University of Kentucky - Animal Science Meat Laboratory

The University of Kentucky Animal Science Meat Laboratory operates under USDA FSIS establishment number M8013 at B49 Meat Lab, W.P. Garrigus Building, Lexington, Kentucky, in Fayette County. The federal record lists both meat slaughter and meat processing activities, with a grant of inspection date on file of August 3, 2021. FSIS classifies the plant as Very Small, and its reported slaughter volume falls in category 1.0, meaning under 1,000 head per year.

Species reported slaughtered under inspection are cattle, hogs, and sheep and lamb. The establishment also reports custom-exempt slaughter, in which animals owned by the customer are processed and the resulting packages are marked Not for Sale, and it reports retail-exempt sales. A secondary directory listing describes the laboratory as offering slaughter and processing services in Lexington, and other secondary listings give a street address of 1100 W.P. Garrigus Building, which appears to reference the same campus building as the FSIS address.

No website is on file for this establishment, and no hours, pricing, booking process, cut and wrap options, or retail details are available. Details beyond the federal record are not yet on file. Farmers and household buyers should contact the laboratory at (859) 257-5854 to confirm what work, if any, it is taking as listed.

The federal record lists both slaughter and processing at this establishment, with cattle, hogs, and sheep and lamb reported as species slaughtered under inspection. Custom-exempt slaughter is also reported, so animals owned by the customer can be processed with packages marked Not for Sale. FSIS places the plant in the smallest slaughter volume category, under 1,000 head per year, so capacity is limited. Booking procedures, lead times, minimums, kill fees, cut and wrap charges, and whether the laboratory accepts outside livestock at all are not stated in any source on file. Call (859) 257-5854 before hauling animals.

University of Kentucky - Animal Science Meat Laboratory 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 establishment reports retail-exempt sales to FSIS, which means some direct sales activity is on file, but no source describes a retail counter, hours, bundles, halves or quarters, online ordering, delivery, or shipping. Households interested in buying should call (859) 257-5854 to ask what is available.

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.