Schrock's Slaughter House

Schrock's Slaughter House operates at 4141 Pigeon Run Rd. in Gladys, Campbell County, Virginia, under USDA establishment number M44217. The federal record lists the plant for both Meat Slaughter and Meat Processing, with a grant of inspection date on file of August 21, 2015. Cattle and hogs are the species reported slaughtered under inspection. FSIS classifies the plant as Very Small, and its reported slaughter volume category is under 1,000 head per year.

The plant reports custom-exempt slaughter, meaning it processes animals owned by the customer with packages marked Not for Sale, and it also reports retail-exempt sales. Its website lists two distinct beef tracks: custom processing with cut, vacuum pack and freeze at $0.99 per pound dressed weight, and USDA-labeled processing at $1.19 per pound dressed weight, or $1.24 per pound for USDA labeling that carries the farm name. A slaughter fee of $80 is listed for both, along with minimum basic processing fees of $575 per beef for custom and $695 per beef for USDA-labeled work.

Deer processing is also listed, at $95 for a small deer and $110 for a medium to large deer, with added options including summer sausage, snack sticks, cube steak, breakfast sausage with pork trim, hot dogs with cheese, and a $75 cape for a shoulder mount. A beef cutting sheet and a services and prices sheet are offered for download on the website. Details beyond the federal record and the website price list, such as ownership history or founding year, are not yet on file.

The plant slaughters cattle and hogs under federal inspection and also reports custom-exempt slaughter, so producers can have their own animals processed with packages marked Not for Sale. For beef, the website lists a slaughter fee of $80 plus a cut, vacuum pack and freeze fee of $0.99 per pound dressed weight on the custom side, with a minimum custom basic processing fee of $575 per beef. USDA-labeled processing is listed at $1.19 per pound dressed weight, or $1.24 per pound with the farm name on the label, each with the $80 slaughter fee and a minimum USDA basic processing fee of $695 per beef. Additional listed charges include $10 per quarter for quartering, $10 per half for filet mignon and New York strip, $35 for beef over 30 months, and $0.49 per pound for patties. A beef cutting sheet and a services and prices sheet are available for download on the website. Booking procedures, scheduling lead times and deposit requirements are not stated in the sources.

Schrock's Slaughter House 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 federal record shows the establishment reports retail-exempt sales, and hunters can bring deer for processing, listed at $95 for a small deer and $110 for a medium to large deer, with options such as summer sausage, snack sticks at $7.99 per pound with a five pound minimum per flavor, cube steak at $1.79 per pound, breakfast sausage with pork trim at $2.39 per pound, and hot dogs with cheese at $5.99 per pound with a five to ten pound order range. Organ items are priced individually, including liver at $10, heart at $5, tongue at $5 and oxtail at $6. The sources do not state whether the plant maintains a retail meat counter with its own inventory, sells halves or quarters directly to consumers, or offers online ordering, delivery or shipping.

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.