Cows, Ox Gallstones, Bison and Beef Gallstones – Are Beef Processors Making a Fortune?

Gallstones are hardened deposits that form in the gallbladders of cows, oxen and bison when bilirubin isn’t removed from the body.

They’re a valuable commodity that slaughterhouses have started to rake in in recent years. But there are a few things to know about gallstones before you start buying and selling them.

Color

A recent report about gallstone theft at a Queensland abattoir has raised questions among beef consumers and processors alike. With prices ranging up to $20,000 per kilogram, many have suggested the processors are pocketing a fortune, and that cattle producers would do well to take note.

Gallstones are the hard, round stones that form in your gall bladder and bile ducts when too much cholesterol accumulates or your gallbladder doesn’t empty as it should. These stones can cause symptoms such as back pain, bloating and nausea when they get stuck in your bile ducts or gallbladder.

Your gallbladder makes bile to help your body digest food. It also stores waste and digestive juices from your liver and pancreas. The bile is made of fats, salts and proteins. The bile is filtered out of your gallbladder through a tube called the cystic duct and into the first part of your intestine, the duodenum.

The bile is normally yellow in color but can change to red, brown or black when it contains too much bilirubin. This is because bilirubin is a substance your liver makes to break down red blood cells. Several conditions, including cirrhosis of the liver and certain blood disorders, cause your liver to make too much bilirubin.

Unlike a human gallstone, which is yellow or red in color, ox gallstones are dark. The pigment they contain is a mix of bilirubin, cholesterol and other compounds.

Ox gallstones can vary in size and shape, depending on the condition of the bile they were in when they formed. They can be as small as a pea, or they can be as large as a pigeon egg — weighing in at just over 10 grams.

Some stones are smooth and lustrous while others have small cracks or pits. Whole, smooth, lustrous golden pieces attract the highest prices.

Gallstones are in high demand as a precious Chinese herbal medicine. They can be purchased either as natural gallstones, or combined with other ingredients to produce proprietary Chinese medicines. They are valued as an ingredient in various formulas because of their sedative, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic properties. They are sold in the form of powders, granules and pellets for use as a dietary supplement or medication to treat a variety of ailments.

Size

Gallstones can vary in size, depending on the type of animal. They can be small and round, like a hen’s egg, or large and pyramid-shaped, like a pigeon’s egg.

They can also be shaped like tubes from the bile ducts. The size of the stones and their shape will affect the value that you can get for them.

If you’re looking to sell your ox gallstones for profit, it’s important that you take the time to properly dry them before shipping them off. This can take up to two weeks. If you don’t, the stones will become brittle and break apart, which will reduce your profits significantly.

Ox gallstones are a valuable product to the cattle industry, and the prices for them can be very high. This means that farmers can make a lot of money by selling them, especially if they know how to market the product.

A good way to find ox gallstones for sale is to visit local abattoirs and slaughterhouses, where you can negotiate the best prices with farmers. They may be willing to cut their losses to streamline operations, and they will often have a lot of ox gallstones to sell for you.

The most valuable ox gallstones are those that are whole and smooth, lustrous and golden in color. They must be free from pits, holes, chips and calcium inclusions.

It’s also important that your ox gallstones are not damaged or ruined by light exposure. This will destroy the bilirubin in them and decrease their worth.

This is why it’s important to keep your gallstones out of the sun and in a dark place. This will allow you to preserve their bilirubin and make them more valuable to buyers overseas.

Many ox gallstones are now being traded online through darknet marketplaces and private Facebook groups. These transactions have become increasingly popular as more and more people want to make a quick buck for dropping a rock into their boot.

If you’re looking to start a new business, this is an excellent option. It doesn’t require a large investment and does not require much overhead. However, it does require careful packaging and shipping.

Shape

Gallstones are small stones that form in the bile ducts of the liver. They range in size from a grain of sand to a golf ball. They are very common, but if they travel through the bile system and get stuck somewhere they can cause a lot of trouble.

Some gallstones are round, while others are egg-shaped or pyramid shaped. They may be calcite, calcium carbonate, or phosphate. They can be light or dark in colour, smooth or rough, and whole or broken pieces.

In the past, meatworkers in Katherine would collect their own gallstones through the year and bring them to a Chinese buyer. He would appraise each stone individually, and pay them according to their shape, size and colour.

The buyer was able to tell what each stone was worth based on its dryness, colour, texture, and size, and whether it was whole or broken. The most valuable stones were full-bodied, golden, and lustrous. They were also more valuable than stones that were a dark shade of brown or had a large amount of pitting.

Sunshine Trading is now the leading supplier of cattle gallstones to abattoirs in Australia. They rake in some $200 kilograms of stones each year–or about $11.5 million USD–at the grey market rate. Gerard Murtagh, Sunshine’s Director of International Sales, says the business is well on its way to becoming a national institution.

Quality

Since MONDAY’s article about gallstone theft, readers have questioned how a valuable cattle byproduct can be so easily stolen from processing plants. Many have pointed to the rumours that gallstones are worth up to $20,000 a kilogram and have argued that processors are making a fortune at beef producers’ expense.

The truth is, natural gallstones are a scarce commodity with only a small supply. Currently, only about 100 metric tons are needed for a variety of propriety Chinese medicines. This has led to the development of synthetic/ artificial gallstones as an alternative.

Unlike oysters, which have an abundant supply of pearls, the gall bladder of cattle is not an abundant source of gallstones. This means that even plant workers who kill yearling type cattle – like Nolans at Gympie – will only find very small specimens of this valuable product.

In addition, it takes a lot of stones to form one, which makes the quantity of gallstones available at abattoirs so small, and the quality so low. This is a huge disadvantage to the Australian cattle industry, as one of its largest dealers points out.

In fact, despite their lustrous, glossy appearance and their apparent value to processors, these’stones’ are surprisingly lightweight. Compared with river pebbles, they weigh more like a feather. Consequently, when shipping, it is important to package these stones securely and mark them as ‘Fragile’ on the customs document. Moreover, it is also wise to keep the box in a cool place before storing it to avoid damage.

Cows, Ox Gallstones, Bison and Beef Gallstones – Are Beef Processors Making a Fortune?