Strube Ranch Briskets???
 

Any idea when there will be stock again on the 14-16lb briskets?

I think 13 is the new 16...I have been saying it all year...with feed costs drought the ranchers are slaughtering at around 1300 pounds now and that means smaller briskets...

Are you saying that you are not expecting 14-16 to come back in stock?

I won't speak for Sterling, but I wouldn't expect that to become the norm any time soon for the reasons mentioned. A lot of ranchers aren't just taking beef to sale sooner, they are also reducing their herd size dramatically. Lack of water, limited availability of feed, and the cost are all factors. The lower the investment per head, the lower the risk is at the sale barn.

With some consistent rain on the retirement property we own I could make more $ with less risk with a couple of good cuttings of Coastal than I could gambling on raising beef. Instead, I'll probably sell at a discount to neighbors that depend on selling beef for part of their income.

He has been telling folks this since April/May.

Hint: Next year buy your brisky cases in advance and make sure you have the freezer space. :wink:

I can understand the whole feed cost, drought, etc reasoning for meat sold in supermarkets being smaller and more expensive, but on "high end" ridiculously expensive meat you would think they would be raised with no expense spared.

butch they actually know what they are doing yield vs feed...also the brisket is way down on their lists of things....

That's the problem with the American farmer today. It's about the money, not the product.

What?!?! Now, my cousin runs a feeding operation, and you think he should lose money, so you can have a 14 pound brisket? Just let the cattle over-graze, so his pasture is destroyed and he has to fight thistle for the next 5 years?

Incidentally, quality is relative, cooking a 13 pound Black Label Wagyu from SRF, the quality did not suck. Nor did the 10 pound Piedmontese brisket.

Really? The Strube Family is all about quality. BTW I got third today with a 12 pounder...

You actually think we make a killing on this?
If we don't produce a quality product there is nothing but lose!
Most feed lots contract a certain grade of meat, at $X per pound hanging weight. if it doesn't grade there's a big lose.
With last years corn prices, the highest ever, it was hard to justify feeding in hopes of any profit much less breaking even.
Also the butcher weight has gone down to get beefers finished quicker to meet the demand.

It's not just the brisket. It's the entire beef. Farmers today try to push the cows (and chickens and pigs and sheep, etc) out the door as fast as they can to maximize profit. These farmers are basically on a schedule and weight is not much of a concern. It's time. Not to mention what farmers are feeding their animals (and plants) these days.

On a properly run beef farm you don't have to worry about thistles or cows over-grazing. Cows should be moved every few days from field-to-field. This allows not only the field to recover, but also allows the cows to be eating fresh, established, green grass, in a way that cows naturally graze.

No, I don't think WE make a killing at this. But some farmers take pride in their product. I don;t care if you're a farmer, a furniture maker, or a cook, if you do not strive to produce the very best product you can, why do it at all?

I don't know you. I have no idea what you sell or who you're selling it to. But you mentioned feed lot. So I'd assume you're a production beef farmer.

You also mentioned corn prices. So I assume you feed your cattle corn.

Feed lots and corn seem to go hand-and-hand with todays American farmer. I know that just about every beef product in any grocery store across America today gets their product from a feed lot. These farmers, and the corporations they're selling to, claim that we cannot feed America any other way. I, personally, have a problem with that, and do not believe it for a minute. That's just my personal view on farming practices. We could debate it for years and never come to an agreement I'm sure.

Then there is the corn. Cows will certainly eat corn, but that does not mean it's good for them. Cows cannot digest corn. Look in a cow patty and you'll see whole kernels of corn that did not digest after passing through the four stomachs of a cow. I could get down into the nitty gritty of feeding beef corn, but that's what Google is for.

Problem I have with a lot of commercial beef farmers (not naming you here), is they complain about feed prices, or the price they get for their beef, then turn around and grab tens-of-thousands in subsidy money.

Feed lot cows:

http://sv4w.com/gallery/albums/userp...lot_Corral.jpg

Which cow would you rather eat?

http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j...80545358271927

Yeah I'm not here to argue or sit here making justification for any farming practice.
I'm sure we differ in opinions and I agree to disagree and leave it where it is.
Have a great day. :thumb:

Edit: I will say our cattle are not in any lot like that. They have pastures we rotate on a 4-5 day basis.