Anyone ever buy a whole pig or cow and have it butchered?

Hubby and I are considering buying a whole pig and having it butchered. Wondered if anyone else has ever done this...is it really cheaper in the long run over sale prices of meats. I'm sure it varies from region to region, but I'm also curious the cost...whether it's cheaper to buy the pig from a farmer and then have it butchered or just go to a butcher shop and buy a package?

Quote from love2shop2much : Hubby and I are considering buying a whole pig and having it butchered. Wondered if anyone else has ever done this...is it really cheaper in the long run over sale prices of meats. I'm sure it varies from region to region, but I'm also curious the cost...whether it's cheaper to buy the pig from a farmer and then have it butchered or just go to a butcher shop and buy a package?

DH and I don't eat much beef or pork, but growing up (in the Southwest) my family would always go to the county fair, where my Dad and my neighbor would sit at the auctions and bid on cows until they bought one. Then they'd have it butchered and split it. The meat was wrapped in that white freezer paper and labeled with the cut and frozen. We had a huge freezer in the garage with a lock on it, and that's where we kept it. A "side of beef" as it was called (half a cow) would last us the whole year. My mom always said it was cheaper than buying it at a store, and my parents were pretty thrifty (that's where I got it from! ). I would assume the same is true today, but I don't know. That was about 40 years ago.

*********

Quote from love2shop2much : Hubby and I are considering buying a whole pig and having it butchered. Wondered if anyone else has ever done this...is it really cheaper in the long run over sale prices of meats. I'm sure it varies from region to region, but I'm also curious the cost...whether it's cheaper to buy the pig from a farmer and then have it butchered or just go to a butcher shop and buy a package?

Yes and most butchers will let you choose how much of everything you want. EX: More ground so less chuck roast, ect. Great cost savings over graocery store prices. Unless you have a load of freezer space, go in with friends or family.

We are blessed to be farmers, and we raise our own cattle and hogs. Once in a great while we run out of beef and I just will not buy hamburger in the store.....I have the steaks cut up, and everything else put into hamburger....it is the best you've ever tasted, hands down! Now the pork to me is quite bland...not a fan, but my husband grew up on it and loves it. You will pay for the hanging weight of the cow, which includes bones and all that good stuff, then like firstbase said, they will ask how you want it cut up, how many steaks per package, how thick you want them, what size packages for the hamburger, etc. Then you'll pay them a processing fee...it is not cheap any more, but it is cheaper than the stores and tastes SO much better.

Wonderful information.... Yes Ive heard that its cheaper, healthier ; only if you get a healthy fed animal. Recently Ive seen on the news here that some farmers are feeding the animals the bulk candy (yes sweet stuff) and some hay mixed in.

Yep we do both. Buy a cow and have it butchered. Cost i would say is a bit more expensive than buying ground in store but you get all the steaks roast etc.. So what youre getting is less expensive if younwould be buying all that stuff anYway. Not cheap tombuy all a same time though. Its a big bill especially right now. Also do hogs every winter. Do that ny ourselves. Saves a lot of money,
Wealso do our own chickens, about 20 per year. Maybe a bit more expensive or even but taste of all of tjese are much better and healthier

I have bought both and would rather go to the store when there is a sale on the type of cut I want and stock up. That way I can see what I am getting and the sizes. I have found when I give orders to the butcher, they are messed up all the time. They don't know how many people I am cooking for at a time. They also don't label the size of the roasts, so you never know. Then when I open one and it is all fat, not enough meat for whom all is eating that night. Also I was told sausage should be frozen in water and they do not do that.

If you decide to butcher tell them you will wrap the meat yourself (if you want) that way you have control over how much is in the package. We bought one of the shrink wrap things and freeze our own when we butcher or buy large quantities at the store when a good deal.

I bought a whole cow. I added up how much meat we got and we could do better buying ground beef on sale, but for the price we got steaks and roasts. Not only that, but this cow was grass fed, no antibiotics, etc. and tastes so much better than your average grocery store beef. I like to brown the ground beef and eat it plain, no salt or anything. I would never do that with grocery store beef.

And, when you buy beef on sale to stock your freezer you have to repackage it in freezer bags and into the size packages you want. If you have a cow butchered you get it exactly how you want it, frozen solid (unless you request otherwise) and ready to put in the freezer.

Quote from chocandy : I have bought both and would rather go to the store when there is a sale on the type of cut I want and stock up. That way I can see what I am getting and the sizes. I have found when I give orders to the butcher, they are messed up all the time. They don't know how many people I am cooking for at a time. They also don't label the size of the roasts, so you never know. Then when I open one and it is all fat, not enough meat for whom all is eating that night. Also I was told sausage should be frozen in water and they do not do that. If you decide to butcher tell them you will wrap the meat yourself (if you want) that way you have control over how much is in the package. We bought one of the shrink wrap things and freeze our own when we butcher or buy large quantities at the store when a good deal.

Sounds like you need a better butcher.

Thanks everyone for the tips. The butcher shop I'd be using is run by Amish folk...oh how I <3 them. They really know what they're doing. I called our guy at the farm and they won't have the pig ready till next month...not quite fat enough..haaa.

I finally get to post on something I actually know about. The price is going to be a little bit higher than what you would pay for sale cuts of meat but the quality of the meat should be much better depending on who is raising the animal. The store I work at charges around $2.20 per pound for beef, which is hanging weight. Last time I got a quarter I estimated that I got 65% of the hanging weight in meat, which is a little bit higher than average. Processing fees vary but are around .50-.65 per pound. That's for beef. Our pork processing fee is included in the hanging weight so you might want to find out if it is or not.

You can save more money if you like the extras, like the liver and other organs. The butcher will usually throw these in for nothing and you can either eat them or feed them to pets. You can also request the fat if you think you can use it. I make soap so I do this.

I think pork is a better deal purchased in bulk. For a cow, many people come back in to buy more steaks because you just don't get very many of those. There is a reason they cost more. So if you really like hamburger and roasts, buying a whole animal is a good deal.

Quote from Zyxx : I finally get to post on something I actually know about. The price is going to be a little bit higher than what you would pay for sale cuts of meat but the quality of the meat should be much better depending on who is raising the animal. The store I work at charges around $2.20 per pound for beef, which is hanging weight. Last time I got a quarter I estimated that I got 65% of the hanging weight in meat, which is a little bit higher than average. Processing fees vary but are around .50-.65 per pound. That's for beef. Our pork processing fee is included in the hanging weight so you might want to find out if it is or not. You can save more money if you like the extras, like the liver and other organs. The butcher will usually throw these in for nothing and you can either eat them or feed them to pets. You can also request the fat if you think you can use it. I make soap so I do this. I think pork is a better deal purchased in bulk. For a cow, many people come back in to buy more steaks because you just don't get very many of those. There is a reason they cost more. So if you really like hamburger and roasts, buying a whole animal is a good deal.

Could you give me an idea of how many different types of cuts you get from a pig. Like roasts, loins, sausage, bacon, etc?

Quote from TheWoman : Sounds like you need a better butcher.

You are right except we bought the pig and steer from brother in law and he takes it to someone he always uses. This is why we don't do it anymore!