Let's talk beef

[k2bdeutmeyer]

We just agreed to buy a 1/4 cow (don't know the hanging weight yet) for about $340 + processing (from a friend's father). First of all, does that sound like a fair price? All I know about the cow is that it was 1/2 longhorn. She said her processing usually costs about $140, but she gets several specialty cuts (summer sausage, beef jerky, beef sticks) and she usually ends up paying about $3.50/lb when it's all said and done.

 

I know there is some variation in how you decide to divide up your beef, but on average, about how many pounds of ground beef will this yield us? We are a family of 5 and eat a lot! How long do you think this 1/4 cow will last us?

 

Thank you! DH has done this before (when he was single with a roommate), but we've never done this as a family.

[KS_]

We just agreed to buy a 1/4 cow (don't know the hanging weight yet) for about $340 + processing (from a friend's father). First of all, does that sound like a fair price? All I know about the cow is that it was 1/2 longhorn. She said her processing usually costs about $140, but she gets several specialty cuts (summer sausage, beef jerky, beef sticks) and she usually ends up paying about $3.50/lb when it's all said and done.

 

I know there is some variation in how you decide to divide up your beef, but on average, about how many pounds of ground beef will this yield us? We are a family of 5 and eat a lot! How long do you think this 1/4 cow will last us?

 

Thank you! DH has done this before (when he was single with a roommate), but we've never done this as a family.

 

Well, we just bought a 1/2 a grass fed beef and the total cost was about $1100, so your quoted cost is in the ball park. This is the first time we've bought 1/2 a beef in many years, so I'm not sure how long it will last our family of 4.

[fairfarmhand]

one beef steer will last my family of 6 about a year. We raise it ourselves, so I can't really help you on pricing.