Wildstead Way

Raising your own meat can be a rewarding way to gain control over what you and your family eat. It also offers a way to save money compared to buying meat from stores, especially if you manage the process wisely.

You can significantly cut costs by using practical strategies that make raising meat more affordable and efficient. With some planning and effort, you’ll find that producing your own meat fits better within your budget.

Breed your own animals to avoid buying new starters each year

Breeding your own animals can save you money by cutting out the cost of buying new starters annually.

It also gives you more control over genetics and the health of your herd.

You’ll spend more time managing your animals but reduce expenses like purchasing and transportation fees.

This approach is a common way to bring your meat costs down on the homestead source.

Process and butcher your own meat to save on fees

You can save a significant amount by processing and butchering your own meat. Paying for professional butchering often adds up, so learning the basics helps keep costs down.

Handling the cuts yourself lets you control portions and packaging. If you want, start small with a chicken or a single cut before moving to larger animals for more savings. For tips on butchering, check out how to cut the price of farm fresh meat.

Grow your own animal feed like garden scraps

You can save money by using kitchen and garden scraps to feed your animals. Leftover vegetables, fruit peels, and wilted greens can be nutritious additions to their diet.

Growing plants like sunflowers, peas, or grains in your garden provides extra feed without buying pricey bags. This approach helps reduce waste and keeps your feed costs down. For more ideas on making your own feed, check out how to make your own animal feeds.

Start with cross-bred calves such as Angus crosses for better beef traits

You can save money by starting with cross-bred calves like Angus crosses. These calves often grow faster and produce better-quality beef.

Crossbreeding combines traits like size, growth rate, and milk production, giving your herd an overall boost. For example, crossing Angus with Charolais can increase growth and size efficiently.

Choosing the right cross for your farm helps you raise healthier cattle with improved beef traits. Learn more about crossbreeding benefits here.

Use approximately 5 acres of land per cow to optimize space

You’ll want about 5 acres of pasture for each cow to ensure they have enough grass to graze. This helps keep your cattle healthy without overworking your land.

Adequate space also reduces the need for extra feed and lowers costs. Managing land wisely makes raising beef easier and more sustainable for you.

For more details on land use, visit this guide on raising beef on your own property.

Feed livestock with lentils or beans to supplement protein affordably

You can supplement your livestock’s diet with lentils or beans to boost protein without spending much. These legumes are nutritious and grow well in many areas, making them a cost-effective option.

Adding them to regular feed helps improve animal health and growth. It’s an easy way to stretch your feed budget while supporting your livestock’s needs. For more ideas, check out tips on how to stretch meat and protein to save money.

Spread coop, feeder, and waterer costs across many batches of meat birds

When you invest in a coop, feeders, and waterers, think long-term.

You can spread these initial costs over multiple batches of meat birds. This way, each batch pays only a fraction of the total expense.

Spreading the cost makes raising your own meat birds more affordable over time and helps you get more value from your setup.

For more details, see tips on raising your own can be cheaper than store-bought.

Butcher pigs yourself to cut fees by 30-50%

If you butcher your own pigs, you can save a significant amount on processing fees. Professionals often charge between $40 and $60 just to slaughter and cut the meat.

Learning this skill helps you control costs and ensures you get exactly the cuts you want. Doing it yourself can reduce your overall expenses by 30-50%, making your meat more affordable and fresh to use. More details can be found on how to save by butchering on Homesteady.

Raise grass-fed beef for a quality product without high costs

You can raise grass-fed beef on your own land to get healthy, organic meat. Keeping your herd on pasture lowers feed expenses since cows eat grass naturally.

Managing grazing well helps maintain pasture quality and reduces the need for costly supplements. Planning for winter feed, like hay, keeps costs down during colder months. Learn practical steps from this beginner’s guide to raising grass-fed beef.

Avoid small-scale meat bird raising if you want to save significant money

If you raise just a few meat birds at a time, your costs will usually be higher than buying commercial chicken. Small-scale setups have less buying power, so feed and supplies cost more.

You might enjoy the process, but don’t expect big savings. For more details, check out this discussion on raising meat birds on a very small scale.

Rotate pastures regularly to maintain healthy feed without extra purchase

You should move your animals before the grass gets too short, ideally when it reaches about 4 inches. This helps the pasture regrow faster and stay nutritious.

Rotating pastures reduces the need to buy extra feed since your animals eat fresh, healthy forage. It also prevents overgrazing and keeps the soil fertile.

By managing your land this way, you can save money while supporting your animals’ health and your pasture’s long-term productivity.