Custom
wholes and halves
Your beef, your way
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Buy a whole or half cow!
Custom wholes and halves are USDA inspected and available ONLY for local pickup from the butcher.
$5/lb. hanging weight, processing INCLUDED
We know this can be a confusing process for you, especially if you've never purchased custom beef before. Therefore, we aim to make it simple.
The best thing about custom processing is that it is YOUR beef - YOUR way.
Butcher's terminology can be difficult to understand, and every butcher is different, so we have worked to make your life easier by finding the simplest solution.
And better yet, we will walk with you through each step of the way!
1) How we sell our custom beef
Our custom beef is sold by the hanging weight of the animal.
The hanging weight, also known as rail weight, is the weight of the carcass after the animal is killed, skinned and hung on a rail. It is the weight of the cow without the blood, skin, head, hair, guts, feet and hooves. This is also known as the carcass weight.
The hanging weight is not the weight you bring home.
The hanging weight is not represented in the amount of meat you bring home, yet we choose to sell by this weight as this is how the butcher charges us to process the meat.
It is a very consistent figure across the board, regardless of how you choose to have the meat cut and wrapped. The weight of the meat you bring home, the total package weight (also known as boxed weight) can fluctuate significantly depending on how long it hangs in the cooler and your cutting instructions.
The carcass is aged for a number of days on the rail in the butcher's cooler to develop flavors, and during this time it will start to lose moisture. This evaporation (also known as shrink) results in some weight loss, as does the cutting and boning process during packaging. Therefore, the hanging weight does not represent the actual weight that is cut and wrapped, frozen and brought home to your freezer. Please see "How much meat you can expect back" for more detail.
Our price includes the butcher's processing fees. This means there are no other charges or hidden fees. None of that you-pay-us-and-then-you-pay-the-butcher stuff.
Any Specialty Products ordered, such as hotdogs, beef sticks, brats, etc. are not included in our price. If you choose specialty products, these will be added to your invoice.
2)How much meat you can expect to get back
How much meat you get back depends on two factors: (A) the size of the individual carcass and (B) how you choose to have it processed.
(A) Size. Our Angus cows are smaller than the modern breed, so they will finish at lower weights and yield smaller carcasses than what is commonly seen on the market. What this means for you is that your side of our beef will tend to weigh less, cost less and need less space to store than a typical side of beef.
We aim to have live weights finish between 900 -1100 lbs. on the hoof.
Our hanging weights average around 600 lbs. So, expect a half cow hanging weight to average around 300 lbs.
(B) Processing. How you choose to fill out the cut sheet will have a great impact on the final Packaged weight. Choosing to have everything ground up reduces the overall packaged weight you bring home. Requesting the soup bones and organs, ordering ribs, choosing other bone-IN cuts, and asking for extra fat to be packaged separately will yield higher take home weights.
Live weight will typically yield between 30-40% in boxed beef. A good average of this estimate should be about 36%. This means that a 1000 lb. animal could reasonably yield about 360 lbs. of boxed beef.
How to estimate the cost and yield of your beef.
The percentage (%) of hanging weight (hwt) to boxed weight (bwt) yield is important figure in determining cost per pound and how much meat you to take home. Again, this weight can fluctuate significantly depending on how you have your meat cut and wrapped. Our grass-finished hanging weights tend to average approx. 60% cut and wrapped yield.
Hanging weight is approximately 60% live weight.
Hanging weight (hwt) X $5.00 = Cost of beef
Hanging weight (hwt) X 60% = approximate amount of boxed and packaged meat (i.e. take home yield)
Cost of beef/ approximate boxed take home yield= approximate price per take home pound.
To Recap:
Our beef hanging weights range 54% - 62% live weight. Expect an average yield of 60%.
Our hanging weight to boxed beef ratios are averaging 58-64% hanging weight. Expect an average yield of 60%.
Therefore, for a 1000 lb. animal, you should plan for a 600 lb. hanging weight, and a yield of approx. 360 lbs of beef to put in your freezer. If you are buying a side of beef, plan for approximately 180 lbs. to store in your freezer.
Here's how the math maths:
(Live wt.) X 60% =(hwt) X 60% = boxed yield (take home beef)
1000 X 60% (600) X 60% = 360 lbs. boxed yield (take home beef)
$5 lb./hwt cost of beef /60% estimated boxed yield = estimated per lb. cost of take-home beef
$3000 price of 600 lb. hwt/360 estimated boxed yield = $8.33/per lb. boxed beef take home beef
Actual Example:
#200- A 963 lb. 24 month old Angus we processed last fall. Hanging weight was 525 lb. Dressing percentage was a bit lower at 55%. Each side was sold to different customers. Each side was custom cut to customer specs and here's the yield:
Customer A asked for all extra fat and soup bones, and requested more specific cuts, including3 bone- In roasts. Take home was 165 lbs., or 63% of the hanging weight.
(525X $5.00/lb. hwt.)/2 =$1312.50 cost of 1/2 beef
$1312.50/165= $7.95 /per lb. actual take home boxed beef
Customer B didn't want soup bones or extra fat and requested higher amount of ground beef. Take home was 152 lb., or 58% of the hanging weight.
(525X $5.00/lb. hwt.)/2 =$1312.50 cost of 1/2 beef
$1312.50/152 = $8.63/per lb. actual take home boxed beef
By selling based on hanging weight, each customer paid the exact same for their side of the cow. However, based on their customized preferences and butcher cut orders, there was a slight difference in the final cost for individual pounds of take-home yield.
This is the beauty of custom beef! Your way, ALL the way!
Estimated Hanging Weight to Live Weight %
54-61%
Estimated Cut and Wrapped Weight to Hanging Weight %*
55-65%
Fatter animals have lower cut and wrapped percentages. Skinnier animals have higher cut and wrapped percentages. Boneless cut orders yield lower lbs. in your freezer. Bone-in cut orders yield more lbs. in your freezer.*
* Used with permission from Kenneth of KD Farms.
Estimate hanging weight from a 1000 lb. animal
550 hanging weight (55%)
Estimate % yield of hanging weight
63%
Estimate packaged and boxed weight
(take home yield)
346.5 lbs of beef
3) Reserving your beef
A non-refundable deposit is due when you reserve your beef. Reservations are filled in the order they are received. When we reserve a beef for you, you will be given an approximate processing date. This is the date the cow will be delivered to the butcher and we will be notified of the hanging weight.
If there is a potential conflict that could prevent you from being available to pick up your meat when it is ready, please let us know as soon as we discuss butcher dates. We will be happy to work with you around your schedule, however, be aware we also have to work within the butcher's schedule too.
Your beef is officially reserved when we receive your deposit.
Whole cow - $500 deposit
Half Cow - $300 deposit
Selecting your beef cuts.
Once your deposit is received, we will give you a cut sheet and guide you through the process of filling it out. You will also be given the date your cow is to be processed. Please put this date on your calendar: Approximately 2 weeks after this processing date, your meat will be ready for pick up.
Paying in full.
On the day it is processed, we will receive the hanging weight and contact you with your final total, less the deposit paid. Once you are notified, your balance is due to be paid within 7 days. Your balance must be paid before you can pick up your meat.
4) Picking up Your beef
Approximately 15 days after the scheduled processing date, your frozen meat will be ready to pick up from the butcher! You are responsible to pick up your meat from the butcher when you are notified that it is ready.
Be sure to bring a couple large coolers and/or boxes in which to transport your meat. The butcher will generally allow a couple days for you to pick up your meat once it is ready, but please be respectful he has limited freezer space and needs you to pick up at your earliest convenience.
The butcher is located in Casey County, near Liberty, KY. You will be provided with location and address when you make your reservation.
If possible, I would love for us to coordinate so that I can meet you there and help load out and make sure all goes smoothly!
Summary of steps to ordering beef
Step 1 - Contact us to reserve your beef.
Step 2- Pay deposit to hold it. (Whole beef- $500; Half beef- $300)
Step 3- On the scheduled processing date you will be given the Hanging weight and total less deposit. This is approximately 2 weeks before pick-up.
Step 4- Pay for beef in full. (Stop by farm or drop check in mail.)
Step 5- Pick up your beef from the butcher. Bring coolers and boxes to transport back to your freezer.
Step 6- Enjoy experiencing our local, healthy, fresh-from-the-farm, grass-fed/grass-finished BEEF!
Call me today to reserve your side of beef!
call Monica at: 606.235.1473
email: Monica@FireflyFieldsKY.com
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