For our local "dress & butcher guy", the secret is:
1. Deliver the steer/hog/lamb on the day that he wants it for slaughter/processing,
(Deer and "exotics" are "accepted for processing" any day but Sunday.)
2. Tell "Josh" how you want the beef, pork, lamb or deer cut & packaged,
3. IF/HOW you want any fresh sausages made/packaged,
4. Whether you want the head/hide/organ meats or not
and
5. NEVER HURRY him.
(Josh has a "real job", too.)
The result is GREAT TASTING beef/pork/lamb/venison, neatly packaged & frozen for the deep freeze and at a GREAT price per pound!
just my opinion, satx