FAQ
Common questions
If yours isn't here, call and ask. We'd rather answer it than have you guess.
Inspection and selling
- Is this USDA inspected or custom-exempt?
- Full USDA federal inspection, FSIS Establishment 2918, with an inspector on the floor every harvest day. That matters: custom-exempt beef is stamped NOT FOR SALE and can only be eaten by the animal's owners, while USDA-inspected beef can be legally sold by the cut, at farmers markets, to restaurants, or across state lines.
- 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 across North Texas. Call to schedule and tell us whether any of the beef is for resale so we can plan labeling.
- Can I sell beef processed here?
- Yes. Because we are USDA inspected, your beef is legal for resale anywhere in the United States. We can also do private labeling with GS1 barcodes, portion cutting for restaurants, and case-ready boxes if you are putting your own brand on the package.
- Can you custom process my cattle for retail distribution?
- Yes. That is exactly what federal inspection allows. Tell us at scheduling that the beef is for retail, and we will talk through label approval, barcodes, portion sizes, and packaging before harvest day so the product comes out shelf-ready.
- 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, age, cut, wrap, and freeze it the way your cut sheet says. The alternative is selling the animal to a packer and buying beef back from a store.
Price
- How much does it cost?
- $850 for a whole animal or $450 for a half, all in one flat fee. That covers USDA inspection, harvest, disposal, rail weight, vacuum sealing, your custom cut sheet, and the weight report. There is no per-pound surprise at pickup.
- Are there any extra charges at pickup?
- No. The flat fee is the number you pay. Patties, vacuum sealing, disposal, and the weight report are already in it. The only separate quotes are commercial services like private labels or GS1 barcodes, and we agree those with you before we do the work.
- Do you charge by hanging weight?
- No. Most processors quote a kill fee and then bill by the pound of hanging weight, so the bill grows with the carcass and you learn the total at pickup. Ours is flat. A steer that hangs 850 pounds costs the same as one that hangs 650.
- How is a half billed?
- $450 per half, each half billed separately with its own cut sheet. Two families splitting one animal each pay $450 and each get their own weight report.
Timing and drop-off
- How long does it take?
- Two to three weeks from drop-off. That window includes a full 14-day aging period, which is what makes the difference in tenderness. We don't rush it.
- How far ahead should I book?
- Our target is a harvest date within 21 days of your call, and we usually hit it. There is no deposit to hold a date and no fee to move it, so call as soon as you have a rough finish date, even a two-week window. Fall and the weeks after county stock shows fill first, so those are the times to call earlier. If you need beef by a specific date, count back three weeks for processing plus up to three weeks for booking and call about six weeks out.
- Do you haul, or do I bring the animal?
- You bring it. Most producers haul in themselves to 2127 E Hwy 199 in Springtown. When you book we set a drop-off time, and we will tell you what to expect when you pull in.
- What should I do before drop-off?
- Keep water in front of the animal, take it off feed for several hours before the haul so the harvest is cleaner and the hanging weight is honest, and bring a record of any treatments in the last 60 days. Have your cut sheet filled out or be ready to do it with us by phone.
- 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
- What do I need to decide before drop-off?
- Your cut sheet: steak thickness, which roasts you want, how much you'd like ground, and whether you want organs, bones, or kidney fat for tallow. The sheet is a free download on this site and we walk through every line in the cut sheet guide. You don't have to have it figured out alone.
- How much beef will I actually get?
- A finished steer typically hangs at 60 to 64 percent of live weight and boxes out at 60 to 65 percent of hanging weight, so a 1,200 pound animal brings home roughly 450 pounds. You receive a carcass hanging weight, a final box weight, and an itemized list of every package, so there is no guessing about where your beef went.
- Is the beef dry aged or wet aged?
- Wet aged: after the carcass chills, it is broken into subprimals and vacuum-bagged for 14 days. Wet aging gives the same tenderness as a two-week dry age without losing a tenth of the beef to evaporation and trim.
- 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. 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.
- Can I keep the organs, bones, and fat?
- Yes, each is a yes-or-no on the cut sheet: heart, liver, tongue, oxtail, beef cheek, kidney fat for rendering, soup bones, and marrow bones. They are discarded unless you check yes, so check yes. Organ availability is subject to USDA and food safety rules.
Animals we take
- Do you handle hogs, lamb, or goats?
- Right now we're focused on beef. Call and ask. If we can't help, we'll usually know who can.
- 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?
We answer the phone during business hours and we don’t rush you off it.
Monday–Friday, 10am–6pm