Question 1

What does hanging weight mean?

Accepted Answer

Hanging Weight is a weight the butcher gives us after the animal has been killed, blood drained, head, hide, feet, entrails & organs removed. The hanging weight is usually about 60% of the live weight

Question 2

What percentage of the hanging weight is meat?

Accepted Answer

60-75% of the hanging weight is meat.

Question 3

How do I calculate how many pounds of meat I will be getting?

Accepted Answer

Animal weight * 0.65% = hanging weight (what you pay for)

Hanging weight * 0.65%=meat weight (the meat you get)

$paid/meat weight = price per pound

Question 4

How do I calculate how much I am paying per pound for the meat?

Accepted Answer

If you buy a whole steer from a farmer, you can estimate how much you're paying per pound of meat in your freezer using these ratios.  Say your steer is 800 lb on the hook, or hanging weight.  The farmer is charging $4000 for the cow and the farmer is paying for all the butchering fees and slaughter. To estimate your cost per pound of meat in the freezer, you simply divide your cost by the weight of the cow 4000/800 = $5/lb.   In this example, it's $5/0.65 or  $7.69 per pound of meat in your freezer.  
So even though you're only paying $4,000 for the cow which is about $5/lb hanging weight, when it gets into cut and wrapped form, your actual cost is closer to $7.69/lb.  Make sense?

Question 5

Can I specify how thick I want my steak?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The standard thickness differs depending on the butcher, but is usually between 1" - 1 1/4" thick. If you would like something different you can specify.

Question 6

What is the fat content of the ground beef?

Accepted Answer

This varies depending on the butcher, but you can specify what you would like. Typically it will 85/15.

Question 7

What cuts of Meat do I get with a half a share?

Accepted Answer

At the highest level, you can expect about 50% ground beef, 20% roasts, 20% steaks, and 10% miscellaneous cuts like ribs, cross-cut shanks, and stew meat. There is a wide latitude here to adjust to your preferences. Steaks can be any thickness you prefer and roasts can be of any size

Question 8

Can I buy a 1/4?

Accepted Answer

Yes you can buy a quarter. It is a better value to buy a half. We typically suggest that if you only need a 1/4 that you find someone to share with. Then you can decide what cuts each person gets rather than the butcher deciding.

Question 9

How does the meat come wrapped?

Accepted Answer

Our meat is wrapped with plastic wrap and then wrapped in butcher paper. Butcher paper keeps the temperature under control because it's breathable. We also provide a vacuum seal option for an additional cost.

Question 10

Do you use vaccines or antibiotics?

Accepted Answer

We run a small operation so the use of vaccines and antibiotics is minimal. Our animals spend a lot of their time on wide open pastures and mountains where they have plenty of space to graze and roam. Vaccines and Antibiotics are good in certain circumstances. When used correctly they can save our animals lives. All vaccines and antibiotics have a withdrawal time. Meaning if an animal is treated with a vaccine and/or antibiotic they CAN NOT be slaughtered within that withdrawal time so the medicine has sufficient time to metabolize through the animals body.

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