Terry's Meat Processing

Terry's Meat Processing operates at 571 Smith Road in Blountsville, Blount County, Alabama, under USDA FSIS establishment number M2208. The federal record lists the plant for both meat slaughter and meat processing, with cattle and hogs reported as the species slaughtered under inspection. FSIS classifies the establishment as very small and places its slaughter volume in the lowest category, under 1,000 head per year. The plant also reports custom-exempt slaughter, in which animals owned by the customer are processed and returned in packages marked Not for Sale, and reports retail-exempt sales.

The company website describes processing for cattle, hogs, lamb, goats and bison, with a typical turnaround of about two to three weeks. Livestock is to be delivered between 7am and 10am on an assigned drop-off date, and the site asks customers to call at least 48 hours ahead to reschedule. Cutting instructions are due within five days of drop-off for beef and three days for hogs, and orders without instructions are processed as standard. Finished orders are boxed for transport and must be picked up within two days of notification, after which a storage charge of $50 per day applies. Note that FSIS lists cattle and hogs as the species slaughtered under inspection, while the website advertises processing for additional species including lamb, goat and bison.

According to the About Us page, Terry Butts started the business in 1979 after Liberty Supermarket in Roebuck, Alabama closed. The site states the business has operated for over 46 years, that a full plant renovation was completed in 2025 increasing capacity fourfold, and that Allan Butts is the current owner. Directory listings show slightly different street numbers on Smith Road (570 and 598); the federal record lists 571 Smith Road.

Farmers can bring their own cattle, hogs, lambs, goats or bison. The website lists custom processing at $1.00 per pound with a $45 inedible disposal fee, plus add-on charges such as $30 per cured and smoked ham, $15 per cured and smoked bacon, $20 per smoked pork chops, and $10 each for smoked neck bones, smoked ham hocks and cured, smoked, sliced hog jowls. Cattle feeding is offered at $5.70 per day plus feed, listed at $0.19 per pound and subject to change. The plant states it does not process beef over 30 months old and is equipped to handle long horns and injured livestock. Drop-off is by scheduled appointment between 7am and 10am, with staff contacting customers within two business days of a submitted order form. Order forms cap beef and bison at 20 head, and orders can be split between two parties only. Turnaround is about two to three weeks, and uncollected orders incur a $50 per day storage charge after two days. Under the federal record, animals processed custom-exempt come back labeled Not for Sale.

Terry's Meat Processing reports custom-exempt slaughter to FSIS, which means it can process an animal a customer already owns (a whole, half, or share bought before slaughter) and return it in packages marked Not for Sale. Most small farms have one or two plants they book with, and the plant's calendar decides the delivery date.

The website offers beef and pork raised and processed in Alabama for buyers who do not own livestock, sold as whole or half animals. Beef is listed at $6.43 per pound whole and $6.48 per pound half, and hog at $4.75 per pound for whole or half, both based on dress weight, with a note that prices may increase with feed costs. Buyers choose cuts through online order forms covering steak thickness, roast size, ground meat seasoning and cured or smoked options. Meat is boxed for pickup and must be collected within two days of notification, after which a $50 per day storage charge applies. The site notes that cured products use nitrites, with cure ingredients of brown sugar, salt and sodium nitrite. No retail storefront hours, delivery or shipping terms are stated in the sources.

If you are buying a half or quarter animal, the plant is where the animal is processed; the farm sells you the animal. Read how to buy a half cow for the sequence and the math.