do you have beef questions?

Our cattle are 100% grass-fed on pastures that are only naturally fertilized with manure and never sprayed.  Our pastures have a mixture of alfalfa, red clover, timothy, fescue, orchard grass, and perennial rye.  Hay, harvested from our fields, provide nutrients during the winter months.  We do not feed our cattle grain of any kind.

Hanging weight is also known as “on the rail”.  This term refers to the weight of the animal as it hangs in the butcher’s cooler once the head, hide, feet, organs and blood are removed. If you think of any movie with a butcher shop scene and there are sides of beef hanging from hooks on the ceiling, that is what “on the rail” means. Most butchers base the processing fees on the hanging weight, it is the most widely used measurement by farmers. Price quotes will frequently say something like “$4.75/lb hanging weight (paid to farmer) plus cut and wrap (paid to butcher)”.

Pricing is the hardest thing we do on the farm.  How do you assess a price to a product that has so much time and labor in it when you work for free?  We base our pricing on what other farms in our area are doing and make sure it makes sense after we calculate all our expenses incurred during the life of the animal.   Our expenses include animal purchase price, veterinary care, freight, hay, bedding, water, fuel, electric, and other operating expenses.  We want to make sure it is affordable for families.

Once the livestock is of age, we will deliver it for butchering and processing.  We will notify you of the butcher date prior to delivery. You will then need to contact the butcher and let them know how you would like your meat processed and cut. They will call you when it is ready for pickup.

Detailed ordering process

1. Reserve the amount of freezer beef that you would like to purchase.
2. We will confirm your reservation.
3. We will notify you 1-2 weeks prior to the butcher date.
4. We will deliver the animal to the butcher.
5. You will call New Town Butchery, Xenia, Ohio, to get the hanging weight and notify them of your desired processing. The hanging weight will determine the total amount due. During this time, they can answer your questions and help you determine the best way to have your meat cut.
6. We will call you when your meat is ready for pickup or arranged for New Town to deliver.

Your payments are due when you pick up the processed meat.  Two payments will be made.

1. One check to Sunnyrock Farm for the meat.
2. One check to New Town Butchery for the processing.

*Cash or check accepted.

Your meat will keep in the freezer for 365 days.

Cut weight (meaning cut and wrapped for your freezer) is approximately 60% of the hanging weight.  For example, if the live weight of a steer is 1,000 pounds, the hanging weight will be around 600 pounds (60% of live weight).  The cut weight will be around 360 pounds; 60% of hanging weight and 36% of live weight.

Live Weight x 60% = Hanging Weight

1,000 lbs x 60% = +/- 600 pounds

Live Weight x 36% = Cut Weight

1,000 lbs x 36% = +/- 360 pounds of cuts

Hanging Weight x 60% = Cut Weight

600 lbs x 60% = +/- 360 lbs of cuts

The University of Tennessee, Institute of Agriculture has a thorough explanation of the percentages and the factors that effect the final weight.  It’s very interesting and shows you how the numbers are approximate.  Here’s the Link for the pdf.

We use antibiotics only when necessary to protect the animal’s health. Antibiotics similar to penicillin are used to treat pneumonia and infections from cuts and flies.  We honor all antibiotic withdraw periods before processing to ensure quality.  

Cattle respond differently to viruses and infections than people.  For example, pneumonia is very deadly in cattle.  The survival rate is extremely low if left untreated.  Another common example is pink eye.  In cattle, pink eye is an almost guarantee that they will permanently lose sight in the infected eye.  Even more so, pink eye spreads like wildfire through the herd. 

Prevention and early treatment is paramount to maintain herd health – so yes, we unapologetically use antibiotics.  There is nothing worse than seeing an animal suffer and die unnecessarily.

Yes, we vaccinate regularly to maintain herd health.  All bull calves are vaccinated with Tetinus before banding.  We also use a common vaccination call Triangle 10 HB, which helps aid in the prevention of disease caused by infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), bovine virus diarrhea (BVD Types 1 and 2), parainfluenza 3 (PI3), bovine respiratory syncytial (BRSV) viruses and Leptospira pomona, L. hardjo, L. grippotyphosa, L. canicola, and L. icterohaemorrhagiae, prevention of urinary shedding of L. borgpetersenii serovar hardjo in Heifers 10 months of age and older, and as an aid in the reduction of clinical disease due to IBR.  Most all of these diseases, if left unvaccinated, lead to death.  Feel free to research these diseases for more information. 

Did you know that some vaccines are used to prevent diseases transmitted by deer?  Just because we are a closed herd, it doesn’t mean disease can’t come from other sources, such as wildlife.

Heck no!  The cows have all they need to grow:  grass, water, and sunshine.