Stormcrow's Hobby Farm

[WingItRanch]

takes all kinds.

I am somewhat lacking in the normal allotment of human empathy - not that I'm uncaring, rather that I find my way to necessity easier than most. I care enough to ensure its swift and cleanly done.

My wife absolutely could not do it. But has no issues eating the results, even animals we've named. I know that naming, for some, is the line they can't cross.

This is why I don't name my chickens.

Sorry, I'm still catching up. Almost to present day!

 

[WingItRanch]

I still buy store bought chicken - I can't compete on price. I don't buy nearly as many store bought chickens - but if I want a young fryer, I can spend $10 and a few hours of my labor buying, raising and butchering one young meat bird, or I can buy a 12# bulk bag of (badly butchered - clearly mechanically) leg & thigh quarters for the same price.

I enjoy my hobbies, yes, but I'm not stupid.

I wonder if the same goes for beef. We have been considering cattle in the future. Buying a couple calves. Sell one and process one for us every year. Mainly because we like the idea of knowing how well the cows are treated and fed. Anyone have thoughts on if it's worth the cost? I know the price of meat will vary.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Sadly, I don't, I understand a lot of cattle.Ranchers got caught upside down recently with replacement calves being worth more than the grown cattle brought in for processing. My wife and I looked into it, but we just don't have the sort of pasture we would need for raising cattle. So we stopped looking into it. Sorry I can't be more help

 

[WingItRanch]

Sadly, I don't, I understand a lot of cattle.Ranchers got caught upside down recently withreplacement calves being worth more than the grown cattle brought in for processing. My wife, and I looked into it, but we just don't have the sort of pasture we would need for raising cattle.So we stopped looking into it. Sorry I can't be more help

Helpful that you mentioned bottle calves costing more than grown cattle ready for processing. I didn't know that. As always, we'll do a ton of research before committing.

 

[saysfaa]

I wonder if the same goes for beef. We have been considering cattle in the future. Buying a couple calves. Sell one and process one for us every year. Mainly because we like the idea of knowing how well the cows are treated and fed. Anyone have thoughts on if it's worth the cost? I know the price of meat will vary.

Generally, it is not less dollars no matter how you do it and even if you don't count all of the costs - like any of the costs of the land, fences, trucks for bringing feed, your time and such.

Some people find it well worth the cost because of things like knowing how well the cattle are treated and fed. Others find they can eat their own without health issues but often can't others (various reasons having to do with the genetics of the cattle or other reasons). Others find it worth the cost because they enjoy doing it.

About "knowing how well the cattle are treated" - there is a bigger learning curve for cattle than for chickens. Some of it is counter intuitive for many people.

Edit to add. By "generally", I mean I don't want to say never because there is always that one. But I've made somewhat of a hobby of looking into the examples people think might be such exceptions and still never found one.

 

[fuzzi]

Helpful that you mentioned bottle calves costing more than grown cattle ready for processing. I didn't know that. As always, we'll do a ton of research before committing.

Check out the BYC sister site, Backyard Herds. There are a number of knowledgeable cattle ranchers there.