Buying whole or half cow (Ottawa)

Did this way back.
While it sounds like you are beating the high price of beef, the fact is you are not. You are paying for the beef all in one price and yes, you may get that tenderloin and prime rib roast cheaper but, you pay a huge amount for the rest, including many cuts you would never buy (so you turn them into hamburger and pay double what is in the grocery store).
Other thing to think about is usage. Some cuts of beef have longer shelf (freezer) life that others. ground beef has the lowest shelf life and if you want it all vacuum packed, there is a pretty significant upcharge.
Lastly, when you buy a 1000 lb side, you get about 60 to 70% yield out of it. You pay for 1000but only get 6 to 7 hundred (increasing the cost per pound). Plus, there may be a butchering and packaging fee (also increasing the cost per pound). You also need to know what cuts you want and how many of each of those.
lastly, when we did it, we sure ate better but I do not think we saved and if if anything, I believe it cost us more.

We have done this before, although the farm I buy from doesn't deliver to Ottawa so I'm not too much help. Happy to get higher quality meat - and thankfully my mother takes the liver off our hands

Pete_Coach wrote: ↑You are paying for the beef all in one price and yes, you may get that tenderloin and prime rib roast cheaper but, you pay a huge amount for the rest, including many cuts you would never buy (so you turn them into hamburger and pay double what is in the grocery store).

Yup. Considering that the entire round is basically a writeoff and takes up half the cow damn near it's a terrible investment IMO.
While I can do things with the round, I prefer not to. Unless I have a very specific use case I'll never go near it. It's not good for anything.
Same idea with tenderloin. I might be able to sell it and recoup some of my investment but I won't get THAT much for it relatively speaking.

Other thing to think about is usage. Some cuts of beef have longer shelf (freezer) life that others. ground beef has the lowest shelf life and if you want it all vacuum packed, there is a pretty significant upcharge.

*plugs Chamber sealer*
Although you'll be doing it all day if you do it yourself.
I can easily see why there's an upcharge as it's a good bit of work.

Lastly, when you buy a 1000 lb side, you get about 60 to 70% yield out of it. You pay for 1000but only get 6 to 7 hundred (increasing the cost per pound). Plus, there may be a butchering and packaging fee (also increasing the cost per pound). You also need to know what cuts you want and how many of each of those.

Yup. Unless you have some wicked butchering skills you're going to have to at least get primals.
Then there's a bunch of time breaking down primals. If you want it all cut and wrapped it's pretty expensive.
Beef bones aren't cheap but I don't an average person wants 300lbs of it. Plus they're really not THAT expensive.
Expensive to store though as you basically need another freezer just to store bones.

lastly, when we did it, we sure ate better but I do not think we saved and if if anything, I believe it cost us more.

Lastly 2? :P
It's hit or miss what you get too. Quality of meat might be better but I would think that grading is hit or miss.
If you get an animal that graded poorly you're stuck with 700lbs worth of meat.

wirebound wrote: ↑Happy to get higher quality meat - and thankfully my mother takes the liver off our hands

I'd take the offal all day long.
I'd be fighting to get the tongue, tails, liver, heart, kidneys, cheeks, stomachs, etc.

death_hawk wrote: ↑
I'd take the offal all day long.
I'd be fighting to get the tongue, tails, liver, heart, kidneys, cheeks, stomachs, etc.

What did you do with the cow's head? Did you get the cheek meat and what about the brain? How bad was removing the entrails and making sure it doesn't contaminate the rest of the meat?

rageking wrote: ↑What did you do with the cow's head? Did you get the cheek meat and what about the brain? How bad was removing the entrails and making sure it doesn't contaminate the rest of the meat?

When you buy a side or quarter, you do not get the head.
Offal is not head either.
The butcher does the work. It is not like you bring the cow home and hang it in your garage and cut off chunks as you need them.
Do you know what you are talking about? Clearly not??

Some butchers or farmers will sell a front quarter. It is more desirable than the half, with brisket, cheeks, hanger steak, flank, rib and chuck roasts. All good, but a premium price.

Pete_Coach wrote: ↑ It is not like you bring the cow home and hang it in your garage and cut off chunks as you need them.

True. But that would be awesome.

"I feel like a steak"

/lights BBQ
//starts chainsaw

Most local butchers sell hind quarters or sides where you can specify the cuts you want. Start calling around. I remember my mother getting some from Aubrey's on the market, many years ago. There's a butcher there in the same location but not sure what it's called now.

OP, find a farmer that will do good price on a whole and I'll split it with you.

Knowing how much per pound you are willing to spend would help, it would give us an idea of your expectations. Presently beef "On the hoof" at the Ottawa Auction starts at approximately $115.00 per hundred weight, this would be for a medium steer, that would run you to about $1150.00 per steer. You would only be getting about 700 lbs of meat off that steer. As others have noted very little would be prime.

This week art Zehrs (S.Ont) but controlled by Loblaws Sirloin Tip is at $3.99/lb; that is 400 lbs of medium quality (read consumer choice of cut) for the same price. That is a good year's supply of beef for a family of four, considering other meats in the diet.

Buy in bulk the exact cuts you want and you should be happy.

As for having a farmer butcher for you I am not sure of the regulations concerning that aspect, I believe you would have to be present and assisting to avoid Inspection Regulations, etc. As for butchering yourself, that is a big job, even if the carcass is already skinned and dressed. It would take a good eight hours for two of us to butcher and package a moose, best done in very cool/cold weather (garage in winter).

How to cook it?

rcmpvet wrote: ↑ As for having a farmer butcher for you I am not sure of the regulations concerning that aspect, I believe you would have to be present and assisting to avoid Inspection Regulations, etc. As for butchering yourself, that is a big job, even if the carcass is already skinned and dressed. It would take a good eight hours for two of us to butcher and package a moose, best done in very cool/cold weather (garage in winter).

The farmer sends it elsewhere to butcher. I've bought quarters and half pig and cow before and picked the meat up from a butcher after paying the farmer.
Process: order/pay/wait/arrange pickup time/pickup.

^^^^^ Good to know, I was still old school and did the whole shebang myself.

eldeejay wrote: ↑The farmer sends it elsewhere to butcher. I've bought quarters and half pig and cow before and picked the meat up from a butcher after paying the farmer.
Process: order/pay/wait/arrange pickup time/pickup.

rcmpvet wrote: ↑^^^^^ Good to know, I was still old school and did the whole shebang myself.

Apparently, a farmer can butcher for himself but not give or sell to others.
I worked with a Military major that had a run in with the authorities. 2 years later, the MNR later dropped the charges. Don't know if the laws were changed though.
http://www.torontosun.com/news/ottawa/2 ... 57596.html
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ch ... e-1.977271

^^^^^ I remember that case, good to know what finally transpired.

where did you actually buy it? I heard some people in BC buy the whole cow for meat but I never heard anyone ca do it before. Please share me the contact or anything about the farm. I wanna buy it too.

I split half a cow with a co-worker every year. We buy from a farm near Waterloo (Mennonite)

At first it tasted weird, but that was because I never had hormone free beef before. Now it is all I will eat.

We pay $300 total for the butchering, it is aged for 45 days. We get the bones and the liver. The average cost is about $3.20 per pound.

Gee wrote: ↑ I split half a cow with a co-worker every year. We buy from a farm near Waterloo (Mennonite)

At first it tasted weird, but that was because I never had hormone free beef before. Now it is all I will eat.

We pay $300 total for the butchering, it is aged for 45 days. We get the bones and the liver. The average cost is about $3.20 per pound.

Any contact?

S14_Raven wrote: ↑ Any contact?

You have to order a year ahead. As they raise most of their cows for the big boys and I get the smaller runts. I will get back to you in a few weeks when I go visit the farm.

Send me a reminder and I will get you contact information.