>>1281048I’m in Indiana
Price is:
1/4 Beef $600 + butchering fees (about 120 pounds of meat)
1/2 Beef $1100 + butchering fees (about 245 pounds of meat)
Whole Beef $2100 + butchering fees (about 490 pounds of meat)
While this price seems high, it is at the low end of the national average for grass fed beef. The latest USDA report places direct to consumer cost of grass fed beef between $5.00 and $9.00 per pound.
See:
https://www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/lsmngfbeef.pdfWhat to expect when buying a side of beef.
Animal weight varies, therefore I cannot provide a specific weight for an animal, but some generalizations can be made.
From a 1000 pound animal, expect about 30% non-edibles to be lost when the animal is butchered.(think hide and hoof as non-edibles)
From the remaining 700 pounds, once cut in half, there is about 350 pounds hanging weight per side of beef.
An additional 30% of bones and other trimming could be lost when cutting the side of beef. Leaving about 245 pounds per side. Expect about 80 pounds to be ground beef with the remaining cut into steaks and roasts.
This final packaged weight is dependent upon the types of cuts you want. For example, a standing rib roast has the rib bones attached, while a prime rib roast will have the bones removed. The prime rib roast will weigh less and cost more because of the labor to remove the meat from the bone. The same cut of meat can be sliced to make rib eye steaks.
