I want to buy a half a cow from the butcher. How much on average does this cost, how long will it keep in a freezer, and how much freezer room will I need?

We just purchsed 2 steers from FFA students at the local youth fair auction (Polk County Youth Fair, Bartow Florida). There were over 100 steers sold at the auction. Price for the Grand Champion was $14.00/lb. Average price was $1.86/lb. We paid 1.60/lb for one steer (a Maine/Angus cross) and $2.00/lb for the other (a Shorthorn/Maine cross). The latter was a little more "finished" than the other. Our check was almost exactly $3600. for both. Each steer weighed almost exactly 1000 lbs on the hoof. We hauled them home in our own stock trailer (no cost to us) and continued to "finish" feeding them out over the next two months. Cost for 14% show chow and hay was $410. and they gained another 200 lbs and 240 lbs respectively. We again hauled them to the packing house in our trialer (no cost to us). A week later they were slaughtered and yielded an average 62% of the hoof weight. The packer/butcher/freezer charged us $.45/lb. to slaughter, butcher, wrap and freeze 720 lbs and 745 lbs of finished meat. Of course we recieved a large variety of very high quality steaks, (porterhouse, Tbone, sirloin, ribeye, etc.) cut to our specification of 1". We also recieved all the secondary cuts, (roasts, briscut,etc), high quality hamburger and all other parts (tongue, liver, heart, etc.)for our dogs. I figure we paid an average of $3.50/lb for everything. Decent quality Steak sells here for +/_$10./lb, hamburger $3.00 - $4.00/lb. so this was a good deal for us and a good deal for the students (break even price of $1.44 and $1.85/lb) who raised and showed the steer all year. They made a little profit and can do it again next year. The meat was mostly prime grade and it's all delicious. It's considered organic, but it's not certified. In my opinion, it's the best meat you could ever ask for. Great marbling, fantastic sweet flavor, particularly the shorthorn cross. I'd recommend this arrangement to anyone. Oh yea, you'll need 2 freezers to store that much meat. It'll keep over a year with no problem. At least that's our experience.

Which half are you after (front/back/split down the spine), do you want it pre-cut, so you don't have to do your own steaks/roasts? Do you want a regular beef cow, or an organic cow (or a fancy diet pampered cow)? Which country are you in as well (even the state may make a difference to the price)?
Red meat can be kept in the freezer for a few months, before freezer burn sets in (although the food will still be edible, just not as high quality).

I use a seal a meal food savor. It takes up a lot of time but it pays off in the long run. It vacuum seals the food and keeps it fresh for UP to three years. We are looking at purchasing a half cow as well. In Wisconsin, the butcher said to "beware, you get one bad slice of meat, there goes the whole lot." He suggested to get a package of meat. For example, 50 lbs hamburger, 20 lbs of steak, etc. My family sometimes will pitch in and get a whole cow, all of our money together and make a day out of sealing it. It lasts all year. Hope this helps.

Who in Phoenix, Arizona has fair pricing? I think $4.50 per .lb is a little steep, but not sure?

Does anyone know of a good place to purchase a cow and other meats for butchering near Central Florida? We just switched our dogs over to raw food and are looking for food for us as well as the fury babies. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.. laura@mythiclabs.com

Hello, here at Ground Grown Deliveries we work together with local
farmers to sell their quality drug/hormone free beef and pork.

Our beef is 2.99/lb. (Included in price: you get to specify the cuts
you want and it is packaged by our butcher)

Beef
Corn fed 1/4 beef 150-200 lb. $449-$599
Corn fed Side 300-400 lb* $898-$1198
*Discounts May Apply

Our beef steers have room to roam in a natural environment where they are fed a diet consisting of 80% hay (grasses) and 20% grain (oats and barley) The steers are completely hormone and
drug free and the beef is processed in government-inspected
facilities.

Our Pork is only 1.79/lb.

Pork
Side (approx. 100 lbs.) $179
Whole (approx. 200 lbs.) $358

We offer only the best Natural Grain-Fed Pork - Drug Free, No Growth Promotants or Vaccines Used, Natural Immunization. (From New Dundee, Ontario)

Please feel free to contact me if you have any other questions or if
you would like to place an order.

ggdontario@gmail.com

we delivery to Kitchener, Cambridge, Waterloo, Brantford, Hamilton, Toronto, and everything in between! However future distances can be arranged!

Hello, here at Ground Grown Deliveries we work together with local
farmers to sell their quality drug/hormone free beef and pork.

Our beef is 2.99/lb. (Included in price: you get to specify the cuts
you want and it is packaged by our butcher)

Beef
Corn fed 1/4 beef 150-200 lb. $449-$599
Corn fed Side 300-400 lb* $898-$1198
*Discounts May Apply

Our beef steers have room to roam in a natural environment where they are fed a diet consisting of 80% hay (grasses) and 20% grain (oats and barley) The steers are completely hormone and
drug free and the beef is processed in government-inspected
facilities.

Our Pork is only 1.79/lb.

Pork
Side (approx. 100 lbs.) $179
Whole (approx. 200 lbs.) $358

We offer only the best Natural Grain-Fed Pork - Drug Free, No Growth Promotants or Vaccines Used, Natural Immunization. (From New Dundee, Ontario)

Please feel free to contact me if you have any other questions or if
you would like to place an order.

ggdontario@gmail.com

we delivery to Kitchener, Cambridge, Waterloo, Brantford, Hamilton, Toronto, and everything in between! However future distances can be arranged!