How should I bring my cow home?

**Nishu** · 11-05-2010, 11:42 AM

I bought a half of a cow recently. Thursday was her big day and she'll be coming home with me next weekend. I'm expecting to bring home about 200 pounds of meat.

The butcher is an hour and a half away, so I'm trying to figure out how to bring her home. Originally my husband and I were going to go out together in my van, but I think that if I can swing it I'll just take my corolla and pick it up by myself. Do you think half a cow would fit in the trunk of a corolla? It's got a decent size trunk. I also have a large cooler that will take up the entire back seat, but I'm sure it won't hold everything.

For the trunk, I was thinking about lining it with a couple blankets and then a waterproof tarp and tossing in a couple bags of ice. What do you think?

Do you guys have any awesome ideas for bringing it home?

**Russ** · 11-05-2010, 12:07 PM

Will it be pre-frozen?
You should be fine. Put the ice on the meat and then cover with the blankets. Ice is cheap, meat is not.

**YankeeMom** · 11-05-2010, 12:28 PM

When we bought a half cow it was pre-frozen (rock solid!!!) for us and packaged in 3 or 4 cardboard boxes. It was a 45min trip back home. I just made sure the back of my van's heat wasn't on. It didn't thaw in the slightest.

**pinetree** · 11-05-2010, 12:31 PM

Our meat was frozen and packed in boxes, we just threw a blanket over it ( in the trunk ) and brought it home. Ours was about 1-1/2 hours away and we had no problems. It should fit in your car ok.

**Missy** · 11-05-2010, 12:34 PM

I think your idea will work out fine. Cooler for the back seat, line the trunk. However, My suggestion, from experience, would be to put the meat into garbage bags in the lined trunk. I couldn't get the raw meat smell (faint as it was, it just bothered ME) from my trunk. Our meat was NOT frozen

Little blood leaked out from the tarp onto the carpet even with all the precautions I THOUGHT i took. And for what it's worth...blood stains in your trunk WILL affect resale value and make the dealerships look at you with at least a raised eyebrow...

(yes the creature was bloodlet at the point of processing, but some was in the meat still and the package shifted during a bumpy ride, and leaked on the side of the tarp edge, and tricled onto the carpeting.)

I thought CSI wopuld pop out at any moment....but I digress..

**happymomof4** · 11-05-2010, 01:40 PM

Originally Posted by pinetree

Our meat was frozen and packed in boxes, we just threw a blanket over it ( in the trunk ) and brought it home. Ours was about 1-1/2 hours away and we had no problems. It should fit in your car ok.

Same as us when we get our 1/2 of steer. Being doing it this way for years. Never had a problem.

**Darlene** · 11-05-2010, 02:12 PM

"How Should I bring my cow home?"
In a patty wagon?

Sorry I couldn't resist. However you get it home I wish you many wonderful meals.

**CrazyCat** · 11-05-2010, 02:33 PM

Yes...i agree with everyone here. Find out if it's frozen...(it really should be)~cover, drive home...and plan on eating the best steaks EVER.

**lparker** · 11-05-2010, 04:21 PM

If it's not frozen....We buy a large plastic drop cloth. Either put it on the back seat (four door

)or the back end of a pickup or in a van (had a bunch of different vehicles in the past). Don't worry about the ice unless you have hot weather.

Lee

**Nishu** · 11-05-2010, 06:06 PM

Thanks everyone! I'm much less worried about it now. I can't wait to have a freezer full of (mostly) grass fed beef.

**happymomof4** · 11-05-2010, 09:13 PM

I love our grass feed beef. It is the best tasting. Rember to mak a list of what you get to put next to your freezer so you know what you have. It will save time with planning meals and no digging in the freezer to figure out what you have left.

**Iansmommy** · 11-05-2010, 11:35 PM

We just got a organic grass-fed beef 2 weeks ago. It was about a 45 minute trip and we just put it in the back of our Pilot and it was fine. It was frozen solid and didn't smell at all.

**mndtrp** · 11-08-2010, 07:48 PM

If it's frozen, I would just put some blankets over the top and call it good. I've driven an hour with a cow in the back of my pickup, and the meat didn't start thawing at all. 1/2 a cow is a lot of meat, but it will fit in your car fine.