Frequently Asked Questions

A cow share is a collaborative arrangement where our customers have the ability to secure a portion of the meat produced when our cows are processed. This provides a sustainable and community-driven approach to sourcing local, high-quality beef. Often times friends, family, and/or neighbors will opt to go in together on the purchase of a 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, or full cow to save time and money and have peace of mind that they are getting the highest quality beef available.

A 1/4 cow refers to a portion of a whole cow that has been butchered and divided into four equal parts. When you purchase a 1/4 cow, you are essentially buying a quarter of the entire animal's meat. This arrangement allows our customers to enjoy a variety of cuts, including steaks, roasts, ground beef, and more, directly sourced from a local farm or butcher. The specific cuts included in a 1/4 cow can vary based on your preferences and the butcher's specifications. Typically, it includes a mix of cuts from different sections of the cow, providing a diverse selection of meats to suit various cooking preferences. Buying a 1/4 cow is often seen as a way to access high-quality, locally sourced meat while potentially saving on costs compared to purchasing individual cuts separately. Additionally, a 1/2 cow refers to the purchase of half of a cow's meat, a 3/4 cow refers to the purchase of three quarters of a cow's meat, and a whole cow refers to the purchase of an entire cow.

The average 1/4 cow will have a hanging weight of 160-200 pounds. The amount of meat you will take home in a 1/4 cow varies, but on average, it's approximately 100 to 140 pounds of beef. This includes a mix of cuts such as steaks, roasts, ground beef, and more. Likewise, the amount of meat you will take home with a 1/2 cow will average 200-280 pounds of beef, the amount of meat in a 3/4 cow will average 300-420 pounds of beef, and the amount of meat in a whole cow will average 400-560 pounds of beef. Of course, each beef will vary in size and since your beef will be custom processed to your specifications, the yield will vary slightly.

According to the USDA, Americans consume on average of about 57 pounds of beef per person, per year. If you are a family of 4 who eats beef two meals a week or more, you should plan on approximately 200 pounds of beef, or a 1/2 cow. *Source: FoodIndustry.com

When preparing to buy a full, half, quarter, or eighth of beef in bulk, a common question arises: "What is the hanging weight, and why is it different from what I take home?" Understanding the difference between hanging weight and packaged weight can be confusing, so let us break it down. When we sell in bulk, we use hanging weight to calculate the cost. However, it's important to be aware of three types of weights: live weight, hanging weight, and packaged weight. Live Weight: is how much the animal weighs when it is alive, on the hoof. Similar to how we weight ourselves. Hanging Weight: is a weight the butcher gives us after the animal has been dispatched, blood drained, head, hide, feet, entrails & organs removed. The hanging weight is usually about 60% of the live weight. So if a cow weighs 1,000 lbs live weight its hanging weight will be approximately 600 lbs. A half share would be approximately 300 lbs, a quarter would be approximately 150 lbs and an eighth would be approximately 75 lbs. This is the weight the butcher uses to charge us for cutting/wrapping fees. When you buy in bulk we cover all the standard butchering fees. The hanging weight is the most consistent way to measure the carcass before getting into customizing the cuts. Packaged Weight: which can also be referred to as Final Weight or Take Home Weight is how much you, our customer, take home after it has been packaged. This is usually 60-65% of the hanging weight. The loss comes from 2 places: water loss and bone loss. Water loss occurs during the dry aging process where the beef is allowed to hang for 10-14 days to tenderize. The second place you can loose weight is from cutting the meat off the bones. So the more boneless cuts you requests the less the packaged weight will be. It’s important to point out that lower weight doesn’t mean you are receiving less meat, but rather you are receiving fewer bones. If you request marrow or knuckle bones for making broth you retain some of this weight. This guide provides an approximation, as weights can vary between individual animals and butchering styles. We strive for consistency by using the same butcher, but sometimes we work with other butchers who offer a variety of cuts and more timely appointments.

You should plan on about 1 cubic foot per 30 lbs of beef. This is about 3-4 cubic feet for a 1/4 cow, 4-6 cubic feet for a 1/2 cow, 8 cubic feed for a 3/4 cow, and 15-16 cubic feet for a Whole Cow.

The cost of a 1/4 cow can vary based on several factors. On average, you can expect to pay around $9 to $12 per pound of hanging weight. Hanging weight is the weight of the butchered cow before it's processed into individual cuts. Keep in mind that additional processing fees and customization may affect the final price. It's recommended to contact us for accurate pricing based on your preferences.

At LB Specialty Beef, being Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Certified means we follow industry-leading standards for cattle care, environmental stewardship, and beef safety. The BQA program provides ranchers with science-backed training on best practices for animal handling, nutrition, herd health, and responsible medication use, ensuring our cattle are raised humanely and sustainably. This certification reflects our commitment to high-quality beef production, emphasizing ethical ranching practices, environmental responsibility, and food safety. When you choose BQA-certified beef, you can trust that it comes from cattle raised with care, integrity, and a dedication to providing the best product possible. At LB Specialty Beef, we take pride in our hands-on, responsible approach to ranching, and our BQA Certification is just one way we demonstrate our commitment to raising exceptional beef while caring for our animals and the land.

Our cattle graze exclusively on local grasses, ensuring a 100% grass-fed, and pasture-raised experience. Our cattle can be either grass-finished or grain-finished. We take pride in grazing our beef in the secluded Gunnison Valley. This distinctive location produces some of the best beef in the country! Our cows drink pure water bubbling from pristine mountain springs, breath unpolluted high-altitude air, and graze on grasses grown from mineral-rich mountain soils. The mouthwatering flavor of our grass-fed beef is a direct outcome of the ideal environment in which our cows are raised. We take pride in raising happy, healthy cows.