Cost Calculator for a Mobile Slaughter Unit
This Excel-based planning tool is based on the Thundering Hooves mobile slaughter unit (MSU) in Washington State. It was created by Kathleen Painter, an analyst at the University of Idaho, using estimates from Joel Huesby, Thundering Hooves MSU owner and operator.
The tool lets you test the feasibility of owning and operating a similar unit yourself, based on your data: # of head, days/week used, yield assumptions, pricing, and other details. It assumes that the MSU will work with a separate processor to cut and wrap the meat — those costs are not included.
The calculator also doesn’t include marketing and distribution costs. It is meant only to estimate MSU operating costs and potential profit of that part of the enterprise, based on throughput, by species.
