
Frequently Asked Questions
The price you will pay to us is based on the live weight of the animal and current market costs. Our cattle average 1200 - 1600 pounds and the market has been averaging $1.75 per pound. Based on a 1400 pound calf at $1.75 you will spend $2,450 for the calf. Then there is processing on top, which averages $1/pound of hanging weight. Hanging weight is around 60% of the live weight. For this example that would be 840 pounds. Total cost would be roughly $3,290. Which means that your price per pound is $3.92.
For a quarter of a beef, the set fee is $600 plus processing which should run around $280. You will get roughly 200 pounds of meat, so the price per pound jumps to $3.75 per pound.
For pork it is similar math, but the hogs will yield less meat. We average around 250 - 260 pounds and the price is $275/head. The processing is the same, but you will end up with around 50% of the weight, which is around 125 pounds of meat, which you will pay roughly the same cost of $1 per pound to the butcher. Which is an additional $125. The total cost would be roughly $300.
*** PLEASE NOTE THESE PRICES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AND ARE BASED ON CURRENT MARKET PRICES***
Prices updated 4.3.2022
Using the example of a 1400 pound calf, you should get around 800 pounds of beef. For pork, it is around 120 pounds of meat from a 250 pound hog.
According to Oklahom State University, of the hang weight, you should have 25% waste, 25% ground beef and stew meat, 25% in steaks and 25% in roasts. Keep in mind that could change based on how you get your beef cut. For example I don't like cubed steaks so I have them ground into my hamburger.
This is a great question! Using the example from how much does it cost, you would have a total investment of roughly $3,290 and would end up with around 800 pounds of meat. That is an average cost of $3.92/pound. Depending on the cost at the grocery store, you would be getting steaks, hamburger, roast, etc. for the same cost as what you would get ground beef.
A good rule of thumb is one cubic foot of feezer space for every 35-40 pounds of meat. Again, keeping with the example if you had a 17-21 foot cubic foot freezer you would have room for a full calf.
We would love to offer you a whole beef, but we understand that sometimes thats just to much meat. We offer halves and quarters to help.
It is always great to be prepared when talking to the processor. Included is the cut list for beef.
Here is the breakdown of the cuts the processor will ask you for regarding your pork.
Here is the breakdown of roughly the cuts you would get from a quarter of a beef.