What Does It Cost To Have A Whole Cow Butchered?

[@chrisowen5497]

“You eat where you poop, you get sick.” Can’t say it any clearer than that. Great video with lots of information! Thank you for sharing!

[@agtaytay1076]

I appreciate local, small family operations such as yours. You are correct meat comes from living things and death is a part of life. You can tell you respect that, and you respect your animals. They maybe raised for meat, but watching you with them and how the herd is with you shows how well you treat them. It is ethical ranchers/farmers such as yourself that I have mad respect for

[@critical-thought]

Thank you Josh. This information is what every cattle producer should hear and take to heart.

[@chrisfrench9257]

Absolutely. The idea is to spread community farms across the country that do things this way. I hope this sort of lifestyle really starts taking off.

[@rilyc2843]

Take off again. We used to have this type of American dream before.

[@charlesperry1051]

Our beef is grass fed from a close relative. Our lamb comes from the farm across the road from us. He is a retired University of Tennessee meat professor. Our pork comes from a farm about 5 miles from us. I am strongly considering raising my own chickens. I have plenty of land for it.

[@MP77USA]

That’s all awesome. Good luck to you!

[@mourbonaventure7475]

Three cows. Harvested 1,891 lbs. of cow @ $2,935, $1.552 per pound to process. Not counting private label or any other input costs.

[@nonnywinner5039]

$1.552 per pound for processing & packaging is unstainable. Have you considered ranch to plate by custom processing with live animal share?

[@vernonhuffman3595]

Dude! $1.52?!?!? You need to run away from that. Good lord.

[@TheDexterFishbourne]

One day.... when I have the funds. I want to start a small scale USDA meat processing plant to support the smaller family farms.

[@stevesoutdoorworld4340]

This is a great operation & so glad you are helping people with a carnivore way of life!😁

[@8007096]

Thank you for your part in making the system better!

[@thomasreto2997]

We are in Pittsburgh and found a local farm outside town and are buying a quarter (mixed cut)cow that will be proceed around late October. Our farmer has about 30 head of Murray grey on his 100+ acre farm.

[@jdmac4049]

Loving all the info. Finally getting land and cattle in the spring. Been a long time coming. Following everything y'all are doing.

[@petermavus4131]

Shhhhh the cows are listening.😮

[@ireneturner2944]

WHOO STONEY RIDGE!!!! What's for dinner-----BEEF-----!!!

[@FranciscoRamosLE]

Absolutely love your content, thanks for the great info. Looking forward to starting this in the future.

[@marlenewilliamson4005]

I am so glad that you said what I have for decades. The highways have tens of thousands of acres that could be used for food production . Some say , that takes labor, well we have tens of thousands in jails etc that could and should do the job. There would be a lot less problems in jails if the inmates have a job, are tired and have a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day . Yes it can and should be done .

[@StoneyRidgeFarmer]

I don't want my gov't subsidizing cheap food with labor from prison, but I would like to see prisons grow their own food and do highway trimming an litter pickup. I agree...it should help with rehabilitation for sure! Give a man a purpose and he won't have time for mischief!

[@charleswalters5284]

Not tens of thousands... Over two million. Biggest jail nation on earth. How did y'all not notice in the land of the free?

[@charleswalters5284]

@@marlenewilliamson4005 almost every person in jail is required to work at a job for Very low pay, literally pennies an hour, and the profit goes to wealthy families. Just another type of corporate welfare financed by a reduction of American Freedom.

[@charleswalters5284]

@@marlenewilliamson4005 ooh, while we're on hiways and numbers, they say it's more like 60 million acres, though not all of it arable.

[@gkiferonhs]

I know you're busting your hump with all of the things establishing a farm. I don't see many bird houses to help with the fly issue. You might see if a local shop teacher would work with you to have a class build bird houses for a donation to their school. Could benefit a lot of things. Also bat houses are cheap and easy to cut down on mosquitoes. Love your show.

[@Saviour3]

Thank you for the transparency Josh ... well done sir, looking forward to tasting that filet!

[@johnwinsemius4423]

well said Josh. Educate these people, the USA is so separated from how there food is raised and sourced. If they knew how chicken is raised, my god the most miss treated meat raised, 20 thousand birds in 1 building

[@AJayK610-18]

I absolutely LOVE the way you raise your beef.. 100% I buy from local and his meat is not much more than the store, it's aire packed, at 1st I thought the steak was thin but once I opened it up I was like, 'oh my gosh' Josh it was huge!! The steak cost me 13.00 FOR REAL BEEF

[@earlyriser8998]

Loved this and the clarification that this was a dressed weight at the end. We lease grass fed cows that do not have to eat where they poo. We like having them on the property and learning about the business side.

[@geoffl]

how did you find the rancher to lease from you?

[@charleswalters5284]

​@@geofflask around at the sale barn. People know people and maybe there's even a bulletin board

[@gwgrote5]

I enjoyed this video very much. I always wanted to know the process and the cost involved with the beef raising and butchering process but didn't know how to ask.

[@megamattoutdoors4590]

Love it Josh. You explain how it's supposed to be and I greatly appreciate it. Keep it up man

[@157-40_T]

All you said makes a lot of sense.

[@gkiferonhs]

I think the single most important thing for ruminant animals is as a way of healing the land. The meat is a bonus. We need a lot more ruminants on land (and not in feed lots) following regenerative procedures.

[@TheDougroles]

Amen!

[@Uncle_Buzz]

Love your food rant... so true. We started buying locally grass raised / grass finished beeves last year. Amazing meat... this year's steer will come out to around $5.50/lb. Last year was about $4.25/lb.

[@boontbear]

Hey, just got sone land , 100 acers with a 5 acer pond, trying to start a homestead. Been watching your videos for advice would love to have one of your cattle

[@tg9754]

Great video. I ppreciate your way of raising beef. You have great ideas. I'm a believer and a new subscriber. Thank You!

[@StoneyRidgeFarmer]

welcome to the channel!

[@tb7280]

I do appreciate your passion for the way you are raising your cattle Josh.

[@KwanTao69]

Nicely done Josh, and very informative, Thanks.

[@mvblitzyo]

Thanks for sharing your life story super grateful for the open information

[@alan2112drums]

I've been on a carnivore diet for over one year and I appreciate your "politics". My health has improved in so many ways eating fatty beef and food that comes from animals that owning a private farm is very appealing. Thanks for sharing your insight.

[@living-wellon-less5669]

I went on a carnivore diet and I felt great but I looked horrible because I am 67 and a little fat fills out those wrinkles! I have never weighed over 170 and I am 5"11' then one year ago my wife came to America and boy can those Ukrainian women cook and there went the carnivore diet!

[@bobbyfisher6343]

I can’t wait to buy some Stoney Ridge Farms Beef, been a fan since the beginning, even got a shirt

[@adrockey]

Great video! I love your pasture rotation process. Completely makes sense. I'm from Iowa and I like the grain finished cattle. I believe there's a lot more marbling in the meat.

[@MP77USA]

My Dad was a lifelong beef rancher, degree in animal husbandry from SMSU Spfd Missouri (now MSU?) and he thought so too until I convinced him to try this grass finished beef out here in WA state where I moved to. He couldn’t believe it. He was 67. Blew him away he loved it. It’s beefier. It’s really in how the finishing beef are handled and the good forage it’s on as well as the breed. Marbling is just the usda’s current grading - the tenderness actually comes from microscopic fat. There’s several breeds one is - sorry I can’t remember exactly but - Piedmont(?) - animal never really marbles but is top shelf tender. Looking into finding some weaned calves with that breed in the mix as I get back into raising our own again not just buying neighbor’s grass fed. Try a really good grass finished out!

[@lauradorr6558]

Great job, you are doing it right!!!! Thank you for the education and for taking the time to do it right

[@dougdavis4439]

Always appreciate the bloopers at the end! Lol! Insightful video Josh, I really didn't have any idea of the costs to process. I truely appreciate what you're sharing both literally and figuratively. Would love to buy some briskets and flank steak in the coming years. Wooooo!

[@eweandmeranch4024]

Lambs sometimes have the same confusion going through a gate. This morning I just had to pick one of them up and bring him through. Then the others followed lol.

[@bryanbrasche785]

Reminds me of Just A Few Acres System Nice

[@brandonburdette7895]

I can't wait to be able to buy grass fed beef from the stoney ridge farm it will be worth every penny to me to know where my food came from 🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@anthonywolfe8279]

Love ur channel. My wife and I are subscribers. We have 15 acres with sheep. We process.our sheep.for meat.

[@bcgrittner8076]

Generally, Mrs. Suburbanite and I buy meat in smaller portions. Occasionally we join up wither in-laws and buy a large section of a cow. Meanwhile, we had no idea of the processing costs. Now we do have a clearer picture of the butchering process. Wait a minute…no bratwurst?

[@philwhite5815]

Donnie looks great. Big beefy boy. Great muscle tone.

[@MrH4YAH]

Dr Weston A Price held that the nutrients are highest in late summer- early fall after all the best grazing. Thank you as we learn together. Grassfed is better than salmon.

[@Vaseemm]

Yes true there is a lot of acreage just sitting around. People just need to get their own animals and do a co-op land or rent land.

[@michaelmiller6552]

Pretty good video other than painting a bad picture on beef producers that aren’t grass fed saying about giving antibiotics and growth hormones those products are also used in grass fed operations but again a very informative video on how buying halves and quarters works

[@geoffl]

do you disagree that his method leads to healthier cows?

[@charleswalters5284]

Accurate picture. If you make people fat, sick, and have heart attacks, does that make you a bad person?

[@solomoncooper6491]

This was incredibly informative thanks!

[@mikesimpson6757]

Awesome video. When i get back from my deployment i am going to contact you for beef!

[@RockFreak1793]

Great information!

[@johnsieber6893]

Very nice and informative video. Keep up the good work!

[@randyc754]

Just set up small monthly donation! Stay strong!!

[@Mudpuddle123]

Awesome, Josh. Thanks for the info 👍

[@TheBeaker59]

Very interesting thank you, I just started on the journey, this city boy just bought 4 dairy calves (steers now) and a big hat, still 3 or 4 weeks of feeding them before they are weaned but still its just for the fun right. Here in my country its not legally practical to sell beef from the farm, we can have it killed for our own consumption however. Luckily I have a big family :) I did get some good information though particularly around stock movement and your thoughts around castration (I was advised to for ease of handling reasons. I intend to kill and do all my own butchering.

[@StoneyRidgeFarmer]

I'd re-think the butchering yourself...beef needs to hang and age...butchering a 1200lb animal is a major undertaking

[@TheBeaker59]

@@StoneyRidgeFarmer its not my first rodeo :) I do know the challenges and have a chiller big enough I butcher a few animals already just not on that scale deer sheep etc. Like I said I have a big family so it won't be an issue what I would like to do though is try well aged hung beef which isn't so available these days.

[@lilahnewton7940]

Your quite a guy Josh. It's wonderful to watch an intelligent person!! Good luck with beef sales. I'd be honored to order your beef. And I don't normally eat beef. I just can't stand genetically grown beef. Cows here never walk in the grass, never breath fresh air and live there lives on concrete!!! Crap I made myself cry. Bye Josh.

[@Reallifeonthefarm-sf6el]

We have 13 heifers on weaned and on feed now , market is so good we have several options with them 🙏

[@debralarosa353]

Awesome ! Looking forward to ordering.

[@vidaudink3044]

This is so exciting!! It's happening!!! 🎉🎉🎉❤

[@jeffsmith7840]

Love to hear the cost breakdown with profit after sale. Maybe cost if you sell it by piece or whole and half cows

[@karlsening7726]

Josh, curious about the number of cattle that your property can sustain. With the new pasture you just finished fencing, do you plan to increase your herd? Or is the 50 head that you currently have going to range on the additional pasture?

[@dixon103]

I thought some states will allow local process without the feds mark of submission so long as it's from that butcher or by the owner and it can't cross out of state. Of course the USDA is working to consolidate processing to only the big 4 so they keep kicking back.and driving out small producers.

[@StoneyRidgeFarmer]

pretty much everything you wanna do is illegal. You can hire someone to butcher your cow, you just can't sell the meat unless it's usda inspected.

[@stevenjames5419]

I’ve seen people on regenerative farms build tree swallow nest and place them all around the farm to control the flies. It’s estimated that a pair of tree swallows eat approximately 8,000 flies a day. That’ll put a dent in the population if you put up enough nest

[@StoneyRidgeFarmer]

yeppers....we've got them here for sure

[@xtrem3climber]

Josh - comment disappeared. Would be interested in a couple of cows. First gen farmer in Georgia!

[@randyc754]

Great process thanks for the education.

[@paulweller7908]

How do you pick which animal is to be dispatched next?

[@StoneyRidgeFarmer]

When a steer is about 1000 lbs, at around 18-26 months. We don’t have any steers that size right now but by October we probably will

[@doylemarkham1010]

Love the education. Can’t wait to eat some excellent beef.

[@dont.ripfuller6587]

Beef is the best meat, but has a lot lower return per acre then other animals. My long term goal is to have some of everything- beef, chicken, turkey, rabbit, catfish...

[@noahsizemore1275]

The price I got for my calfs I just did on my nurse jersey. I had a jersey Angus cross born March 3 got 2.50 a pound he weight 580 with. The Holsteins horns and balls still on 1.50 at 480 pounds born February

[@bendigr]

This was a very good video !!

[@anoldmannameddave7455]

I live in NW Oklahoma, where our native grasses are shorter, and unless irrigated, are not as lush as what you have. I’m curious if feeding supplemental black oil sunflower might give extra fat and protein? I don’t think it’s considered a grain, but also don’t think it’d be near as bad as corn or other actual grains. What do you think? Also, what age/weight do you castrate your young bulls, and do you band or actually cut them? This was a good and informative video. 👍😊

[@zagzill]

always good info thanks

[@robertlathe2165]

Manufactured meat sounds like Soylent Green. LOL!

[@jennypalmer331]

Great info so thank you again from OZ

[@mikemosley4865]

Great video !!

[@neilfelsbourg170]

I live in Canada on a small beef farm. I move my cows 2-3 times a day depending on the grass but I harvest in the early winter. I can just pick up the meat in my truck because in December it is below zero. My abattoir is a couple hours away so I picking up 600lbs of meat in the summer would be a lot of coolers and ice.

[@StoneyRidgeFarmer]

2-3 times a day.....interesting. We move 2 times per day in summer and keep them on a paddock for 2-3 days in winter. if you're moving 3 times per day, you may wanna consider larger paddocks to save you that time, just a thought buddy...but your climate is much different from mine I'm sure

[@neilfelsbourg170]

@@StoneyRidgeFarmer We originally used huge paddocks and moved them every 2 or 3 days but I got fat and lazy. Moving the cows is the only exercise I get so moving them is more for my health then theirs. In the winter they are in the same paddock until thaw because clearing 4' to 8' snow to bring them hay daily would be impossible.

[@MissingLinkMTB]

Everybody says grain finished tastes the best until they actually try grass finished. Looking at starting my own first generation farm in the next couple years. Definitely like your methods. I'm in WNC.

[@j2muw667]

It has to be finished correctly to taste good. I’ve had some grass feed/finished that was terrible.

[@terresiagregg9326]

Great video Josh

[@kylewilliams1329]

Born and raised in small town in north eastern north carolina when i was younger people growning there own was thw norm cows pigs vegtables and it sewmed like they were in alpt better health

[@balkos]

It is very inspiring. Thank you.

[@ameliamyburgh1680]

Josh, do try the coconut oil rub on cows faces, my grandpa in South Africa use to let us rub them with coconut oil to insure no flies on their faces

[@StoneyRidgeFarmer]

My cows will not let me rub all over their face. Even the tamer ones

[@bigloads3600]

​@@JamesG1126lmao

[@digimom82]

Currently I would have to pay my dad and butcher/processing approximately $10/ lb FINISHED. Dad is 85 yrs old now so feeding calves for meat has stopped for now. Now just too much cost to raise and time and processing costs at the butcher

[@StoneyRidgeFarmer]

You're paying your dad $10 per lb finished? Cost me about $1-1.50 per lb at the butcher

[@phyllisclark3896]

Thank you! A very informative video. 🙏🙏🙏

[@homesteadingsailor5604]

I thought you couldn’t sell cuts without USDA but you could sell 1/4 , 1/2, and wholes without USDA?

[@timcastle6996]

You can. 1/4, 1/2, or whole doesn't require government interference.

[@timcastle6996]

Personally , I would never trust the USDA, FDa, or CDC. As of April 30th this year, all pork and beef will recieves an MNRA vaccine before butchering.

[@geoffl]

the way it works is: - you buy a live animal from the rancher - you give your cut instructions to the butcher - you get steaks/ground beef/etc. in packages labelled "not for sale" in this way you can get around the usda requirement

[@Gottacacheemalll]

@@geoffland then you sell?

[@geoffl]

@@Gottacacheemalll are you asking how to sell cuts while complying with USDA? You must sell a portion of a live animal: whole, half, quarter, eighth, etc. First, you sell all portions of the live animal to one or more customers. Then, customers give cut instructions to the butcher, butcher does his work, and customers pick up steaks/ground beef/roasts/etc.

[@Token_Civilian]

Great stuff SRF. Good to know what a ballpark number is for getting a cow processed.

[@taurota1554]

awesome as always

[@kendrickbeaty8828]

I know you said y’all move them 2 times a day, do that cut down on worms ,and how you deworm them

[@StoneyRidgeFarmer]

I don't de-worm them at all.....unless I see that a cow is wormy. In most cases I should say

[@chriskendall8274]

Great informative video, one question. No need for antibiotics for your cows due to not standing in their poop opposed to a food lot. Do the chickens need antibiotics because they're scratching the cow manure?

[@MP77USA]

No that’s the beauty of it if done properly. Cornell Extension has some good general articles. Parasites not bacteria are commonly the real issues with small scale livestock. A healthy immune system can usually balance good and bad bacteria which is normal on healthy pasture in low stress environments. Rotational grazing with alternative species breaks the parasites’ life cycle. Just read up to be sure on what animals follow which (the leaders) and healthy timelines, for best regenerative practices for follow up sowing etc - also very specific to your area is important. You might reach out to your local university extension for their specific recommendations. Good luck!

[@charleswalters5284]

No antibiotics approved for chickens

[@allswildmmi6228]

“Factory” made meat is of the devil or the evil of the earth. Josh, your way of raising meat is in alignment with natural order of life, Much preferred by myself

[@HaveAGreatDay54]

Thank you for this video! As someone that grew up around farming and worked in a slaughterhouse; How can one be certain that they are receiving the cow that they sent to the butcher. I have personally witnessed fraud in this area of farming. Do you have any advice on this topic? I do not like to bring up the negative aspects, but this does happen.

[@StoneyRidgeFarmer]

man....I'll tell ya, you gotta trust your butcher. Some folks are very apprehensive about this. Even my dad has told me stories of taking an animal in for butcher and thinking they stole from him. Folks around here take a deer to the processor and then get in an argument with the fella thinking he stole meat. I guess it boils down to integrity and the internet google reviews speak volumes!

[@aaronhoward_]

Been raising freezer beef for 40 years on my 7th generation ranch. Do you strictly use grass, or do you also feed them a ration of sweet feed to finish them off?

[@charleswalters5284]

'mercuns... Not used to people telling the truth, huh?

[@ShortbusMooner]

Well, time to log on & check into some yumminess!! 😋

[@logangilley3643]

Josh, have you thought of getting a few south polls to add to your herd?

[@StoneyRidgeFarmer]

lol...yessir. That thumbnail is a south polled bull....we're breeding them into the herd now

[@johniskierka177]

Store purchased pork is frozen for a good amount of time to be safe. Is this also done

[@StoneyRidgeFarmer]

well....some pork and beef is frozen and some isn't.....when I butcher the cow I receive flash frozen vacuum packs but freezing it doesn't make it "safe". Be aware that the garbage pork you buy in the grocery store is raised in disgusting conditions...the commercial pork industry is just nasty if you ask me

[@scottsmith6846]

Hey Josh thank you for the video because I was curious about how much is a cost to do this woo

[@gman7329]

I hand raised an Angus bull from a calf when I was a kid & he was basically a large dog, soon as he saw me walk into the paddock he would come running full steam at me wanting a pat & scratch under the chin & behind the ears. He was a big sook even when he was with the cows.

[@dougzabierek2309]

Stoney how are you today

[@trinityacandhtg5543]

Great information 👍👆

[@ertestshain]

You missed out on the market price of the beef that was butchered and added that in on the processing fee .

[@SammyGDude]

So I would like to ranch in this method. Do you still test for worms?

[@StoneyRidgeFarmer]

i can take a manure sample and test, however I pretty much just treat the symptoms v/s a microscopic test. Once you've been ranching for a bit you can tell in most cases

[@jvin248]

SRF: You should get a few professional butchers out to your place and do an episode of home processing. Make steaks and roasts from everything possible and hamburger the rest including rendering the tallow and curing the hide. Go at it like the apocalypse. I grew up on a farm where we did our own butchering. No fancy store-shaped steaks, just meat cut in slabs to cook as steaks, but we ate very well -- and an education as a kid. We raised cows, pigs, and chickens. Timing the processing is seasonally dependent (after frost so no flies to worry about).

[@bronkbuster1981]

For me the with the cost of butching a calf being that high I'm glad I learned to do it my self years ago

[@StoneyRidgeFarmer]

Calf? My friend....I can and will butcher beef on the channel at some point, however if I sell my beef I have to process the animal in a USDA inspected facility....99% of folks wouldn't take this on....aging the beef 15 days or so in a walk in cooler is the costly part of this

[@geoffl]

@@StoneyRidgeFarmer do you also sell 1/4, 1/2, whole custom exempt? You sell to customer, customer gives cut instructions to butcher, and customer receives steaks/ground/etc. in packaging labelled "not for sale".

[@mauida7746]

Love to purchase a whole cow for the fall harvest if possible

[@KrazyFijian24]

If you have to transport the meat after its cut, you mentioned you insulate your vehicle…how and what do you do?