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How to Buy Half a Cow | Highland Beef for Sale

Knowing where your food comes from is really important. If you want to stock up your freezer with fresh beef from a farm, you might wonder, “How can I buy half a cow?”

If your family likes to eat meat and you’re trying to save money, you might have wondered how much a whole cow costs. Is it a good idea to buy just a part of a cow, like half or a quarter, and store the meat in an extra freezer to use over the year?

Highland Cattle Grass Fed Beef Available

Across the United States, there’s probably a Highland cattle farm near you that takes pride in producing top-quality, organic Highland beef that’s grass fed and grass finished. When you order grass fed beef from a “Highland cattle farm near me”, you can savor this delicious beef all winter long!

Most Highland cattle farmers offer their grass fed beef in bundles, quarters, or halves, and you can also find it at a local farmers’ market. Many farmers start selling their beef in late March or early April and continue through the fall months.

This means that most of their beef bundles, including those for customers looking to buy half a cow, will be ready for delivery in the fall, just in time for you to stock up for the winter!

How Much Meat Does a Grass Fed Highland Beef Cow Produce?

Most Highland cattle farmers aim to produce steers that have a live weight of 1100 pounds. This is a reasonable size for Highland cattle and takes roughly 30 months to accomplish.

A Highland steer that weighs roughly 1100 pounds (live weight) will produce approximately 540-600 pounds of hanging weight (measured at the time of slaughter). The net processed weight is generally about 80% of the hanging weight, but how the side is processed has a big impact on the final result.

Note: If the Highland cow farm you buy grass fed beef from dry ages all of its beef for 14-21 days, there is some shrinkage by the time the side is processed.

What Kind of Meat Will I Get If I Buy Half a Cow?

Depending on the farmer you buy your Highland beef from, they may sell their grass fed beef in bundles, halves, or quarters. 

Buying Beef in Bundles Instead of Buying Half a Cow

Those who prefer to sell bundles instead of half a cow or quarters believe that bundles provide transparent pricing, and eliminate having to define hanging weight and explain why the net weight is less. The bundles also provide more flexibility, although there is more work involved in putting the bundles together.

The bundles are priced based on the cuts included in the bundle, their exact weight, and the farm-market price of that cut. The bundles are then discounted. The greater the value of the bundle the greater the discount.

This pricing method also allows for substitutions when certain cuts are unavailable, or for the addition of cuts (subject to availability), such as additional ground beef.

Buying Half a Cow: Typical Cuts & Quantities

The usual cutting order includes the following steaks:

  • Porterhouse,
  • T-bone,
  • Rib Steak,
  • and Round Steak.

The roasts generally include:

  • Chuck,
  • Arm,
  • and Rolled-Rump.
  • Unwanted roasts can be ground if desired.

All cuts vary in weight, which can result in a variation in the total bundle weight of +/-10%. All cuts have their exact weight shown on their label. In addition, substitutions of comparable cuts will be made if a listed cut is not available.

The number of cuts may vary also depending on the weights of available cuts in our inventory. The price range of each bundle is the price after the discount is applied.

How to Buy Grass Fed Beef Near Me

If you want to buy half a cow near your home, be sure to make a reservation in advance – it is best to do so early in the year. A deposit is often required in order to make such a reservation, and generally, deposits are non-refundable if the buyer does not complete the purchase. Any balance is due when you receive your beef.

Use this listing of Highland cattle breeders in the US to find a Highland beef farmer near you!

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