Dexter Cattle For Sale Discussion Board

Could any one advise if/where we could have a 73 month old female killed and prepared for the freezer? We are on Cambridgeshire Lincolnshire border. I think I have read on here before that they still eat well at that age ?
She was cystic when we bought her, and we have not managed to get her pregnant inspite of our Vet's efforts.
Alternatively, are there firms who will purchase such an animal from us?

Roger, I would get details of local abattoirs and phone around and ask. If she's gone to fat, you will not get much for her in the normal food chain because they'll grade her badly. If she's small, they'll also knock you down. A dexter cow can fetch anything from £100 to £500 at cull abattoirs. If she's fairly big for a dexter and not gone to fat, you can get around £500 (net) at the moment, prices are high.

To do the cull route you just need an "Over 48 Month" abattoir that buys culls. People like ABP. But some, and that includes ABP will require that you are Farm Assured with EFSYS/FABBL, otherwise they'll knock you down even further, a long way in fact!

To put her in your freezer, which is what I'd do, you need an over 48 month abattoir who does home butchery or can get the meat to the butcher for you, or you deliver.

I'm told the meat should be divine . The dogs can always have some of the fattier bits.

Yes of course you can! the abattoir will have to have the animal brain stem tested after its been slaughtered so that it can be passed for human consumption , also an extra charge of around £40 on top of slaughter fee to cover the brain stem test etc

ABP , JERRETTS , Romfords may take tthe animal off you but you would always get hit on the price due to being over 72months / dexter / also weight! those big firms pay better money for carcasses that grade well / over 260kg deadweight and also under 30month!

better in your freezer if you ask me

we buy dexter carcasses for our butchery but you may be alittle out of our area

Thank you for the replies.
I've spoken to one abattoir that takes over 72 month cattle. They can only hang for a few days then de-bone and vac pack in primal cuts, for transfer to a butcher for cutting up for the freezer. Does beef continue to age in vac packs - we were hoping to dry hang for 28 days before cutting, but this does not seem to be an option.
Roger

hi Roger,

we can dry hang it for 28 days but you will have to travel to use us

Roger Goy wrote:Thank you for the replies.
I've spoken to one abattoir that takes over 72 month cattle. They can only hang for a few days then de-bone and vac pack in primal cuts, for transfer to a butcher for cutting up for the freezer. Does beef continue to age in vac packs - we were hoping to dry hang for 28 days before cutting, but this does not seem to be an option.
Roger

Yes, it "ages" in vac packs, but it isn't supposed to be the same. What you buy in the supermarkets is often "wet aged" which is what I think they call it.

Do you want to put this animal on the freezer? If you don't really want to, then what sort of size is it / they? What has been said about being knocked down for size and grade is correct, but you can still actually get a surprisingly good price from general abattoirs like ABP. In ABP's case, you must be Farm Assured. Haven't a clue about the others mentioned. I just got £750 each for two pure dexters from ABP at O-something grade at about 40 months. Both were big though, because they just kept growing! £500 is probably a more realistic expectation.

Clive
Thank you for the suggestions - yes I'm beginning to think it best not to bother with having her for the freezer - just too many complications and long journeys.
She is a big long-leg with a lot of meat on her and she's not at all fat.
What's involved in opting for ABP/Jerrets etc - do we just ring up and book her in? I'm Quality Assured for arable crops, but cost of extending this to livestock is probably prohibitive for our numbers at present.
Roger

I don't know Jerrets Roger, but ABP would need Farm Assured for livestock. They have taken non-farm assured from me but I was seriously knocked down in price. You have to be registered as you know, and also the animal in question has to have been on your farm for 90 days (I think it's 90). FA for our livestock (FABBL/EFSYS) is about £100 a year plus vat, something like that, plus the hassle of the records and visits.

Probably best to just phone up the livestock office at whoever and ask them what's what.

Here's ABP plants http://www.anglobeef.com/pages/plants.asp, the Wessex plant phone number is 01502-562233.