selling butcher beef

We have a group of 4 people that want to buy a butcher beef from us. We have done this in the past but it has been a while I cannot remember how it was done. I was just going to charge them the going rate for a side of beef at the butcher shop, such as $2.00/lb (whatever it is). Question is....who pays for processing? Me or them? Also, I am hauling the beef 4 hours to their location to butcher so I don't have to worry about delivering or storing it. Please share what you do.

I sell it on the rail. Rail price today is about 1.30 per lb. I'm not above adding another ten or fifteen cent premium. This isn't walmart beef I'm selling. They pay all processing. Being 4 hours I'd have to charge some mileage. Never had a customer not coming back for more

Usually the buyer pays the processing fees.  When we used to purchase locker beef we paid the processing and when we have sold beef we have had the buyer pay for the processing.

We do what farwest does- sell on the rail.   We've also sold based on live weight too.    The buyer always pays processing because it can vary so much with how they have it cut up.  Example..  Hamburger Patties are one of the most expensive processes.     I also agree - make sure you are compensated for that 4 hour drive someway.    

If you don't mind my asking.. where are you taking them?  There is a locker in my part of the state that I would NOT recommend.  

We have a hand full of small processors near us. Two of them process with the clear vacuum plastic wrapping. Once I sell to anyone with the clear plastic they will never gonsck to paper.  Spoils em.

That would be go back to paper.  Typo

I prefer that clear plastic vacuum packaging too. 

What is the general cost for processing?  Just a standard cuts. 

Icharge $2.50/lb and i pay the butcher, his cost is $.40/lb ,and usually i tell customers to meet me at the butcher shop to pick it up,that way if they think i'm charging too much they can see how much i pay the butcher for 2 hours work.

ROMAX said:

Icharge $2.50/lb and i pay the butcher, his cost is $.40/lb ,and usually i tell customers to meet me at the butcher shop to pick it up,that way if they think i'm charging too much they can see how much i pay the butcher for 2 hours work.

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Around here there is a processor that uses the vacuum packaging and cost is $35 kill fee plus $.55.lb processing.  Costs almost as much to process as the meat is worth, but they do a great job.  Seems like the vacuum pack holds the flavor and freshness up to 2 years or so without the freezer burn so long as you do not get a pinhole leak from handling it too much.

In our area processing is .46 to .50 per lb hanging weight. Usually another 30 bucks for kill cost

Sorry iforgot to add $35 to kill as well.

If you took a 1300lb steer to IBP/Tyson, the retail price that they would get for that calf over the counter would be between $2216.50 & 2438.15. That is without counting what they get for off-fall. The troubles with us as producers is that we don't know what they are getting and are scared to ask too much more than we get paid by the packer. If we want to sell beef to private customers we need to educate ourselves first. Last year the cheapest beef that we sold was $150/100lbs hanging wt.plus $100/quarter,and the buyer paid the processing, which can vary widely from one to another depending on what the customer wants. If I can't get that extra $100/quarter, I may as well sell them to Tyson. Brent

Romax. Is that 2.50 for hanging weight or processed weight ?

  Forgot to add, that personally I would rather have my own meat double wrapped, cello and wrapping paper. I think that it will keep better. As far as customers go, it is best to vac pack it. They like to see it. and it will be easier to sell. Processing in our area is based @ appox. .45/lb then start adding on from there. Brent

You're right Brent. Its about double the price over the counter at walmart. There's money to be made in freezer beef if.a guy don't mind the hassle especially if you push all natural or organic.

We don't mind the extra hassle a bit - especially since we usually have one we are feeding for ourselves.  What I do mind is that a poor job by the locker can really ruin the product.     

Hanging weight just before processing

 I wouldn't try to get into the organic niche, it's too tough. The natural thing needs to be studied and is probably worth the trouble. It is pretty vague as to what is natural. To me natural means foodstuffs that cattle do like & eat naturally and feed no by-product proteins.
 We have sold beef/pork/lamb/chicken for 11 years. The chickens were sold whole or half. The rest of the species were piece by piece if you wanted & of coarse we did have the options to sell 1/4s/halves/wholes/ along with a variety of packages.

I agree on the natural thing.  Another thing I've discovered Brent is a lot of pay check to pay check people don't have the money to put out or have a.freezer. They can afford piece by piece at walmart though.