Meat price sales

[nodak]

Here is a link to good info on grading:
http://www.askthemeatman.com/usda_beef_quality_grades.htm
http://www.askthemeatman.com/what_are_the_different_beef_grades!.htm
http://www.askthemeatman.com/beef.htm



Roadkill, let's not argue over breeds. The Market trend is to the select+ side for todays consumer more educated and health conscious.  Yes you can get tender steak with slight marbling, genetics, age, etc. all help.  Typically on prime cattle you will  see a lot more waste(lower dressing %) due to excess fat covering.  Yes, wife's family raises limousin and we have a few also.  I am working on building a commercial angus(red) cow herd that will have limousin bulls on them.  These will be producing a product that todays feedlot, packer, and consumer are demanding.  ex. feed efficient, fast growing, high yield, lean, quality(tender, taste).  I also have a rancher that wants my heifer calves for replacements.  Today's animal production is about producing pounds of quality lean meat equals dollars for evryone in the chain.  Fat may sell on the hoof, but it's all for show.      





"If you're not living on the edge, You're taking up way too much room, so get the he-- out of my way."

[SMOKEHOUSE ROB]

hell back in my younger days we use to run 250 head of Simmental  always bread or first calf heifers to black angus less problems, then those calves went to the market , and then start all over next year.  hell beef is beef if i can grill i will eat it [:D]

[Roadkill]

Darn,I got booted to Kansas from this site over the weekend,came back and got in again,and now catching up.Nodak,ever hear of Leachmen Cattle Company? I've been to Montana to thier annual spring sales,they have some greatly overpriced bulls for sure,,,,but have you heard of Neo-Sho Red Angus,in Southwest City Missouri? We bought all our stock from Kirby Lane,,talk about one super swell guy,who not only knows cattle,but also had at that time,the second largest registered herd of Red Angus cattle,in the United States.
 But on to the meat case!Living south of Chicago a small jont,we have access here,to buying cattle,thru our local salebarn,they have a live cattle auction every Thursday,and yes,you can buy fattened steers or hiefers,and then take them to a butcher for slaughter. We have several small butcher shops in our area here,,they charge by the hanging weight to slaughter and hang your beef.This is the only way,we buy beef here anymore,unless we run out for a few weeks,until we get another one bought,and in the frezer. We have in the past,went to a farmer that was fattening up cattle,picked one out,and then asked him to feed it past 1250 pounds,to close to 1400-1450 pounds for us.Talk about GIGANTIC steaks!! Sure,there was more cover on it,but that is easily trimmed,but to me,the 1250 pound boxed beef trade,is for the packers convenience only,,,not the consumers.I like a T-Bone that fills a 12" plate,,,and a rib eye that is bigger than a small pancake,,,,what is good for the few,is not always good for the many,,IMO!!

"PINK"-the only way,to devour a steak!

[JJC]

Fascinating discussion, guys!  I was completely ignorant of the whole meat situation until a couple months ago when Manxman mentioned an excellent book--The River Cottage Meat Book-- by Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall (ISBN 0340826355).  Though he covers this issue from the British perspective and from a practical as well as philosophical point of view, it is very similar to what you all have been describing here in the U.S. If you get a chance, you might want to pick up this book--it was terrific and informative.  

This thread has really added enormously to my understanding of what's going on here--thanks!

John
Newton MA

[Roadkill]

JJC,
 An informed consumer,is a smart buyer! Not every head of beef,nor pork has the genetic,or enviornment to become first class meat,at the optimum slaughter time.With literally tens of thousands of head butchered daily,someone has to buy the lower grade meats,and try a diffrent approach to making their product,whats then called "value added".This covers everything from the curing and hanging methods,to some packers actually cooking and boxing the end products for you,which gives them the oppurtunity to add a lot more to the price of the finished products they sell,when in real life,they are buying the "seconds",or culls from the slaughter houses,and by doing this,they still want to regain marketshare.Case in point here,,,
  Everyone here surely has had Campbells Chicken Noodle soup,,or any variety or combination of their soups,with chicken in it.The chickens they use for these soups,comes from laying hens,that have been in a small pen,with 4-5 other hens,where they are kept for 2-3 years,strictly for the production of eggs.A few years ago,I know Campbells was paying 4 cents a pound,for these old laying hens,which the meat from them,was used in their soups,,,and with as small of a portion of chicken you recieve in the can,you can imagine how far,a 3 pound chicken goes here.
  Chicken soup is now over $1.45 for a small 10 oz can here,,,for that same $1.45,there was 30 pounds of meat was bought,,but this is just one example,of where the less than desireables wind up at,in the supermarket.

"PINK"-the only way,to devour a steak!

[Dan the sauasage man]

The reason for decrease in beef prices is that after Japan started buying our beef again. Some clown in a meat packing plant sent Japan a beef spine (which is not allowed).So they quit buying from us again (about a month ago). Thus forcing the plants to reduce prices.

[nodak]

Few random observations:

-Isn't it funny how that with-out Japan sales the last couple years we've seen record prices for our calves.  
-Cattle prices used to run in 7-10 year cycles, but due to several factors we've seen the cycle extended.  
-Also Canada reopening of the border to live cattle under 30 months age was not that big of deal as we already allowed boxed beef into the country from Canada anyway.  
-Expect beef prices to fall as our cattle numbers increase over next couple years, with replacement heifer numbers looking high.  
-Now the Big Packers will not pass all this savings onto the consumer, It becomes more attractive to buy a freezer and a fat critter to have it butchered.
-Consumer demanding/willing to pay premium for source identified beef to ensure a more consistent quality.  Also look for more prepared beef in the cooler.

"If you're not living on the edge, You're taking up way too much room, so get the he-- out of my way."