Processor

After making several attempts to sell a bull or two, the day finally came when we had to take one to the meat processor. Having our own beef has been one of our goals from the beginning, but when the time came it was still difficult.

Guv'nor chose out the unlucky one the day before and somehow managed to separate it from the other two. We had booked an appointment and had our son-in-law do the transporting for us on the day. Guv'nor was working, and I was out of town, so it wasn't just because we didn't have the heart to do it.

We have a part ownership in a nice cattle trailer with Neighbor. It's the kind of thing you need once in awhile, but not all the time, so a partnership is very handy. 

After luring the bull into the trailer with some hay, he seemed happily unaware of his fate. 

Guv'nor found a processor that could handle our needs, and was near enough not to stress the bull by the journey. We specifically wanted to age the meat by hanging for three weeks after being processed, and this processor had those facilities. We were also able to choose various options like the cuts, thickness of cuts, and amount to be ground.

The processing charges are based on the live weight on arrival, which for us was close to 1200 pounds.

Thanks to our son-in-law for all the photos.