JHO Ham Slam aftermath

[vandal968]

Just picked up my pig parts from Bobby Lee's. I had dropped off the torso and Hams (gave the front legs to my hunting partners). 79# of pig dropped off. Asked them to smoke one ham, make whatever cuts made sense to the rest, ribs & 25# of hot links (25# is the minimum for sausage).

I got the call yesterday to pick him up, and I got him this am. They ground 44# into sausage and I discovered when I got home that they didn't give me any ribs. Total charge was $180

WTF?! Is this normal?

I'm going to loosen the screws on my scope before the next hunt. I don't think I can afford to shoot another one.

c

 

[superduty]

Vandal, I will be picking mine up today after work. I used to get charged a flat rate of $60.00 no matter how big but the owner has since sold the place and the new owner said he will let me know how much after he's done. Didn't make me feel very good hearing that so I reminded him how much they used to charge so we will see what happens. He said he just finished one and he charged $85.00 but he had to sleeve all the sausage for the guy plus no ribs. I said I will take the ribs reducing some labor and will take my sausage in packaged blocks. Hopefully I will not have to pay as much. I'll let you know tomorrow.

 

[pitdog]

That's one of the reasons I process my own meat. It's fun making sausage and smoking hams

.

 

[Hogskin]

Sounds to me like you got skinned. I'd expect it to be $100-125 based on what you dropped off. My

 

[Speckmisser]

$180?!?

You're actually the second person to comment on the price. That seems extreme though. I had two BIG hams smoked and cured last year for under $30. I know sausage can add up, but never had him make me any.

I'm starting to feel bad for recommending him.

 

[vandal968]

Spec,
not your fault. Actually, they're the only game in town anyway, so I would have ended up there with or without a recommendation. There is a butcher on Alameda called Scalise, but they don't deal with game meats anymore (should probably come off the JHO meat processors list). Everyone I've dealt with at Bobby Lee's has been very pleasant, but damn, I'm still trying to pick my jaw up off the floor after seeing the bill.

It looks like they charge a flat $80 "processing fee" just for dealing with the animal and associated paperwork. The guy said that the state requires them to keep records on each game animal for 5 yrs. I don't know what, if anything is included in the processing fee, or if that just gets the animal in the door.

Then they charged $13 to smoke the one ham (13#) And they charge $1.90/# to make sauasge and they made 44# (although I only asked for 25#) so that was $87 for the sauage.

$80 + $13 + $87 = $180

Would have been cheaper to give the pig a proper burial and go spend $180 at Safeway...

That sausage better be great. Actually, I still need to post the picture that shows how to fit a dead pig into the back of a Porsche. Heh heh...

c

 

[Speckmisser]

I guess it adds up. I didn't think about the processing fee.

When I take my hams, I've always got them all cut and ready. All they do is the smoking/curing process. No extra charge.

If it's any consolation, the sausage they make is A-NUMBER 1! Their smoke and cure on the hams is awesome too. I doubt you'll be disappointed there.

I am dying to see that picture of the pig in the Porsche, though.

 

[Vinswitch]

Green Acres in Simi Valley (on Los Angeles Avenue) does an awesome job on butchering. They charge a flat fee of $75 and a surchage if the hanging weight, less skin and head, is over 110 lbs. An extra fee is chaged for sausage, but you can have them make mild, italian hot or cajun. I've tried all three and they are great.

The last pig we did was over 110 lbs and we had roasts, backstraps and plenty of sausage made. Total bill was around $150.

 

[Vinswitch]

Consider this - a year and a half ago I was suspected of having a heart attack just after we hauled a pig out of a steep canyon on the Tejon. I was flown by LifeFlight from the Lebec Fire Station to Henry Mayo Hospital in Valencia.

All said and done, that was a $13,000 experience. That makes the meat I got from the butcher around $270 a pound. You guys all got off cheap!

 

[Speckmisser]

Dang Vinswitch... hope that sucker tasted GOOD!

I've got a couple of expensive meat stories too... but no heart attacks. Actually, my most expensive piece of meat ever was half a king mackerel. Maybe the story someday.

 

[Lone Wolf]

Ahhh but the fun ya'll had justifies the price per pound, at least that what I tell my wife when she reminds me what she pays for pork chops at the store.

 

[reddog5]

I picked up my hog from Green Acres yesterday. $95.18. Barbra weighed my pig from the HamSlam at 68lbs. My last pig was 30 lbs bigger and they charged me $75....That was also 2 years ago. Vandal is right, that stuff gets way expensive! I did have some sausage for breakfast this morning ,and it was the BEST!!!! I think i'll try and butcher my own pig next time.Sure will save a lot of money.

 

[KevinZ]

I just took one into Lawrence's Meat market in Alamo on Monday. They will do all the cuts plus sausage for $120 (no smoking). I thought that I was getting ripped off, but I guess it is about the going rate. I too may have to begin butchering them myself. I have done plenty of deer, but no pigs. However, I do not have a set-up for sausage.

Where is Bobby Lee's?

 

[wmidbrook]

Ouch~!

You should have sent the pig home with me. It's a flat fee of $50 for a deer or pig(Hilmar Meats) and that gets you all the ground you want and/or cut the way you want it cut. You can give them whatever spices/liquids you want added to the ground.

You could take the hams/trim over to Bobby Lee's or whereever later for smoking or sausage.

Or you can add your own marinade/spices to the ground and stuff it into sausages if you're so inclined.

Sausage anywhere is going to be pricey unless you do it yourself. I pay $3/lb for sausage using my own trim or ground for Lockeford meats bratwurst.

 

[Brian S]

Superduty,
Since Brea meats closed down I have been taking my stuff to Hicks meats in La Mirada. That should be pretty close to you. Qalhunter, and a few other guys here use them. I think my pig weighed 210 on the hoof last year and they did all the standard cuts and 2 kinds of sausage for around $80.
Brian

 

[bighorn67]

I butchered my own in camp on the 22nd. I am going to grind and season the sausange myself as well as cure and smoke the hams. I've got some neat recipes to try.

I have found that if you don't specify that you want the ribs, they get ground into sausage.

Dave

 

[BobcatJess]

Wow guys,

that buthchering can get pretty expensive. Luckily we never have any sausage made out of our pigs...just hams, ribs, back straps, roasts, and whatever is left goes in a crockpot with some vegies and spices..mmmm gooood...

It is pretty easy to butcher the main cuts your self... and whatever is left over use for a good ol' stew...

 

[spectr17]

We've got Eldon's Sausage products in the JHO online store. A sausage kit, how to make sausage video and a killer smoker.

http://www.jesseshunting.com/osCommerce/pr...products_id/147

http://www.jesseshunting.com/osCommerce/pr...products_id/149

http://www.jesseshunting.com/osCommerce/pr...products_id/156

Lots of seasonings to.

 

[superduty]

Brian S, yeah Robert sold Hicks Meats to Adam. I don't know if you have met Adam. Robert always charged me a flat rate of $60.00 know matter how big or the processing. Adam has my pig now and that's where I will be going after work today to see how much he is going to charge me now. His wife is pregnant with their first girl and he is refurbishing his house. It might be steep.

I don't believe he is processing anymore unless he knows you personnely from what he told me. I know he said he sent one out the door all done right before I got their but don't know if it belonged to anybody here or not.

 

[BDB]

I know how you feel. I took in some elk to Bobby Lee's. After processing it myself at home I took in some scrap meat for grinding and sausage. Also took in all the ribs since I was tired of cutting meat. 18 pounds of ribs just to be cut and wrapped. 6 pounds done into Jerkey and 24 pounds of scrap to be made into sausage. The total was about $118. After I questioned it they looked at it again and realized there should not be a certain fee and dropped it to $96. Great sausage though.

I'll be doing like spec from now on. Process the whole thing myself and sropping off some hams just for smoking. Maybe even some boned meat to be ground and made into sausage.