? This is a link to their retail beef sales page. I rather not raise cows that may be contaminated by the mother cow eating GMO feed. Another reason to scope out the auction, is to get an idea of what animals are out there and the prices being paid on the open market. If you want organic beef, you can buy and raise organic feed or feed him your own pasture, locally-grown hay, and grain. I want to impact a smaller portion of our land. I have made sauerkraut, which was interesting but left me with a glut of preserved cabbage. If yes, what cuts of meat have you used, how have you spiced, prepared it, etc? We don’t have a barn, so removing the manure isn’t an issue, we drag our fields in the spring and this helps spread the manure over the ground as a fertilizer for new grass. No matter what size of calf you are buying the cost is figured out the same way. I saw you mentioned the 1 acre rule of thumb for food, but I was curious about water requirements and if you need to set up a facility for this. On the other hand, there is a . There are many benefits to raising your own beef. However I have noticed that many homesteads, and that includes ours do not I can’t screw this up or boy will my husband be disappointed in me! I'll never have to worry about my children eating pink slime. Good idea, normally. First thing to know is that the price is listed per cwt (100 pounds). Today. Hope I answered your questions. This time it wasn’t. Podcast Episode #24 Raising Your Own Grass Fed Beef, https://melissaknorris.com/2014/05/10-tips-raise-chickens-meat-part-1/, https://melissaknorris.com/2014/05/how-to-butcher-chickens-part-2-of-raising-meat-chickens/, http://gizmodo.com/5866754/the-science-of-taste-or-why-dry+aged-meat-is-so-damned-delicious, Dealing with Emotions During the Holidays (Surrounding COVID and 2020 Realities), How to Make an Old-Fashioned Evergreen Christmas Wreath, Winter Vegetable Garden: Storing Vegetables over Winter. Melissa, great article! Those calves will make great raise your own beef projects! Pinterest. I’ll have to figure out how I’ll measure the value of that meat later. Any suggestions on how to find someone that sells young cows born from grass fed parents? An often overlooked option when it comes to raising your own beef is dairy feeders. I’ve never heard that. We do chop off the thistles before they seed to prevent more and any tansy ragwort we find is uprooted, bagged, and disposed of. So glad you enjoyed. Raising a steer can be a good way to teach children responsibility for an animal dependent upon them for food and water. Does that answer your question? I do think it is often cheaper to raise your own animals. We pasture our cattle year round. There is no comparison between homegrown and store-bought. So if it’s been three years, you should be good to go. We still wanted to do it because while I speak a lot about frugal living, I also think some things are worth putting your money into if your budget can handle it. Reasons to raise your own beef are easy to come up with, but what will it take day to day to get that deliciousness in your freezer? Thanks for the great read! > Is it cheaper to make your own beef jerky? Taylor Grussing, a South Dakota State University Extension cow-calf business management field specialist, offers a guide. I plan to experiment differently next time and see if I can’t make it a little more cost efficient. This is an apples to oranges kind of comparison. I’d love to hear about your mini-farm once you get it. I don’t have a method I like to use for raising steers yet, I’m still experimenting with different breeds, ages, and feeds. Jan 5, 2017 - Raise Your Own Beef Cows In this article you will learn about how to raise your own beef to provide meat for your family. That is to say, they are bred to convert feed to milk and do not have the heavily muscled body that the stocky beef breeds have. We are adding cattle to our homestead this fall. Second is how long the meat was left to age. Two heifers left and one steer. Home grown beef is a triple win: nutrient dense, you know how the cattle were raised and per pound it is a bargain! Our hay bill is usually around $900 for the year, depending on the season, and going rate. If you can find this beef/dairy cross, you are lucky! – Raising your own meat is possible! To accommodate such a large animal, you need to know all about space requirements, fodder and what it takes to raise a calf to become a steer ready for butchering, before you take the big step. I agree that homegrown beef is the only way to go. Nothing compares to the taste of grass raised, farm fresh beef which is delicious and nutritious. Easy to hook up and easy to move, but will take a bit of your time. There are many benefits to raising your own beef. Pride may also be taken in knowing your family took part in producing the food consumed. Be aware some cattle are high strung and will never be calm! Have you ever had Holsteins to eat, many in my area raise them for beef cows? It certainly doesn’t affect the taste at all. Water is your organic cleaner so you should always Congrats on planning out your critters and livestock. I can buy very good corned beef locally from a deli, quite possibly cheaper than 'corning' my own. Any advice or suggestions? 1.1k. As a family of foodies, we really appreciate good food. Cattle farming is attractive to individuals who have the needed resources, land and time to invest to make farming pay. If your pasture is not up to par, or you want to supplement with concentrates (grain or pellets) your out of pocket costs will go up. Our friends and family are hooked on homegrown food. Why do you raise your own beef? If your butcher shop has their prices online, this will be easy to figure out. If you are going for only grass or other forages only to your calf, commonly called 100% grass fed and finished, you will need more time to finish out your beef. Is it rewarding to see what you have done? If you get a bull calf you will want to get it castrated, making it a steer. Leslie, yea for your property and soon to be cattle owner. As long as the cow is in good shape, you can get a freezer full of super high quality beef for a super price! Fencing-There's the initial cost of fencing. 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