We’ve weaned calves and chosen the best candidates based on their genomics, actual performance up to this point, and appetite now that we have them off their mothers and on feed. It’s a great set of calves again this year and we are excited to watch them develop. We ran very heavy (again) to heifer calves this year, so while our steer numbers are limited, it will allow us to keep and develop more young females to grow our herd and future production. We have enough qualified steers that we are confident we can meet the needs of our customers.
Costs:
The cost for 2024 will remain at $5.50/lb hanging weight. If that cannot be in your budget, we completely understand. We will continue to evaluate our production methods to find the lowest-cost options to continue to produce the quality of product that you’ve come to expect from us, so that perhaps we can regain your business in a later year. We are hoping these increased costs are temporary, but there is no way for us to know at this point.
What that means for costs is:A 400lb half would cost $2200 just for the carcass. If Mohawk’s prices remain stable, that should be about another $400-500 for the slaughter, cut, and wrap on the half.
For our Roseburg and Southern Oregon customers, we have a slaughter date set at Crystal Creek Meats in Roseburg
We will require a $200 deposit per half at the time of reservation.If you have any questions about any of this, don’t hesitate to reach out to me.
"What am I purchasing in buying a carcass half?"
"What am I purchasing in buying a carcass half?"
Carcass portions are sold based on their "hanging weight", which is the weight of the carcass after the hide, head, feet and intestines are removed. It generally includes the weight of the edible offal such as kidneys, liver, and heart if they are saved.
We can sometimes do quartering as an option, but we can als often offer a smaller half if needed. As there are several important cuts of which there are only one per half (Brisket and tri-tip are the two major ones that come to mind), logistically it can be difficult to fairly quarter a carcass unless the two parties can get together and agree on how the carcass should be cut to meet both their needs. My opinion is that your limited options (because both quarters need to be cut identically) with quarters make it an inferior way to purchase beef.
Our half-carcasses are generally around 400lbs. Some will be heavier, some will be lighter...If you have a preference, please let us know and we can generally accommodate you. A 400lb carcass half would cost around $2200 for the carcass half. We haul the cattle to Mohawk Valley Meats or Crystal Creek meats (based on your preference) for slaughter and processing.
The slaughter fee and cut/wrap charge is charged by and paid directly by you to the USDA-inspected Mohawk Valley Meats, or USDA-inspected Crystal Creek Meats. Please understand that we have no control over these business' needs to increase their pricing as they are an independent business. Their current pricing can always be checked on their website. Crystal Creek does not post their pricing that I have been able to find.
So all-in, for a 400lb half you're looking at right around $2600-$2700 for a premium half-beef cut and wrapped to your specifications.