Over Thirty Months to Slaughter

ngr2804 · Post by **ngr2804** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 10:14 am

In November I took two over thirty month steers to Ensors in the Forest of Dean. I knew that they had to be boned out so would be a bit more expensive than normal but didn't ask the price.

They hung the meat for three weeks and delivered it back to my butcher who cut it up and bagged and boxed it and charged me £100.

The invoice from Ensors has only just come and I was staggered to see that they had charged me £404.18.

This is broken down as;

2 x flat fee of £85 described just as OTM
2 x transport cost of £15
Cutting at 0.35p per kilo 306.5kg in all = £107.28
Plus brain stem testing x 2 at £39 = £78

Total including VAT of £18.90 is £404.18.

Is this a reasonable charge? Would the cost have been lower
had I done them before 30 months or is the cut off point 24
months?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Nick

Sylvia · Post by **Sylvia** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 5:46 pm

Last I heard it was going to cost £240 each for over 30 month animals at the place I use. This includes slaughter, butchery, vacuum packing and labelling. It used to cost £175 for an under 30 month Dexter but I haven't sent any recently so it might have changed by now.

wagra dexters · Post by **wagra dexters** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 1:40 am

On today's rate of exchange, the same two animals would have cost us 206.67 GBP to get them home into the freezer, all packed on trays, cling wrapped and labelled. Only the corned meat would be cryovacced.
This price includes $100 worth of diesel for our own vehicle to get them there and back (a 3.5 hour round trip, twice); $100 abs fee, including transport to the butcher shop; & $1.05 per kg at the shop to pack to our specifications.
I understand that extra tests have to be done there, especially on older beef, but how do 'they' justify such exorbitant charges?

Inger · Post by **Inger** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 11:26 am

That's REALLY expensive meat Nick. It doesn't include all your on-farm costs to get them to killing weight either! That's nearly $1,500 NZ dollars. Ouch! We would pay at most $300 NZ to have a beast home-killed, hung, cut up and packaged.

wagra dexters · Post by **wagra dexters** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 11:40 am

Don't like to seem to be rubbing salt into the wound, but if we weren't a hotel, we could get a home-kill beast done, like Inger has just said she does, for less than the figures I have already quoted. As it is, we have to go through the required process.
It seems to me that all the energy put into our debate about dexter beef should be directed toward the powers-that-be over there, with a vengeance. Are they trying to rid the British landscape of livestock altogether? Who can afford to buy meat at that rate, or are they importing cheaper produce from somewhere else?

ann · Post by **ann** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 2:57 pm

I don't have anyone around here that will do over 30mths but the last one over 24mths I did cost me £280 which included cutting up labelling and boxing (not vacuum packing) unfortuetly as all the smaller abattoirs close, we are getting no choice at all, so are stuck with what ever is thrown at us.

My butcher does not charge by the size of the animal, which means that the bigger the better, price wise.

Inger · Post by **Inger** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 12:02 am

We're fortunate, our butcher does charge by kilo weight of the animal. So we aren't penalised for having a smaller beast.

Its the EU that dictates the rules and regulations in the meat industry isn't it? They're going to be very difficult to argue with.

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 9:18 am

Hello

I've put an interesting project report on my web site on the differences between the Amercian, Australian and British beef industry. It's on the blog page on "www.broomcroft.com" under heading "Tasty, Tender Beef Report".

Clive

wagra dexters · Post by **wagra dexters** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 1:52 pm

Clive, I just had a look at your website and got distracted by the calf photo. A face to make the hardest heart melt, I notice that the calf appears to have black skin. We had a similar calf this gone season, so I hope you dont mind me asking, does the calf in the photo go back to Outlaw? Are there other black skinned lines in the UK? I would really appreciate an answer to this one, if anyone can help.

Minnie · Post by **Minnie** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 5:39 am

Hi Clive,

I read the report and found it very interesting.

Are you sure the US aren't subsidised??

My understanding is the US are subsidised for all their agriculture one reason why the Australian farmer is disadvantaged in my opinion by having a 'free trade agreement' with the US. Mind you there's plenty of other reasons as well.

I've read and been told by cattle farmers that the 'feedlot' farming is giving the marbling and 'better' taste to beef, but as a person who cares about animals I find this a terrible practice.

Again in my opinion I believe the feedlot meat isn't as tasty as grass fed, which at one time was most of the Australian meat. To me the flavour has gone from much of our meat and it's replaced with great slabs of meat, marbled and far too big for the average person to eat a whole cut, such as a rump steak.

More and more farmers are sending off steers to be 'finished' in the feedlots, which saddens me.

I enjoy my meat, know where it comes from, believe my meat should have as good a life as possible, before humanely killing to allow me to eat them... the feedlot goes against the grain for me.

Just my 2cents as a consumer of retail meat (and can't wait until I have my own).

Vicki

Minnie · Post by **Minnie** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 5:42 am

Clive,

Just posted and then clicked back to your site and saw 'Benefits of Grass Fed Beef'.

We are in synch :;):

Vicki

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 9:46 am

Hi Minnie

I believe very much in the grass-fed aspects of beef (that mean grass-finished as well).

I have personally benefited health-wise from my diet. Because I had a problem a few years ago, so my blood is tested every six months in great detail. My consumption of grass-fed, grass-finished beef seems to have the same effect on my health as eating oily fish.

I wouldn't dream of eating anythng that has been even just finished on grain. Which is why I'm so very keen on dexters, not just taste.

Anyone with high cholestoral, I think should take grass-fed beef (and lamb) very seriously if I am anything to go by.

Clive

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 9:50 am

Hello Wagra

The little red calf was sold with her dam a few months ago. I'll try and find out details and get back to you. I am not aware of whether there are any others.

Clive

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 9:53 am

Minnie

PS. I don't know about the US subsidy situation. The report was written by someone else and I just put it on my site because it might be of interest.

Clive

wagra dexters · Post by **wagra dexters** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 12:45 pm

Thank you Clive, I look forward to the details. I probably should have changed the topic title, and I am aware of Carol D.'s detailed testing into the different reds, but I wondered about the occurrence of the black skin in stock other than Cornahir Outlaw's, and how prevalent it may be. Margaret.