Buying A Half Cow & Whole Pig - What Do You Get?

[@Aprons.Overalls]

Have you ever purchased meat in bulk? What did you buy? 😎

[@redlanternhomesteadcathym105]

have a half a cow and half a hog on order for this fall, thank you so much for this video!

[@rickhoupt6933]

1/2 cow coming in October

[@Aprons.Overalls]

Did you have to get on a waiting list?

[@nanais007]

First order 1/2 cow tasted great, hardened fat yellow soft. 2nd time whole cow, some pkgs tasted horrible a very distinct taste gross, hardened fat white. Like wax from a cheap white candle. Was done with him!

[@rickhoupt6933]

@@Aprons.Overalls they take orders for couple months out

[@searcey]

Crazy price! I’m in Oklahoma and it’s hard to find anything under $1500/half or 3k+ for a whole. Biggest reason are the rising butcher costs. Kill/disposal costs are ~100 and $1.00/lb processing so you are already over $700 per cow. Then you gotta add cow purchase and transport to butcher. Price above are for state inspected/USDA inspected. Still cheaper and tastier than supermarkets so love doing this! Thanks for the video!

[@jaiengore2908]

If your meat is frozen hard and your lights go out, it will stay frozen for 24 hours with no problems. Growing up, in the country, whenever a bad storm was heading in, mom would have us take out the meat she was going to use for a couple of days. That way when the power went off, we didn’t have to go into our deep freezer. Dad always made sure that he had gas and the generator on the ready if it was off longer than 24 hours.

[@zhippidydoodah]

Wow that's an amazing price! I get 1/2 or whole cow every year, grass fed, organic. One half is between $1300-$1700, and a whole, double it.

[@Aprons.Overalls]

When buying meat in smaller quantities, we were buying organic grass-fed. We couldn't find any wholesale 100% grass-fed options near us without getting on a 9-12 month waiting list and the prices are similar to what you described. Even though what we bought is very high quality, we hope to get organic grass-fed next year. Thank you for watching! :)

[@andrewjr11]

Excellent Video as always!! We have been doing this for years. The biggest plus is the cost savings, however, knowing where that meat came from is also high up there! It is great knowing you have hedged against inflation and you can provide for your family!!

[@Aprons.Overalls]

Thank you for splitting the cow with us! You guys are the best. 😎

[@wuzgoanon9373]

We ordered our first half cow and whole hog recently. I expect a pick up call any day now. Can't wait for all that great meat!

[@Aprons.Overalls]

Congrats! It's like Christmas morning when you go to pick up all your meat. :)

[@billybathgate520]

Right to business and informatable. This video was really informational right from the beginning, and the couple seemed really relatable and personable. Audio was well timed with ballanced, Clear dialog and proportionate music volume. Thanks guys.

[@care4557]

I so want to do this. We are family of six. But I haven’t found the best way to do so. Thanks so much for this video

[@Aprons.Overalls]

You are welcome. It's a big investment but often saves money in the long-run. Thank you for watching! :)

[@lyndalouk]

Man, your family member who didn’t want the fat, bones and organs is missing out! I love those pieces. Good for you guys! Thanks for sharing 😄

[@Aprons.Overalls]

I know! They are lurking in the comments. Let's hope you all don't convince them that they are missing out! 😅

[@UnderThreeAcres]

Excellent video. We bought a quarter beef a number of years ago. It is nice to see is all listed out because I couldn’t remember what was all included. $3.49/lb is excellent for beef and $2.39/lb for pork is crazy cheap. Beef is $4-5/lb in bulk in our area.

[@Aprons.Overalls]

Thank you! We were hoping people would find value in seeing what you get in a bulk order. Oh wow, that's expensive. I know you have a large family... we dont know how you do it! It's hard enough feeding 2 little ones. Meat keeps going up here. Doesn't look like it's going to slow down either! 😬

[@jamieromar6168]

Where I am I have been looking for a quarter cow but everything is like $7/lb and up for grass fed I’m in central fl in a major city so maybe that is why

[@UnderThreeAcres]

@@jamieromar6168 this video is a couple of years old and the price of a full beef has gone up and down a bit. In 2022, a buddy was selling his beef for $8/lb. It has settled a bit to $7/lb. I am up in Alberta Canada and beef is the most common livestock that people ranch around here. We're nicknamed Texas of the north.

[@thisorthat7626]

Thanks very much for this video. Especially that pork is best bought in 6 month supplies. I will be looking at a half or whole pig soon and your pointers help immensely. Blessings.

[@Aprons.Overalls]

You are so welcome. Thank you for the kind feedback!

[@thetravelingfoodie466]

Great video and appreciate you two.. I have bought 3 separate quarter cows, and two half hogs so far.. I completely agree with everything you say. Cost, taste and the convenience of headed to the freezer for whatever you have a taste for.. I shared my meat also.. Just three of us in the house and we have enough for the better part of a year with giving away meat from time to time.. I cannot see myself buying pork, beef from store again besides a brisket because I only get one in my half hog.

[@Aprons.Overalls]

Glad to hear that your experience is similar to ours! It's about time for our annual order. :)

[@pamelabarajas7351]

glad i ran in to this before i bought >>>!!!! thanks for posting this video

[@Aprons.Overalls]

You are so welcome, Pamela! :)

[@dogcreek8547]

Nice break down, so informative.

[@Aprons.Overalls]

Happy to hear you got some value out of it! 🙂

[@redlanternhomesteadcathym105]

y'all did a great job with this video! Thank you!

[@Aprons.Overalls]

Thank you and you are so welcome! 🥰

[@bluebirdhomestead]

That’s awesome! What a wonderful peace of mind to have such a full freezer 😊👍🙌

[@Aprons.Overalls]

Yes it is! We hope to graduate to your level next year and start raising meat chickens like ya'll! :)

[@susanfennimore3152]

If u have a generator Incase power shortage …..

[@5545bpr]

I do see this video is 2 years old and i have no idea where yall are located but heres a price comparison for todays prices in North Georgia where I live. Picked up our 1/2 cow yesterday 8/20/2024, it was $2166.

[@CaptchaNeon]

I’ve never seen your videos before but after this one I subscribed. I’ve never been able to afford meat at a butcher but, I do buy my meat in bulk at Sam’s Club since we’re only a family of 3 and I find that it lasts us all month. We buy a lot of sirloins, 1 skirt steak per month, beef stew meat cubed, ground bison, whole chicken and turkey bacon. We spend roughly $250 a month on meat. I am fascinated by those who do buy these hogs, beef and chicken from a butcher.

[@Aprons.Overalls]

Thank you for subscribing! We love buying our meat from a butcher. You may be able to save some money by doing so and if nothing else, the quality of the product will likely be much higher. You'll also have the option customize how your meat is cut and processed. :)

[@maxsdad538]

If you paid $1066 for your half cow, and received 238 pounds of meat, you paid $4.47 per pound, not $3.49 (still not a bad deal). Add that to $394 for pork (165lbs X $2.39), and you spent around $1460. Does that mean you spent $500 for 10 chickens? There's often a slaughtering fee ($100 or so) in addition to processing costs for a pig.

[@Aprons.Overalls]

Apologies for the confusion. $3.49 per pound was the hanging weight of the cow.

[@motoman8078]

@@Aprons.Overalls that's not a bad price for hanging weight

[@Aprons.Overalls]

We are close to placing another order. Curious to see how much prices have increased...

[@jenniferr2057]

​@@Aprons.OverallsI feel better with that clarification!

[@Damudean]

I think 2 weeks is minimum for drying and many believe a bit longer is better

[@Aprons.Overalls]

Yes, 2 weeks seems to be standard and longer is even better. 😊

[@russellwood8750]

I live in Canada and have started to do the same thing myself. Your prices are cheaper than mine. I have found a couple of farmers where I buy my cow which is raised, and grass fed no grains, no hormones or chemicals. The same for my pig . I get a side of beef for four dollars a pound and five dollars a pound for the pig . Now that is to purchase the meat at hanging weight.. I still have to pay a butcher however, the gentleman I got to butcher up my side of beef I was allowed to work alongside him in his garage one weekend. But instead I rapping all of mine in paper, I bought a chambered, vacuum sealer and vacuum sealed all my beef. By vacuum, sealing it, it will last a bit longer in the freezer. I also butchered the pig myself watching a few KZbin videos made a couple of mistakes, but overall manage to get it done. I also made my own bacon by dry, curing it. I created streaky rashers by crashers and took the picnic roast and made a shoulder of bacon out of it. Perfect for bacon, cabbage and potatoes Irish classic. Imagined pulled pork, but bacon flavor. That’s pretty much what a shoulder a bacon is. I am assuming the reason why your baking tasted more amazing is it might’ve been dry cured this is a process most businesses don’t use as it takes longer to do it do usually wet curate. This is why when you get bacon from the store you see a lot of liquid coming out of it as you cook it, basically when you buy bacon from the store you’re getting 20% of the weight is water. Yes, but I totally agree with you. This is possibly the best way to buy your meats. I have also just recently started in learning how to water bath and pressure tan. I will make my own vegetables, jams and fruits, all canned up 100% organic. When I look at some thing I’ve put into account I can tell you everything that’s in it when I look at a canned from the supermarket I feel like I need qualifications in chemistry just to understand what’s in there. I believe Mormor people should do this. After all, we pay exorbitant prices in supermarkets and it’s because there’s so many middleman that need to get their cut. If you go straight to the source, you’ll surprised by how much you’re saving. In addition, it tastes better as I’m watching your video. Now I’m making homemade butter and my niece has asked me if I can make her up a couple of jars of my own peanut butter gotta do that next.

[@Aprons.Overalls]

Awesome feedback. Thank you, Russell! 😃

[@russellwood8750]

@@Aprons.Overalls sorry for my long comments I'm just trying to share the little I know lol.

[@kathysparks6338]

Thank you for sharing your experience and prices and helpful hints,Take care, God bless

[@Aprons.Overalls]

You are so welcome, Kathy! We are happy that you found our experience to be helpful. Thank you for the kind words! :)

[@jasonm887]

My goodness, where did you get a deal like that!? A half beef alone in my area is $1700. No add ons or bonuses. I'm gonna start driving to where ever your at!

[@Aprons.Overalls]

Check out Yoder’s Meat and Cheese in Shipshewana, Indiana and tell them we sent ya! 😇

[@duke2060]

I was looking for this question before I asked! I'm glad u asked!

[@duke2060]

Thanks for this video and I'm in Chicago so I will def make that drive thanks alot.

[@billbradley2480]

Make sure you have several sources of power to keep the meat frozen. My sisters family had a bunch of meat in their daughters garage. A maintenance man accidentally unplugged the freezer while they were on vacation and destroyed it all.

[@JenHomesteadingRN]

Older video but I've been doing some research here in New England and I can't seem to find any butchers that sell directly to the public for a decent price. I gave up a few weeks ago when the prices kept averaging around $9/lb.

[@Aprons.Overalls]

Ouch! That's really high! We are getting ready to place another order and might make an updated video to reflect our current prices. Shop around. That was our experience as well but eventually found a few quality butchers at much lower prices.

[@farmboycharlie6543]

As a farmer this makes me so sad. Our profits from those high grocery prices don't filter down. We would be very happy to direct sell. But it is illegal to sell our dairy direct to public. And getting a packing house to do the butchering and processing. We are looking at a 6 month to one year waiting list. This wasn't the case 10 years ago but now if someone stops at the farm and asks they don't want to hear maybe I can get something for you in 6 months if I can swap a slot with somebody. Cattle are here just not enough private processing facilities anymore overhead and labor prices are an issue and butchering is kind of a skilled trade. So most cattle go to a sale barn for auction where a broker buys them. Or to a stockyard where again processors pay brokers to fill their orders. Retiring from dairy shortly. Just to let you know what I get for a cull cow which would be your "lean" grocery store hamburger and roasts. 60 to 80 cents a pound. Or a hanging weight of $1.50 a pound.

[@Aprons.Overalls]

Thank you for farming so we all have food to eat! Farming regulations, especially for raw and organic, are getting out of hand. Too much "protecting the consumer" and not enough freedom of choice. Congrats when you do retire, Charlie.

[@bradsharp3417]

all this is good BUT if you leave more than 3 days have someone check it dayly, ive seen freezer go out & lost every thing in it that is a huge loss.

[@stewiep5716]

Stores. Meat it hangs for 10 to 15 days too keep the weight on it .. . the longer the meat and steak ages it so much better.. most people keep it for 21 days..

[@tammyconley1024]

My husband and I bought a forth of cow last July it was about 600 now the price went up but it last till February not sure if I can do it again money wise.

[@susanfennimore3152]

Suet for bird feed in winter

[@paulagardner3218]

Dang, in Washington you'll pay over $4/pound for the hanging weight, plus the kill fee, plus a price per pound to have it processed. I can't believe how little you paid.

[@kararodriguez7940]

Where did you get all of this meat? Please share that info

[@Mentallybeautiful27]

About how many lbs of beef bones and Tallow do you get back?

[@wanderingstarfarmhouse]

Save some of your suet for a Christmas pudding! Jeremy has tried making one the last two years and had trouble finding the suet it needed:-)

[@Aprons.Overalls]

We just had to Google Christmas Pudding as neither of us had heard of it. For some reason we thought it would have meat in it? That is not pudding... pudding is creamy and comes in a Snak Pak that fits in a lunchbox. 😅

[@wanderingstarfarmhouse]

@@Aprons.Overalls LOL!

[@johnwrot8305]

Based on what we've been looking at, also in Indiana, your prices on beef are insanely low. 238lb take is huge (maybe you're including bones and suet?), but $3.49 must be the hanging weight price, not the take-home price (which seems to be $4.47/lb based on stated info - but still $3/lb less than many other quotes we've found). 305lb hanging weight to a 238lbs take home is also an amazingly high ratio, usually it'd be closer to 183lbs (60% of hanging weight). I don't think many other people will find these ratios and rates, so if ya'll are getting sticker shock from these, I think it's reasonable. (Not a farmer, just a fellow shopper.)

[@Aprons.Overalls]

Yes, I believe we included the bones and suet. $3.49 was the hanging weight and not the take-home price. Didn't mean to misrepresent in any way - there was just a lot of information to share in this video. We had to do a lot of shopping around to find these prices. Some butchers were nearly double. A lot of factors go into the price. The main goal of this video was to show what a half cow and whole pig look like to help people understand what they'll be getting. Hopefully this was helpful to you and good luck on your search for a butcher! :)

[@YakAttack145]

I came to the comments to see of this exact question was asked. I too am in Indiana and the cheapest I found (southern IN.) is 1/2 cow for $3.29/lb hanging. Every other place I checked was much higher. It very much did seem like it was pitched at $3.49/lb takehome being stated that they were getting steaks at $3.49 at lb wich I was shocked about and why I came looking in the comments. However, immediately after that, the stated hanging weight, $3.49/lb and total price did add up. The wording used was a little misleading at times. I don't think it was intentional but I see how most people would see it.

[@Aprons.Overalls]

@@YakAttack145 Sorry, Chuck. We tried really hard to not make the video misleading. It certainly was not our intention. Our main focus was to show what a half cow looks like to help folks understand. We tried to give a brief description of the buying process without getting too technical. What we meant was that it's great to eat steaks at a much cheaper prices than a grocery store. It just didn't come out that way. We hope you enjoyed the video otherwise. 🙂

[@Newriverartist]

Very interesting! That is a great idea. I am an artist and I share my painting demo and studio tours. So much to see and hear on KZbin. Cheers on a Friday!

[@Aprons.Overalls]

Thank you, Kendall. You have a lovely channel and a very talented artist! 😍

[@Newriverartist]

Welcome and thank you!

[@t123tina]

No t-bone steaks for chuck steak

[@aashrafm]

Very informative video. Which firm/butcher did you go? Not all butcher do such a nice job, packaging

[@Aprons.Overalls]

Thank you! We purchased from Yoder’s Meat and Cheese in Shipshewana, IN. Extremely helpful and gave us plenty of time when we called with questions and had customization requests. We called several butchers. Others weren't as willing to help. Best of luck! 😁

[@Thisisit120]

Good video very informative thank you for putting it out.

[@Aprons.Overalls]

You are so welcome, Reta! We are glad you enjoyed. :)

[@richholt]

Where did they buy the meat from? Which butcher?

[@MrFrankwizzal]

Thank you!

[@Aprons.Overalls]

You're welcome, Mr. Frank!

[@whats_in_thename8699]

Those parts are definitely traditionally not thrown away. Butchers small companies and large use all of those parts that you are talking about getting thrown away.

[@russellwood8750]

PS you also stated in the video that they throw away parts like the heart and the tong and stuff like that, I don’t normal butchers however, all of that tends to go into things like hot dogs and pet food they don’t waste it. I have been learning a lot about food preservation. Your meats are all wrapped in freezer paper for chops and steak. That means they’re good for about 6 to 8 months for larger roasts about a year.. however, vacuum, sealing them and making sure the vacuum seal is not broken meets can last in your freezer from 2 to 3 years and you will find the holder taste a lot better to. You guys bought a big freezer I did it a little different. I bought three medium size freezers. This way if the motor of one goes down, the others are still running. I like your idea of a generator that’s something I might have to look into. I like the three medium size freezers as put poultry dairy, and bread in one. I put pork cured meats and vegetables in two I put beef and fruit in three. Thinking of buying a small little freezer from Costco to perhaps store fish in. Don’t really buy much fish now that I live in the Rocky Mountains in Canada. It’s quite expensive. However, if I took a trip out to BC made some connections with some of the local fisherman, I could go out there with my vacuum sealer, vacuum, seal up a bunch put it in coolers And drive back in about 14 hours and would have a load of freshly caught ocean fish. Maybe that something I might do worth looking into I think. But I totally agree with you guys. This is the way to go in the future you can do it as you guys did and let the professionals take care of everything or if you’re a bit like me try and get even more involved then if you have the time and patience.

[@Aprons.Overalls]

Great feedback, Russell. We've since purchased a commercial grade vacuum sealer and plan on repackaging our meat the next time we order. We also have 3 chest freezers. It's good to diversify in case you have an appliance failure!

[@russellwood8750]

@@Aprons.Overalls I guess great minds think alike lol. One little extra tip for your vacuum sealer if you have meat on the bone I would recommend wrapping it in a little butcher paper first and then putting it in a bag and vacuum sealing it The paper will prevent the bone from piercing holes in the bag. It's a little extra expense and a little extra work but when you consider the price of a porterhouse steak I think it's kind of worth it.

[@Nobody2day553]

Here in Cincinnati $2000 would get you maybe 25% of this.

[@joseguadarrama255]

any farms in GA that are recommended, looking to get half or maybe a whole cow. Thanks in advance.

[@Lonewolf_1776]

hibraubeef in SC ships grass fed beef wholes, halfs, quarters and cuts

[@blueyy01]

But how much does it cost to operate that large freezer for the 6-12 months you have all that extra meat?

[@Aprons.Overalls]

So cheap we don't even notice.

[@marcdailey5254]

Didnt hear what the cut and wrap fees were?

[@Aprons.Overalls]

Some butchers have a price for the meat and then have separate processing fees on top of that cost which can be a flat rate or vary based on customer packaging requests. Our butcher does not list separate processing fees so we paid $3.49 per pound, processing included. I hope that answers your question, Marc! =]

[@pahanin2480]

I split a quarter cow and still not even half way through the ground meat after a year

[@Aprons.Overalls]

One of the big take aways from this is that it's not a one size fits all. We all have different sized families and different cooking habits. 😊

[@That1Guy4089]

Fresh is always better, Like roasting a whole pig. It doesn't taste the same as store bought meat you cook

[@Aprons.Overalls]

Amen! :)

[@jamese809]

Don't buy into the hype it's no longer cheaper to do this, unless you own the cow. With butcher prices, the feed prices and GREED. I can save more by taking my money and buying from store when they reduce the price, take it home seal it and freeze it. I've been doing it like this for 3 years now. My 2nd freezer is always full of steaks and rost and brisket. But hey go ahead and spend a grand or two and see just how much meat you get, enjoy the hamburger!

[@bojaiden5175]

The heart, the tail, the legs, the inerds, the head, the brains, liver, kidneys, tripe etc. These are excellent eating

[@enlightnd0ne446]

They could atleast vacuum seal the meat...

[@johntalley7326]

I live in a beef state and have been toying around with the idea of splitting a cow with relatives. So far we have not been able to put together numbers that are anything close to yours. One problem is that many locals like to claim "grass fed" and add about $2 per pound. When asked if they drop the price by $2 for their grain fed beef, they all start talking goofy. Most will give up about 50 cents. Thieves. Anyway, at over $7.50 per pound when more than 1/2 of what you are getting is hamburger isn't very enticing. It sounds like we need to find a better processor.

[@Aprons.Overalls]

Shopping around is key. We wanted 100% grass fed, but couldn't afford it. Grass fed and grain finished is a nice compromise to save money and still get some better quality. Everyone's standards are different. Shop around until you find a price and standard that line up. Good luck!

[@deshawn2877]

$2000 for 238 lbs right?

[@chrisaguirre7018]

Aint none of that stuff is getting thrown away.

[@Aprons.Overalls]

That's right! 😊

[@will9317]

2pound tongue boiled. Then pann fried makes the best tacos High in vitamin c extremely nutritious My wife makes it for our white friends. And it's always the star of the show. Untill we tell them. Then they scratch their heads in disbelief Note they're noe the most expensive tacos

[@Aprons.Overalls]

Sounds good. What time is dinner? 😅

[@athenajorg738]

Next time ask for the beef cheek. It is the most tender and yummy cut.

[@Aprons.Overalls]

Thanks for the tip! We will next time. :)

[@floodwaterfarms2271]

Ever thought of doing it yourself ? After a few years experimenting this is what we've been doing, and I didn't grow up on a farm. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bnLXpWl7max9i68

[@DeRock401]

😂

[@MrMikeX]

Thanks for the info!

[@Aprons.Overalls]

You are welcome! Thank you for watching, Mike.

[@campbellmarty36]

No way in the WORLD would I want that much meat freezer burning in my freezer!. To everyone their own!!! Sure hope y’all have good luck with it and can eat it all before it spoils!☝️