Freezer for heifer

turfin · 10-11-2018 2:17pm #1

We haven't killed one of our own for years and I'm doing it this year, but first I need a freezer. What size freezer would I need for a 260kg dw heifer and 1 lamb, approx 22kg, so about 280 to 300 kg of meat max?Any of you guys use a UPS with your freezer in case of extended power outage?

Bass Reeves · 10-11-2018 7:18pm

turfin wrote: »

We haven't killed one of our own for years and I'm doing it this year, but first I need a freezer. What size freezer would I need for a 260kg dw heifer and 1 lamb, approx 22kg, so about 280 to 300 kg of meat max?Any of you guys use a UPS with your freezer in case of extended power outage?

I think about 350 litres it will depend on what else you want to put in. Pizza's, chickens, bread etc. When last i killed a heifer she was 280 DW but I had a friend that too half of her

grassroot1 · 10-11-2018 8:30pm

Bass Reeves wrote: »

I think about 350 litres it will depend on what else you want to put in. Pizza's, chickens, bread etc. When last i killed a heifer she was 280 DW but I had a friend that too half of her

as above split it with a friend and next time they can provide the heifer. A whole beast is too much to get caught with and you might not have it eaten before freezer burn damages it

Icelandicseige · 11-11-2018 9:07am

Shouldnt be allowed if you ask me. We had a lovely BB heifer about 9 months old went missing and could not be found. We think thats were she went!! As we have a couple neighbours you just couldnt trust and theres no other logical explanation for her disappearance

jap gt · 11-11-2018 9:50am

Icelandicseige wrote: »

Shouldnt be allowed if you ask me. We had a lovely BB heifer about 9 months old went missing and could not be found. We think thats were she went!! As we have a couple neighbours you just couldnt trust and theres no other logical explanation for her disappearance

So someone who raises a heifer to be sold for slaughter is ok but someone that wants to use that heifer to feed their family isnt?

mycro2013 · 11-11-2018 9:58am

We use to do this before, but on the last occasion the meat which came back was no resemblance to the heifer we sent in. Meat was tough and impossible to cook.

After that we changed butchers for obvious reasons and did a deal with supplying a heifer. In return we got a freezer package of various meats. Beef, pork, chicken and turkey. After the first heifer we were sick of eating beef continuously.

Bass Reeves · 11-11-2018 10:07am

Icelandicseige wrote: »

Shouldnt be allowed if you ask me. We had a lovely BB heifer about 9 months old went missing and could not be found. We think thats were she went!! As we have a couple neighbours you just couldnt trust and theres no other logical explanation for her disappearance

Believe you me stopping lads from killing there own will not stop dishonest people. It is like locks and fences only stop honest people a lock never stopped a dishonest man

kerryjack · 11-11-2018 10:34am

Nothing wrong with being a bit self sufficient. whats the cost of getting a heifer killed and baged these days.

Brown Podzol · 11-11-2018 10:53am

kerryjack wrote: »

Nothing wrong with being a bit self sufficient. whats the cost of getting a heifer killed and baged these days.

€250-€300.

White Clover · 11-11-2018 11:28am

mycro2013 wrote: »

We use to do this before, but on the last occasion the meat which came back was no resemblance to the heifer we sent in. Meat was tough and impossible to cook.

After that we changed butchers for obvious reasons and did a deal with supplying a heifer. In return we got a freezer package of various meats. Beef, pork, chicken and turkey. After the first heifer we were sick of eating beef continuously.

We kill them at 400 to 420 kg live weight. About 220 kg carcass, angus heifer. Split between 2 houses is perfect. A couple of lambs and a pig too into each freezer.
Killing heavy heifers is a no no for the reasons you give above.

Albert Johnson · 11-11-2018 1:06pm

mycro2013 wrote: »

We use to do this before, but on the last occasion the meat which came back was no resemblance to the heifer we sent in. Meat was tough and impossible to cook.

After that we changed butchers for obvious reasons and did a deal with supplying a heifer. In return we got a freezer package of various meats. Beef, pork, chicken and turkey. After the first heifer we were sick of eating beef continuously.

This sounds like a perfect arrangement, you get the satisfaction of raising your own animal from birth to slaughter and can barter the finished product. I would hope that all the meats were produced locally. A whole carcass would mean a considerable amount of meat and I would also be afraid that the novelty would soon wear off, especially with the less prime cuts.

turfin · 11-11-2018 1:30pm

Albert Johnson wrote: »

This sounds like a perfect arrangement, you get the satisfaction of raising your own animal from birth to slaughter and can barter the finished product. I would hope that all the meats were produced locally. A whole carcass would mean a considerable amount of meat and I would also be afraid that the novelty would soon wear off, especially with the less prime cuts.

I reckon we’d get through it in 6-8 months. I eat a lot of beef and it never gets boring! It would be nice to have good quality aged heifer beef in the freezer when I want it rather than the lucky dip at the supermarket at premium prices. For all the factors we get paid for beef on, mostly the only thing one sees on a the packet in a supermarket is QA and AA or Hereford.

So would folks here with feeezers reckon a 350L freezer would be sufficient for a 260kg heifer and a 20kg lamb?

_Brian · 11-11-2018 1:32pm

We’ve three pigs to go soon for the freezers, looking at some of our hex heifers and Mrs would nearly kill one herself to get it in freezer.

Icelandicseige · 27-11-2018 8:10am

Bass Reeves wrote: »

Believe you me stopping lads from killing there own will not stop dishonest people. It is like locks and fences only stop honest people a lock never stopped a dishonest man

So what can you do to stop a dishonest man.?

jimini0 · 14-01-2019 11:56am

Have a young heifer with a bad leg. I'm thinking about fattening her for the freezer. Goin to sell half to the brother in law. A couple of questions for those that have done it before.
Ideally what weight would she want to be?
What sort of price for half the meat?

handlemaster · 14-01-2019 12:11pm

Icelandicseige wrote: »

Shouldnt be allowed if you ask me. We had a lovely BB heifer about 9 months old went missing and could not be found. We think thats were she went!! As we have a couple neighbours you just couldnt trust and theres no other logical explanation for her disappearance

She left in the middle of the Night with Mr Bull.

_Brian · 14-01-2019 12:25pm

kerryjack wrote: »

Nothing wrong with being a bit self sufficient. whats the cost of getting a heifer killed and baged these days.

Brown Podzol wrote: »

€250-€300.

Chatting to our Butcher when picking up pigs at Christmas..

€90 to kill
€260 to butcher

Bass Reeves · 14-01-2019 1:02pm

_Brian wrote: »

Chatting to our Butcher when picking up pigs at Christmas..

€90 to kill
€260 to butcher

That price sounds a bit high. last time I killed a heifer it was 220 euro this was about 4 years ago.

3 the square · 14-01-2019 2:23pm

Bass Reeves wrote: »

That price sounds a bit high. last time I killed a heifer it was 220 euro this was about 4 years ago.

Paid 250 euro all in last October for one heifer.

Jonny303 · 05-09-2019 8:43am

Thinking of getting a heifer done with the family but am a bit put off by beef in the freezer.

I put a few lambs in every year and it's perfect, but I always find any beef I freeze (bought not killed) gets that metallic taste off of it.

Don't notice it in roast/stir frys but I find the taste of a steak that's been frozen just not right. Anyone else experience this? Never notice it in any lamb

wrangler · 05-09-2019 8:50am

Jonny303 wrote: »

Thinking of getting a heifer done with the family but am a bit put off by beef in the freezer.

I put a few lambs in every year and it's perfect, but I always find any beef I freeze (bought not killed) gets that metallic taste off of it.

Don't notice it in roast/stir frys but I find the taste of a steak that's been frozen just not right. Anyone else experience this? Never notice it in any lamb

frostbite:D

Have you a thermometer in the freezer, is it at the right temp

Jonny303 · 05-09-2019 9:26pm

Haha no everything else is perfect, I just find steak takes on that nasty metallic taste. Lamb is perfect

uck51js9zml2yt · 06-09-2019 8:51am

Got my heifer killed on Sunday. 535kg live Weight. Hanging in abbatoir before it goes to the butcher.

Butcher Boy · 06-09-2019 9:02am

Harley Limited Stalker wrote: »

Got my heifer killed on Sunday. 535kg live Weight. Hanging in abbatoir before it goes to the butcher.

try to hang it for 21 days if you can.

Bass Reeves · 06-09-2019 9:05am

Harley Limited Stalker wrote: »

Got my heifer killed on Sunday. 535kg live Weight. Hanging in abbatoir before it goes to the butcher.

Depending on how fresh she was weighted she will weight 275=/- 10kgs. maybe a tad with it as butchers do not trim like factories. A tad on the high side for a freezer heifer

Butcher Boy · 06-09-2019 9:09am

Bass Reeves wrote: »

Depending on how fresh she was weighted she will weight 275=/- 10kgs. maybe a tad with it as butchers do not trim like factories. A tad on the high side for a freezer heifer

ya anything killing over 220 is too big for 1 house.

uck51js9zml2yt · 06-09-2019 10:11am

Bass Reeves wrote: »

Depending on how fresh she was weighted she will weight 275=/- 10kgs. maybe a tad with it as butchers do not trim like factories. A tad on the high side for a freezer heifer

I'm only taking half thankfully.

06-09-2019 1:09pm

What’s the economics like on killing your own and having it butchered vs selling it with the rest and buying your meat?

3 the square · 06-09-2019 1:29pm

Sierra Drab Mothball wrote: »

What’s the economics like on killing your own and having it butchered vs selling it with the rest and buying your meat?

Last heifers I kill for the freezer I ask the butcher that was cutting the meat up what would that much meat cost to buy in butcher shop
At least 2 grand he said pricey buying meat i taught !!

lalababa · 06-09-2019 1:33pm

Icelandicseige wrote: »

Shouldnt be allowed if you ask me. We had a lovely BB heifer about 9 months old went missing and could not be found. We think thats were she went!! As we have a couple neighbours you just couldnt trust and theres no other logical explanation for her disappearance

Yearra my bollocks

lalababa · 06-09-2019 1:41pm

Anybody here or know people who kill an old cull cow for the freezer. There would be more flavor, the French swear by it, and chefs say a cull dairy cow put to grass for -6mths is comparable to $80/kg Kobe.

uck51js9zml2yt · 06-09-2019 2:22pm

Sierra Drab Mothball wrote: »

What’s the economics like on killing your own and having it butchered vs selling it with the rest and buying your meat?

It's costing me 1200 to my table.
At 275 kg it's working out at roughly 4.60 per kg.

Tell me what meat you would get for that?

wrangler · 06-09-2019 2:45pm

Harley Limited Stalker wrote: »

It's costing me 1200 to my table.
At 275 kg it's working out at roughly 4.60 per kg.

Tell me what meat you would get for that?

Is that the weight boned or is it the carcase weight.
If it's the carcase weight there's only 200kg meat at 5.40
What were you charge for getting it killed

uck51js9zml2yt · 06-09-2019 3:43pm

wrangler wrote: »

Is that the weight boned or is it the carcase weight.
If it's the carcase weight there's only 200kg meat at 5.40
What were you charge for getting it killed

1200 all in. .535 LW. Not got the dead weight. I'll have a final weight in a few weeks.

wrangler · 06-09-2019 3:48pm

Harley Limited Stalker wrote: »

1200 all in. .535 LW. Not got the dead weight. I'll have a final weight in a few weeks.

A wise move if you have facilities, beef cattle are good value now

uck51js9zml2yt · 06-09-2019 4:05pm

wrangler wrote: »

A wise move if you have facilities, beef cattle are good value now

Actually cost me 42 bales of silage and €350.

uck51js9zml2yt · 14-09-2019 8:44pm

Ok..
The update.

The heifer (I'm told it wasn't a cow) was 535kg live Weight and approx 240 kg butchered.

Costs were 42 bales @25 each.( 1050).. break even price per bale)

Killing 80 and butchering €250..

Total 1380.

I got half an animal ( a 250 L freezer full) and €670 in my hand.

Worked out at €5.70 / kg.

The secret is now to put away 20 a week for what I didn't buy. Would probably have spent more realistically on meat per week..

PoorFarmer · 18-09-2019 6:21pm

Sorry for the hijack but what is a fair throw for a slaughtered and butchered lamb from a farmer these days?

wrangler · 18-09-2019 6:25pm

PoorFarmer wrote: »

Sorry for the hijack but what is a fair throw for a slaughtered and butchered lamb from a farmer these days?

Its costing us about €35 to slaughter the lamb, OH has to pack it after, 21kg lamb is worth €100 and he'll need something for organising it,
Some butchers do it for less just it's handy where we get it done

PoorFarmer · 18-09-2019 7:25pm

wrangler wrote:

Its costing us about â‚¬35 to slaughter the lamb, OH has to pack it after, 21kg lamb is worth â‚¬100 and he'll need something for organising it, Some butchers do it for less just it's handy where we get it done

He was looking for 130 all in which I thought was very cheap. Will have a chat and make sure he's not wronging himself

wrangler · 18-09-2019 7:39pm

PoorFarmer wrote: »

He was looking for 130 all in which I thought was very cheap. Will have a chat and make sure he's not wronging himself

Make sure it's a 20kg carcase dead weight, but it sounds alright pricewise,
Avoid a ram lamb.
He's not robbing you if the lamb is right

Freezer for heifer

Comments