Omaha Steaks

[Clay]

Gentlemen, perhaps it's the therapist in me but I will once again remind all members that email text p.m. and postings do not accurately convey tone or intention. It is very easy to misinterpret the true intention of the posts because the way you read it does not always reflect the way it was written. They're countless external and internal variables that all impact how we interpret someone else's post.

Let's all take a breather -calm down -worry about the big things in life, be the the duck guys, let shit roll off your back

 

[shootnstarz]

So av, I understand there are many variables but could you give us a ball park cost on a half steer processed? $400? $1200?

Thanks for sharing your expertise on the subject because eating tender steaks is my expertise.

Rick

 

[avtech850]

Clay, you are right I probably should've been more like the proverbial duck and nine times out of ten I tend to be. In my defense though, the most important thing to me is my word and I go out of my way to make sure I never screw someone and if I accidentally do I bend over back words to make it right.
Fanner, if an apology is due, consider this it. I probably did take your words too personally, but like I said above, my word is the most important thing to me and I tend to get bent out of shape if I feel like it is being questioned. Again, I apologize.
Rick, I have not personally paid for a processors work in over ten years, but after calling around and asking a few friends that still use a processors service's this is what I have found;
B&J out of Century is the best to deal with at a total of four hundred dollars total. They do however keep the hide and what is known as the fifth quarter. The fifth quarter includes organs like the liver, spleen, kidneys, heart and head. If you tell them that you would like to keep those parts they sell them to you at a slightly lower rate then what they charge retail sale for.
I'm away from home at the moment, but I'll try to find out a little more info for you when I get a chance to do a little more digging.
But high end total cost for a whole steer you are looking at about 900-1000 depending on the spot market for calls at the time of purchase. So say high end of the market, absolute worse case your looking at about 450-500 for half a steer start to finish. That's worse case though and it would probably be much cheaper.

 

[FrankT]

is that processed..500 for 1/2 a steer? sounds light to me.

 

[avtech850]

That is processed Frank. Front to back for half a steer.

 

[FrankT]

Not bad at all, of course that is you raising the steer? not just buying a 1/2 steer from the plant to process?

 

[avtech850]

Sure is. That's if you bought the yearling or weaned calf, covered inoculation and worming yourself, fed it out and delivered it to the processor's door. Start to finish its 5-6 months, but you have the benefit of a healthier steer, better tasting and healthier meat and none of the supossed draw backs of growth hormones common in commercial beef. I was actually taken back by the cost of the process fee. The last time I paid to have one done it was only two hundred for the whole cow. But then again that was almost ten years ago. So I really shouldn't have been suprised at the cost doubling.

 

[FrankT]

Last time I looked it was around $4 a pd to process and that was you providing the animal. So the processing was 1/2 the cost and the steer was 1/2 the cost, that about right?

 

[avtech850]

Honestly I don't know. Like I said earlier, we do our own processing and the above quotes are simply what I gathered from friends that still pay for somebody to do their processing for them. I heard higher numbers then the above, but I simply posted the best price I heard from calling around. Which was B&J up in century.

 

[avtech850]

But yes the costs due boil down to the processing being most of the total price

 

[FrankT]

Thanks for the expertise!

 

[FrankT]

from a site I found
1120 Kempsville Road
Chesapeake, VA 23320
320 lb. Beef Side


This is the big one (And the best value). An entire side of beef, cut, marked, wrapped and frozen, ready for your freezer!
Approximate Cutting Yield 75%.


The 320lb Beef Side Includes:
Quantity Item
4-5 Porterhouse Steaks
8-10 T-Bone Steaks
6-8 Sirloin Steaks
10-12 Rib Steaks
4-6 Delmonico Ribeye Steaks
6-8 Top Round Steaks
10-12 Packages Cube Steaks (3 per package)
4-5 Sirloin Tip / Rump Roast Combos
4-6 Pot Shoulder Roast Combos
6-8 Chuck Roast / Eye Round Roast
2 Boxes (40 each), Thick and Juicy Patties
10-12 Packages Boneless Beef Stew Meat
4-6 Packages Charcoal Steaks (2 per package)
60 1lb Packages Ground Beef
5-6 Packages Beef Short Ribs
2 Packages Beef Soup Bones
3 Packages Bar-B-Q Ribs


Price
320 Lb Beef Side $1329.00 + Tax

 

[avtech850]

Frank, I'm far from a expert. But thank you for the kind words! Holy crap!!!! Compared to grocery store prices that's a good deal, but man is it high!!
I guess it would be the best way to go for somebody that didn't have the time or resources to feed out their own though. It does however to be the average yield so at least they aren't stabbing it too people by claiming a side of beef but not really delivering the whole thing.

 

[FrankT]

Well beef is up 50% or more so I am eating chicken and pork!

 

[avtech850]

Yeah it is up this year, and happily for once, the farmers are actually seeing more of the money come their way. Setters fully fed out are going for over 1800 dollars on the hoof. That's the highest I've ever scene it. Kinda makes me want to get back into large scale but every time I say that, dad rolls up a paper and smacks me in the face!

 

[FrankT]

Well I would think it is time to buy some feeder calves and let them eat grass till the end...if you have the land.

 

[avtech850]

We have the land, but honestly I don't have the time, energy or desire to run more then ten head of cattle. I already work a full time job on swing shift and help my dad run his 2000 acre farm on my days off. Throw in contract planting and harvesting for farmers too small to make the investment in equipment ownership and a family with two children, one of which is less than a month old...... yeah my plate is pretty full haha! Honestly I wouldn't want it any other way though.

 

[Clay]

From my beef people ... Franks VA price is insane high ..I know we paid less than $4 a pound for our delicious/tender beef..

'I believe we were charging $3.00 a pound thats hanging weight. (after guts, head hide etc are removed). The processor we took the last ones to was a $15.00 kill fee and 55 cents per pound to cut and wrap. less than hamburger at the store'

 

[avtech850]

Clay, while Frank's price is pretty high, it includes the purchase of the beef. Not just the process fee.

 

[Clay]

That's what the $3 a pound is bud... The processor charged .55 per pound..plus kill fee... Anyway to each their own, God bless all of you. All I know is the beef I get every year, for the beef- processing and the wrapping is less than four dollars a pounding combined... I don't write two checks , the farmer adds the processing fee into the price ... Thus she said 'less than hamburger'