Parker County Beef Processing bull markParker CountyBeef Processing

FAQ

Beef processing questions from Texas ranchers

Price, booking, drop-off, aging, yield, and selling. If yours isn't here, call and ask.

Inspection and selling

Is this USDA inspected or custom-exempt?

All of our processing is done under USDA inspection, FSIS Establishment 2918. We do not do custom-exempt processing. It does not matter if the beef is going to your freezer or to a buyer. You can sell it anywhere, including grocery stores and commercial distribution.

Can I sell beef processed here?

Yes. All of our processing is done under USDA inspection. We do not do custom-exempt processing. You can sell your beef anywhere, including grocery stores and commercial distribution.

I need to find a USDA-inspected processor to process my cattle. Is that you?

Yes. We operate under a federal grant of inspection in Springtown, Texas, and take cattle from the public and from producers. Call or stop by to schedule. If you want a claim on the label, bring the documents that back it up when you drop off.

Can you custom process my cattle for retail distribution?

Yes. Because every animal is USDA inspected, the beef can go to retail and commercial distribution. You can put any valid claim on your label, and we handle the label approval. Claims we can approve in-plant have no added charge. Claims that need USDA label approval have a small added charge to cover the process. Private label design and GS1 barcodes are quoted per project.

What is custom meat processing?

Processing an animal that belongs to you, to your specifications, and returning the beef to you. You own the animal; we harvest, chill, cut, package, and freeze it the way your cut sheet says. Here that work is done under USDA inspection, not as custom-exempt processing. See custom beef processing.

Price

How much does beef processing cost?

A whole animal on one cut sheet is $850. A half is $450, so two halves with separate cut sheets are $900. The price covers harvest, cutting, vacuum sealing, labeling, freezing, aging, and patties. There is no hanging-weight fee.

Are there any extra fees?

There are two exceptions. Label claims that need USDA label approval carry a small added charge to cover the process. Commercial extras like private label design and barcodes are quoted per project. Claims we can approve in-plant cost nothing extra. Patties are included in the flat price.

Can I split a whole into halves?

Yes. Each half is $450 and gets its own cut sheet, so two halves come to $900. A whole on one cut sheet is $850.

Do you charge by hanging weight?

No. There is no hanging-weight fee. Most processors quote a kill fee and then bill by the pound of hanging weight, so the bill grows with the carcass. Ours is flat. A heavier animal costs the same as a lighter one.

How do I pay?

Cash, check, or card. Payment is due at drop-off.

Timing and drop-off

How far out are you booking?

Our goal is to have an opening within 3 weeks or less. One animal, or an emergency, can usually get in the same week. Groups of 10 or more animals, up to commercial pot loads of fat cattle, may take longer. You can schedule by phone or in person.

What are your hours?

We keep four sets of hours. Business hours are Monday through Friday, 10am to 6pm. USDA processing runs 7am to 3:30pm. Live cattle drop-off is Monday through Friday starting at 6:30am, and you should arrive before 8am. Pickup is Monday through Saturday, 10am to 6pm, at the plant.

When can I drop off my cattle?

Monday through Friday, starting at 6:30am. Please arrive before 8am. If you need a different time, call us.

What do I bring at drop-off?

Bring payment, a cut sheet for each half, and any documents that back up claims you want on your label. We take cash, check, or card, and payment is due at drop-off. You don't need brand papers or a health certificate, because USDA does its own live-animal inspection at the plant.

How long until my beef is ready?

Plan on 2–3 weeks from drop-off. That covers the 72-hour chill, the 14-day wet age, freezing, and weekends. We'll text you when your order is ready, and you can pick it up at the plant Monday through Saturday, 10am to 6pm.

How do you age the beef?

The carcass hangs and chills for 72 hours. Fresh cuts like ground beef, roasts, ribs, and fajita meat are cut, packaged, and labeled first. Brisket, ribeye, strip loin, tenderloin, sirloin, picanha, and tri-tip are vacuum sealed and wet aged for 14 days, then packaged and added to your order.

Do you haul, or do I bring the animal?

You bring it. Most producers haul in themselves to 2127 E Hwy 199 in Springtown. Schedule by phone or in person, and we will tell you what to expect when you pull in.

Do you take 4-H and FFA show steers?

Yes, at the same flat fee. Tell us it is a show steer when you book. Show animals get additional USDA residue screening at harvest, and every withdrawal period on anything the animal received has to be finished before harvest, not just before the show.

Do you take older cows or animals over 30 months?

Yes. Expect a lower dressing percentage than a finished steer, and note that bone-in loin steaks such as T-bones and porterhouses are not available on animals over 30 months under USDA rules. Strips and filets are.

Cut sheet and yield

How much beef will I get from my steer?

A properly finished steer yields about 36% of its live weight as take-home beef. A 1,200 lb live steer is about 430 lb of take-home beef. Live to hanging weight runs 50 to 62%, and hanging weight to boxed beef runs 50 to 62%. Where your steer lands depends on how well it's finished.

Can I keep the organs and bones?

Yes, at no charge. Check the ones you want on your cut sheet: liver, heart, tongue, oxtail, beef cheek, kidney fat, soup bones, and marrow bones. See organs, bones, and kidney fat.

What do I need to decide before drop-off?

Your cut sheet: steak thickness, which roasts you want, how much you'd like ground, whether you want patties, and which organs and bones to keep. One sheet per half, due at drop-off. The sheet is a free download on this site, and we can help you fill it out before you arrive.

How is the beef packaged?

Steaks and all ground products go through our rollstock machine on 6 and 9 mil film, much thicker than the industry runs, one steak per package and ground beef in 1 lb packages. Patties are 1/3 lb, 3 per pack. Roasts, ribs, brisket, bones, and organs are vacuum sealed. Every package is labeled with the cut, net weight, your name, the pack date, and the USDA mark, then blast frozen and boxed by half. Plan on up to 12 months in the freezer.

Animals we take

Do you process deer or wild game?

No. We process beef only. We do not take deer or any other wild game.

Do you handle hogs, lamb, or goats?

No. We process beef only. We don't take hogs, lamb, goats, deer or other wild game.

Do you process bulls, horned cattle, or dairy steers?

Yes to all three, at the same flat fee. Bulls dress high but eat differently from a steer; longhorn and horned cattle are common here; dairy steers dress lighter and the cut sheet usually leans toward ground and roasts. Tell us what you have when you call.

Still have a question?

Call (817) 404-7405 or stop by to schedule. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 10am to 6pm.

Call (817) 404-7405