What’s in a half?

If you’re wondering about how much beef comes in a half, you’re in the right place.

It can be difficult to judge how much beef you’re getting in advance for a half, or quarter. But believe it or not, this difficulty can transfer over to our end as well.

We have lots of years of practice when it comes to raising quality cattle, but it’s often difficult to judge some months out, just how much beef they will yield. Because each animal grows a little differently than the others, we do our best to create consistency with feeding programs and genetics. Sometimes, though, mother nature has her own plans!

We try to select cattle who will yield about 350-450lb hanging weight halves, which yields about 210-270lb beef in your freezer. You can learn more about cost per pound and how the weight of a live animal converts to edible beef here.

After a few tries, we think we have come close to a generic number of cuts that could come in a half. Please bear in mind that this changes not only with the final live weight of the animal, but with specific cutting instructions. If you purchase a custom half, you will have the option to decide how you want the beef processed. This can mean more steaks if you love to grill, or more roasts if you’re planning some hearty winter meals, or other really great options.

Check out the image below to get an approximate idea of how much beef you can expect out of a half.