Anyone teach slaughter & butcher of farm animals and game?

[simplysue]

We are looking for someone in the Grande Prairie, (prefer Demmitt/Hythe) area that teaches or will teach slaughter and butchering of (our own) farm animals and wild game. Trying to save some money on farming and hunting. tia

[fish_e_o]

i'm not from your area but i have a suggestion. if you can't find anyone check out youtube.

i hear they have some great videos on how to butcher deer

[albertadeer]

Originally Posted by simplysue

We are looking for someone in the Grande Prairie, (prefer Demmitt/Hythe) area that teaches or will teach slaughter and butchering of (our own) farm animals and wild game. Trying to save some money on farming and hunting. tia

I assume you've talked to the beaverlodge butcher?


What about Shawns custom meat cutting?
South wapiti meats?



See the issue is your timing. It's about to get insanely busy for every butcher in the peace country. Maybe try spring time.

[simplysue]

Yeah, it's just not the same as doing it though. Youtube is how we learned to do our chickens and rabbits.
Biggest thing for us is the pigs. We did the first part on the farm and then got them ready for the butcher, who did the rest, took almost 3 weeks and they came back finished, cut and wrapped, with a big bill lol

[wildwoods]

Originally Posted by simplysue

Yeah, it's just not the same as doing it though. Youtube is how we learned to do our chickens and rabbits.
Biggest thing for us is the pigs. We did the first part on the farm and then got them ready for the butcher, who did the rest, took almost 3 weeks and they came back finished, cut and wrapped, with a big bill lol

YouTube is your friend. So many great videos with the basics. https://m.youtube.com/user/McClendonMeats this guy has some awesome, simple videos.

[omega50]

Befriend a Hutterite and be willing to put your back into it.

Be prepared to eat crosscut Chicken Steaks

[Okotokian]

I learned how to gut, skin, and some very rudimentary butchering from youtube. Halfords has a large number of instructional videos as well as the equipment you might need.
https://www.halfordsmailorder.com/eS...VD.aspx?store=

[gatesniffer]

Michael Cross did 4 excellent videos on beef. All boneless, no saws at all. I cut my first beef with his help and it turned out awesome. He is Australian, so have your ears open if the accent is a bit too much.

[Au revoir, Gopher]

Originally Posted by omega50

Be prepared to eat crosscut Chicken Steaks

I am sure a butcher would cringe if they saw some of the packages I put in my freezer. But the guy I cut/wrap for doesn't complain... oh wait I'm the guy I cut/wrap for

ARG

[simplysue]

Originally Posted by albertadeer

I assume you've talked to the beaverlodge butcher?


What about Shawns custom meat cutting?
South wapiti meats?



See the issue is your timing. It's about to get insanely busy for every butcher in the peace country. Maybe try spring time.

The Beaverlodge Butcher Shop are the ones doing our pigs right now. I don't think they would teach us how to do it ourselves and lose business. Same with most other businesses.
We want first hand teaching from someone with experience. We know we can look online and watch all the youtube videos, done that. Nothing like first hand knowledge and experience and that is what we want. Proper handling, cooling and processing temps etc etc. Tips for best equipment, building our own cold room. All that is invaluable knowledge and we would be searching endlessly for all of this different information online. We are looking for someone we can learn from, obviously we would pay them or a course to take around here. Not really interested in spending time looking for all this online. Prefer hands on.

[pikergolf]

Check your local community College calendar events. The rural ones sometimes put on courses like what you are after.

[omega50]

Does not sound overly likely that you will get anyone in your area to do what you need because then they would be losing business.

I would contract a butcher from a larger centre to come out for a weekend clinic and split the costs with some Farmer/Rancher neighbors.
Feed and house the butcher and see all projects thru to completion.

I contracted a well respected Calgary area Game processor to put on a clinic many years ago in a Buddies garage.
We provided the game meat,basic gear, beer and the space. We told him what we needed to learn-and how much of each kind of game meat we had.
He provided all the trim, recipes,spices, casings and hand-outs.

Was huge value-I put 8 hunters in the room at a fair charge per head

So butcher took home about $600 and also got 8 new customers coming to his shop to buy trim, casing, spices for many years after.

Win Win

[Grizzly Adams]

Fairview college have a meat cutting course?

Grizz

[Hotwheels81]

Originally Posted by simplysue

The Beaverlodge Butcher Shop are the ones doing our pigs right now. I don't think they would teach us how to do it ourselves and lose business. Same with most other businesses.
We want first hand teaching from someone with experience. We know we can look online and watch all the youtube videos, done that. Nothing like first hand knowledge and experience and that is what we want. Proper handling, cooling and processing temps etc etc. Tips for best equipment, building our own cold room. All that is invaluable knowledge and we would be searching endlessly for all of this different information online. We are looking for someone we can learn from, obviously we would pay them or a course to take around here. Not really interested in spending time looking for all this online. Prefer hands on.

My coworker trained under his father as a butcher, he is good.

I'm trying to talk him into putting on a small course for a SMALL group of people but he is quite shy... PM me your name/number if your interested in driving to Valleyview and I'll keep trying.



This is a very good book and covers cows and pigs as well as game...
http://www.amazon.ca/Hunters-Guide-B.../dp/0760343756


As for equipment the 2 biggest investments are a commercial grinder and a band saw, a decent saw will cost you between a few hundred or several thousand dollars if bought second hand depending on quality... I have a Peavymart band saw and it is horrible for cutting large bone-in steaks/roasts, 2 other friends have the same saw with the same issue... The grinder on mine makes up for it tho as it chews thru anything as fast as I can feed it.

[simplysue]

Originally Posted by Hotwheels81

My coworker trained under his father as a butcher, he is good.

I'm trying to talk him into putting on a small course for a SMALL group of people but he is quite shy... PM me your name/number if your interested in driving to Valleyview and I'll keep trying.



This is a very good book and covers cows and pigs as well as game...
http://www.amazon.ca/Hunters-Guide-B.../dp/0760343756


As for equipment the 2 biggest investments are a commercial grinder and a band saw, a decent saw will cost you between a few hundred or several thousand dollars if bought second hand depending on quality... I have a Peavymart band saw and it is horrible for cutting large bone-in steaks/roasts, 2 other friends have the same saw with the same issue... The grinder on mine makes up for it tho as it chews thru anything as fast as I can feed it.

We will send you a message. If the timing could work out, husband works in the patch, then we would come to Valleyview.

[igorot]

I buy most of my butchering supply from this guys. They have a branch in Edmonton

http://highcaliberproducts.com/

I bought a small band saw from them. I think it was fabricated in Edmonton and it is sturdy built. It cuts every thing from pork, beef bones and of course the odd deer if I get one

[amosfella]

you might talk to vcmm... DON'T tell him that I sent you... lol

[Deemoss]

Hey Omega,
Do you mind sharing this butcher's name? I'm in Calgary and I'd like to set up a workshop similar to the one you put together with your buddies.

Thanks,

D

Originally Posted by omega50

Does not sound overly likely that you will get anyone in your area to do what you need because then they would be losing business.

I would contract a butcher from a larger centre to come out for a weekend clinic and split the costs with some Farmer/Rancher neighbors.
Feed and house the butcher and see all projects thru to completion.

I contracted a well respected Calgary area Game processor to put on a clinic many years ago in a Buddies garage.
We provided the game meat,basic gear, beer and the space. We told him what we needed to learn-and how much of each kind of game meat we had.
He provided all the trim, recipes,spices, casings and hand-outs.

Was huge value-I put 8 hunters in the room at a fair charge per head

So butcher took home about $600 and also got 8 new customers coming to his shop to buy trim, casing, spices for many years after.

Win Win

[TUFFBUFF]

Originally Posted by simplysue

We are looking for someone in the Grande Prairie, (prefer Demmitt/Hythe) area that teaches or will teach slaughter and butchering of (our own) farm animals and wild game. Trying to save some money on farming and hunting. tia

PM me and will give you a name, lives 2mi from hythe. Not sure if willing but never hurts to ask.

[norwestalta]

Originally Posted by Au revoir, Gopher

I am sure a butcher would cringe if they saw some of the packages I put in my freezer. But the guy I cut/wrap for doesn't complain... oh wait I'm the guy I cut/wrap for

ARG

Isn't that the truth. Lol. Don't have the best steaks or roasts but the hamburger is fantastic.

[russ]

Originally Posted by igorot

I buy most of my butchering supply from this guys. They have a branch in Edmonton

http://highcaliberproducts.com/

I bought a small band saw from them. I think it was fabricated in Edmonton and it is sturdy built. It cuts every thing from pork, beef bones and of course the odd deer if I get one

I have to say that a bandsaw isn't really necessary to do good meat cutting. Getting & keeping knives sharp is what most of us need to learn first. Butcher cuts are pretty straight forward once we understand how to follow muscle groups.

[elkivory]

I do all of my own butchering and I am self taught. I can highly recommend The Outdoor Edge Butchering and Game Processing DVD series, which gives you detailed instructions on how to process from A to Z.

These DVDs also include how to make several varieties of sausages and jerky. A must for everyone that wants to do avoid the astronomical costs of having a butcher do it for you and do it themselves instead.

A penny saved is a penny earned and you get a lot of satisfaction and pride in knowing that you can do it on your own, plus you never have to worry if the animal or meat you get back is actually yours.

To see the videos I speak of go to: http://www.outdooredge.com/game-proc...ideos-s/26.htm

The must have knives I use are the 6" Flexible Henkel deboning knife and the Dick Ergogrip 10" Butcher Knife. The sharpener I use is the AccuSharp knife sharpener.

A meat grinder is also a must and making your own burger could not be easier. I cut my meat @15% with beef fat. I have a 3hp Meat grinder that works like a charm and I would not go with a lower HP. Pictures below.

Do it yourself processing is fun, with Very Sharp Knives and several Ice Cold Brewskies, about 8 work for me lol.

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[Puma]

Talk to Olds college, they have a meat cutting program and do lots of rural home type courses. Also lots of people who were involved in the classes. Quite sure they could help.

[simplysue]

Originally Posted by elkivory

I do all of my own butchering and I am self taught. I can highly recommend The Outdoor Edge Butchering and Game Processing DVD series, which gives you detailed instructions on how to process from A to Z.

These DVDs also include how to make several varieties of sausages and jerky. A must for everyone that wants to do avoid the astronomical costs of having a butcher do it for you and do it themselves instead.

A penny saved is a penny earned and you get a lot of satisfaction and pride in knowing that you can do it on your own, plus you never have to worry if the animal or meat you get back is actually yours.

To see the videos I speak of go to: http://www.outdooredge.com/game-proc...ideos-s/26.htm

The must have knives I use are the 6" Flexible Henkel deboning knife and the Dick Ergogrip 10" Butcher Knife. The sharpener I use is the AccuSharp knife sharpener.

A meat grinder is also a must and making your own burger could not be easier. I cut my meat @15% with beef fat. I have a 3hp Meat grinder that works like a charm and I would not go with a lower HP. Pictures below.

Do it yourself processing is fun, with Very Sharp Knives and several Ice Cold Brewskies, about 8 work for me lol.

Attachment 110876 Attachment 110877 Attachment 110878 Attachment 110879 Attachment 110880

Thanks for that info! Hubby might be getting some knives for Christmas

[elkivory]

Originally Posted by simplysue

Thanks for that info! Hubby might be getting some knives for Christmas

That makes you an exceptional lady! It's way easier then it seems, once you start you will never look back!

Best of luck, Elk.

[omega50]

I also like the book "Butchering- Beef"
By Adam Danforth
Covers beef from farm to fork

http://www.amazon.com/Butchering-Bee.../dp/1612121837

Then this covers most of the rest
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/161...ZXS881QJBKT8ZF

[chewydog]

I was a meat cutter in my younger days, still do all my own cutting and wrapping, and smoking sausage.

I'm in the redwater area if anyone wants to learn about cutting big game this fall. I debone all the cuts so no meat saw is required. Been doing it for 30 years, jeez makes me sound old.

Thx Chewy