Cordray's Venison Processing, Inc.

Cordray's Venison Processing, Inc. operates at 6708 County Line Rd. in Ravenel, South Carolina, and holds USDA establishment number M2381. The federal record lists Meat Processing and Meat Slaughter activities, with cattle, hogs, and sheep and lamb reported as species slaughtered under inspection. The plant is in the smallest FSIS slaughter volume category, under 1,000 head per year, and its grant of inspection date on file is February 29, 2024. It also reports custom-exempt slaughter, in which animals owned by the customer are returned in packages marked Not for Sale, and retail-exempt sales. FSIS lists the location in Dorchester County.

The company website describes the business as custom wild game processing for deer, alligators, and wild hogs, along with humane slaughter and custom processing for farmers of cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats. Goats are named on the website but are not among the species reported to FSIS as slaughtered under inspection. A taxidermy operation runs alongside the processing business, including an online store that ships wildlife items. The site also directs visitors to a Facebook page and a YouTube channel for current information.

The same address houses Cordray Farms and an on-farm store selling the family's own beef. The website states that cattle graze on grass and hay and are finished on feed ground on site from locally grown corn, soybean meal, and molasses, and that they never receive antibiotics or artificial growth hormones. The website says only a few cattle are processed each year and quantities are very limited, with fresh and frozen beef available in the store from August to January. A family history page traces cattle raising in the Lowcountry to Joseph H. Cordray around 1907 and describes generations of meat markets on Meeting Street and Heriot Street in Charleston.

The website states that Cordray's performs humane slaughter and custom processing for farmers of cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats, and search text describes farm kill processing of beef, pork, and lamb. The federal record lists Meat Slaughter and Meat Processing activities under establishment M2381, with cattle, hogs, and sheep and lamb reported as inspected species, and the plant also reports custom-exempt slaughter in which returned packages are marked Not for Sale. Slaughter volume is in the smallest FSIS category, under 1,000 head per year. Dedicated pig processing and custom slaughter pages exist on the site, and a 2026 price list is referenced, but scheduling windows, drop-off procedures, minimums, kill fees, and cut and wrap charges are not stated in the material on file. Farmers should note the plant's schedule on the website is organized around deer season, so booking terms for livestock should be confirmed directly by phone at (843) 766-7922.

Cordray's Venison Processing, Inc. 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.

Beef raised by Cordray Farms is sold in the on-farm store in Ravenel, with the website stating fresh and frozen local beef is available August through January and that quantities are very limited. A Beef Share is one-eighth of a steer, cut the same way for every share and vacuum sealed and frozen, running about 65 lbs including 20 to 25 lbs of ground beef, priced at $10.25 per pound. The website states reservations for 2026 Beef Sides, half animals, are no longer being taken, and suggests four Beef Shares for a comparable quantity. Burger Boxes hold 30 to 40 lbs of ground beef in tubes at $9.20 per pound, and 30 lb boxes of 1/3 lb frozen dry aged patties are $10.50 per pound with no reservation needed. A fresh meat case carries never frozen steaks, roasts, and smoked beef products. Orders must be picked up at the on-farm store; the only shipping mentioned on the site is for taxidermy items. An email list and gift certificates are offered.

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.