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Small scale meat farming: growing, finishing, processing

This webpage is a collection of information on the many aspects of raising and processing meat animals on a small scale. We address both the small-scale commercial producer wanting to supply meat to customers and the backyard, home-use producer wanting to supply food for the family.

Many important steps need to be taken prior to and after the actual slaughter of any meat animal. These are necessary for welfare, safety, and meat quality. We start off this collection with information on selecting and purchasing meat animals that will yield high amounts of quality food, take you through growing and finishing harvest-ready animals, address humane handling and slaughter, as well as food safety and laws governing the process. We hope to contribute to a secure food system in Oregon.

Selecting & purchasing animals

Selecting meat animals for slaughter

FAO | Jun 2020 | Online resource

Feeder Cattle Grades, Carcass Grades, & Meat Palatability

Overview of feeder cattle and carcass grades. The presentation previously used with the USDA Carcass Beef Grades and Standards.

Shelby Filley | Jun 2020 | Educational document

Slaughter Lambs, Yearlings, and Sheep Grades and Standards

The USDA grades and standards for slaughter lambs, yearlings, and sheep can be helpful in evaluating your own sheep.

USDA | Mar 2021 | Online resource

USDA Slaughter swine grades and standards

The USDA official grades and standards for slaughter swine are useful for evaluating your own hogs.

USDA | Mar 2021 | Online resource

Examples of swine and carcass grades (slides)

This presentation shows examples of slaughter swine and carcasses to go along with the official USDA descriptions from their websites on Slaughter Swine and Carcass Grades.

Shelby Filley | Mar 2021 | Presentation

Price of hogs

What's the price of hogs? This USDA Agriculture Marketing Service website has wholesale prices of hogs from many areas across the US. Use these as a guide to buying hogs in Oregon.

USDA | Jul 2020 | Online resource

Price of goats

What's the price of goats? This USDA Ag. Marketing Service website has prices for goats across the US. Use these as a guide to prices for goats in Oregon.

USDA | Jul 2020 | Online resource

Price of lambs (slaughter)

What's the price of slaughter lambs? USDA Market News has several reports. Some include Oregon prices, others can be used as a guide for local prices.

USDA | Jul 2020 | Online resource

Wholesale price of beef

What is the price of beef? Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner.’s Wholesale Price Update gives a unique, top-line view of average reported wholesale prices on beef subprimal cuts. Charts are prepared using data from USDA Market News and the VMMeat® System by Meat Solutions.

Cattlemen's Beef Board | Jul 2020 | Online resource

Where to purchase beef

This Oregon Cattlemen's Association resource lists producers who sell meat. You will have to contact them directly to see if they would sell you a live animal you can take home and process yourself.

Oregon Cattlemen's Association | Jun 2020 | Online resource

Services - Producer Organizations

Here are some handy links to organizations important to raising livestock and forages and their products.

Shelby Filley | Aug 2019 | Collection

Growing, finishing, & handling

Feeder Cattle Grades, Carcass Grades, & Meat Palatability

Overview of feeder cattle and carcass grades. The presentation previously used with the USDA Carcass Beef Grades and Standards.

Shelby Filley | Jun 2020 | Educational document

Improving calf performance by extending the grazing season with warm-season grasses and brassica forages

This research project set out to determine whether grazing cow-calf pairs on warm season grasses and brassica pastures would extend the grazing season and positively affect calf weaning weights and other characteristics.

Shelby Filley, Janice Hunter | May 2024 | Article Peer reviewed (Gray level)

Strategies for managing pastures during dry conditions

Cool-season perennial and annual forages often struggle during the heat of summer. Fortunately, there are some strategies to consider — including planting drought-tolerant forages, warm-season grasses and annual legumes.

Shelby Filley | Aug 2024 | Article Peer reviewed (Gray level)

Determining the Market Rediness of Beef Cattle

This video from Cornell University Extension demonstrates the points to look at to determine if a steer is finished.

Mike Baker | Dec 2020 | Online resource

How to Tell When Your Lamb is Finished

This video from North Carolina ATTRA demonstrates how to determine if your lamb is finished.

NCAT | Dec 2020 | Online resource

Animal handling and transportation

Meat quality can be affected by stress and handing of the live animal. This section of the Temple Grandin website has information on quietly and safely handling and transporting animals.

Temple Grandin | Jul 2020 | Online resource Peer reviewed (Gray level)

Living on The Land: Raising Rabbits for Meat—Getting Started

This publication is part of the Living on the Land series. It provides concise information on raising rabbits as a source of meat. Topics include choosing which breed to raise and selecting your initial breeding...

Elli Korthuis, Brian Tuck, Susan Kerr, Shilah Olson, Ellen Hammond | Mar 2023 | Extension Catalog publication Peer reviewed (Orange level)

Slaughtering Meat Animals

  • ODA Resources for Meat Processors and Producers: Oregon Department of Agriculture works to assist ​​meat processors and livestock producers in Oregon. They have Meat processor ​resources​​​​​​​​, Livestock producer direct marketing resources, and more.
  • Frequently Asked Questions About Using Custom-exempt Slaughter and Processing Facilities in Oregon for Beef, Pork, Lamb and Goat: Oregon livestock producers selling retail cuts of meat by the package to consumers are required to have livestock slaughtered and processed at a USDA-inspected facility. However, some producers choose to sell live ...
  • Niche meat processing assistance network: The Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network (NMPAN) is a national community of practice of people and organizations helping small meat processors thrive, and growing our shared wealth of information and innovation.
  • Humane slaughter: Descriptions of humane stunning and slaughtering of animals. (Mostly for large-scale operations, but Captive Bolt Stunning section useful for home slaughter.)
  • Humane Killing of Livestock Using Firearms: The Humane Slaughter Association website out of the UK has detailed information on how to humanely kill cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, deer, and horses.
  • Slaughtering practices and techniques: This resource has information on animal handling, slaughter, meat and by-products. It was made for small ruminants but has good principles for all animal species. Make sure you also follow current and local laws when using this book.
  • Ritual Slaughter (Kosher and Halal): Ritual (religious) slaughter is slaughter done according to the religious requirements of either the Jewish or Muslim religious faith. The animal is slaughtered, without being stunned, with a razor sharp knife. When the cut is done correctly, the animal appears not to feel it. For both humane and safety reasons, plants which conduct ritual (religious) slaughter should install modern upright restraining equipment. There are many different types of humane restraint devices available. Some of these are highlighted on this website.
  • How and where to shoot a cattle beast: This video shows how to find the correct anatomical place to shoot a cow/steer and how this ensures that the animal dies quickly and humanely.
  • Home Slaughtering and Processing of Beef: This University of Missouri website contains information on home slaughter of beef cattle.
  • Organ removal during slaughter - cow: This video shows how to remove the internal organs during slaughter.
  • At-Home Hog Slaughter: This South Dakota State University website is a comprehensive collection of information on hog slaughter for home use.
  • Organ removal during slaughter - sheep: This video shows how to remove the internal organs during slaughter of a sheep.
  • Small-Scale Poultry Slaughter: This ATTRA publication shows equipment and outlines the process of slaughtering poultry for meat.
  • A Best-Practices Guide to Open-Air Poultry Slaughter: Oregon poultry producers who meet certain conditions can slaughter chicken, turkey and other birds in an open-air setting. But they still must meet requirements for sanitation, monitoring, recordkeeping and more. These...
  • Slaughtering and Dressing Rabbits: This Mississippi State University Extension publication covers slaughtering and dressing of rabbits. It also includes methods for tanning skins.

Waste Disposal

Large Animal Mortality- Safe and legal disposal of animal carcasses

Oregon Department of Agriculture brochure covers how to safely and legally dispose of large animal carcasses (or discarded parts thereof).

ODA | Jun 2020 | Online resource

Composting: An Alternative for Livestock Manure Management and Disposal of Dead Animals

This publication compares composted and uncomposted manure; explains the composting process; describes equipment and strategies for composting; and lists uses, advantages, and drawbacks of compost. Discusses regulations, and...

Michael Gamroth | Aug 2020 | Extension Catalog publication Peer reviewed (Orange level)

Meat laws: licenses, sales, waste disposal

Make sure you follow the laws when it comes to required licenses, sales, waste disposal, and other aspects of processing meat animals.

ODA | Jun 2020 | Online resource

Fabrication Equipment and Process

The basic equipment for at-home meat processing

Nathan Parker | Jul 2020 | Article

Butchering a lamb

This is a Bon Appétit website video on butchering a lamb.

Bon Appétit | Jul 2020 | Online resource

Cuts of lamb with recipes

This American Lamb website is full of great pictures and information on lamb.

American Lamb | Dec 2020 | Online resource

Butchering a pig

This is a Bon Appétit website video on butchering a pig.

Bon Appetit | Jul 2020 | Online resource

Butchering a beef

This is a Bon Appétit website video on butchering an entire cow.

Bon Appétit | Jul 2020 | Online resource

Beef Cutting Videos

Cutting videos from Cattlemen's Beef Board.

Cattlemen's Beef Board | Jul 2020 | Online resource

Beef Cut Charts

Cut charts from Cattlemen's Beef Board.

Jul 2020 | Online resource

Beef Cutting Guides

Cutting guides from Cattlemen's Beef Board.

Jul 2020 | Online resource

Meat Charts - Beef, Pork, Lamb, Goat

This website has charts with retail cuts of meat and the primal cuts from which they come.

Weber | Dec 2020 | Online resource

Sharing Meat with Others

Meat laws: licenses, sales, waste disposal

Make sure you follow the laws when it comes to required licenses, sales, waste disposal, and other aspects of processing meat animals.

ODA | Jun 2020 | Online resource

How Much Meat to Expect

  • Feeder Cattle Grades, Carcass Grades, & Meat Palatability: Overview of feeder cattle and carcass grades. The presentation previously used with the USDA Carcass Beef Grades and Standards.
  • USDA Carcass Beef Grades and Standards: The amount of beef from a carcass is termed "yield" and is the pounds of closely trimmed retail cuts you get. Of course you want to get a large percentage of meat from your animal. This website contains the legal definitions that can help you understand what goes into this measurement.
  • Take home beef: This is a brochure from the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture: "Not all of the cow makes it to the table. On average, a 1,000 pound steer will only weigh approximately 61% of it’s live weight once it makes it to the rail."
  • Preparing to buy a quarter of a beef: This graphic from University of Minnesota Extension shows common cuts, freezer space, and costs for a quarter of a beef.
  • Preparing to buy a whole lamb: This graphic from University of Minnesota Extension shows common cuts, freezer space, and costs for a whole lamb.
  • USDA Lamb Grades and Standards: Lamb carcass grades for quality and yield can help you know what to expect after slaughter of sheep. USDA is the official, but anyone can estimate for their own purposes.
  • Yield Grades and Quality Grades for Lamb Carcasses: This University of Nebraska publication describes the yield and quality of lamb carcasses. Information can be used to estimate lamb meat quantity and eating quality.
  • USDA Pork Carcass Grades and Standards: Hog carcass grades for quality and yield can help you know what to expect after slaughter. Information can be used to estimate pork quantity and eating quality.
  • Preparing to buy a half a hog: This graphic from University of Minnesota Extension shows common cuts, freezer space, and costs for half a hog.
  • Meat and Offal Yields of Goats: Information is provided on the meat yield, carcass composition, and yield of other components (offal) from goats grown in southern Australia.
  • Goat Meat Quality: This short article from Michigan State University Extension has information on goat meat quality.
  • Preparing to buy a whole goat: This graphic from University of Minnesota Extension shows common cuts, freezer space, and costs for a goat.
  • Preparing to buy whole chickens: This graphic from University of Minnesota Extension shows common cuts, freezer space, and costs for chicken.

Food Safety

Home Food Safety and Preservation Program

OSU Extension Family and Community Health ensures Oregonians have access to the most reliable information available on safe food handling at home. We offer food safety and preservation resources and classes, including our Master Food Preserver program.

Program

Storing Meat

Canning Meat, Poultry, and Game

Canning meats is made more simple using this easy-to-follow guide! Wonderful and tasty recipes within.

Lizann Powers-Hammond | Mar 2018 | Extension Catalog publication Peer reviewed (Orange level)

Curing and Smoking Poultry Meat (SP 50-693)

Cured and smoked poultry, especially smoked turkey, is popular during the holidays, especially Thanksgiving. Curing and smoking impart a delicate flavor and pink color to poultry. Here's a DIY guide to smoking poultry.

Jan Busboom | Mar 2013 | Article Peer reviewed (Gray level)

Storing meat in your freezer

This short article describes best practices for freezing meat.

University of Illinois Extension | Jul 2020 | Online resource

Considerations for Cooking

Cooking Beef

The Oregon Beef Council has information on cooking different cuts of beef using different methods of cooking.

Jun 2020 | Online resource

Food Hero

Food Hero is your go-to site for quick, tasty, healthy recipes and helpful tips. Whether you're a beginner or a pro, you'll find something new for your family to enjoy.

Program

We hope to add more details soon, including videos and webinars. Please let us know if you do not see an item you think should be included.

May 2020
Authors
Juliana Ranches
Assistant Professor, Extension Beef Specialist
Nathan Parker
(Former)
Photo of Shelby
Shelby Filley
Regional Livestock & Forages
Want to learn more about this topic? Explore more resources from OSU Extension: Beef cattle, Poultry and rabbits, Sheep and goats, Swine

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