How much is a half cow, quarter cow or whole cow?

Lost Valley Beef pricing: what a quarter, half and whole cow cost right now, what those numbers include, and how to compare a flat price against a per-pound hanging-weight quote without getting fooled.

Last updated October 2026

How much is half a cow? $2,815 for approximately 225 lbs of packaged beef — half cow details. A half is also called a side of beef.
How much is a quarter cow? $1,400 for approximately 112 lbs of packaged beef — quarter cow details.
How much is a whole cow? $5,625 for approximately 450 lbs of packaged beef — whole cow details.

Packaged beef is cut, wrapped, vacuum-sealed and frozen. Weights are estimates; every animal is different.
Share	Price	Hanging weight	Packaged beef	Per pound	Freezer space
Quarter cow quarter beef	$1,400	≈188 lbs	≈112 lbs	$12.50	About 3–4 cu ft
Half cow half beef, side of beef	$2,815	≈375 lbs	≈225 lbs	$12.50	About 6–8 cu ft
Whole cow whole beef	$5,625	≈750 lbs	≈450 lbs	$12.50	About 13–16 cu ft

That per-pound figure is the honest one, and it is the same for every cut. $12.50 a pound buys you the ribeyes, the T-bones, the brisket and the tenderloin at exactly the same rate as the ground beef. A half at $2,815 is estimated off an approximately 375 lb hanging weight; a whole at $5,625 off approximately 750 lbs. Weight varies with the individual animal.

Prices current as of October 2026. Beef moves with the cattle market — call (214) 202-1855 and we will confirm today's number and what is actually available.

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How to compare beef prices without getting fooled

This is the part nobody explains, and it is why two ranches an hour apart can look like they are $2,000 apart when they are not.

Model 1: a rate per pound of hanging weight

You see "$8.00/lb" and it sounds reasonable. But that is hanging weight — the carcass on the rail, before it is trimmed and boned. You take home meaningfully less than the hanging weight, so your real cost per pound of beef in the freezer is higher than the number advertised. Processing is often billed separately on top of it.

Run it on our own numbers so you can see the mechanism. Our half comes off an approximately 375 lb hanging weight and puts about 225 lbs in your freezer. At a hypothetical $8.00 per hanging pound that half would be $3,000 — which is $13.33 per pound of beef you can actually cook, before the butcher's bill.

Model 2: a flat price for the share

You see one number for a half. It looks bigger on the page, because it is the whole thing in one figure instead of a rate. It is also the number you can budget against. Ours is $2,815 for about 225 lbs, which is $12.50 a pound in the freezer.

The only question that makes two quotes comparable: "What will I pay in total, out the door, and roughly how many pounds of cut and wrapped beef will I carry home?" Ask every ranch that. Ask us that. Any answer that dodges it is telling you something.

What is not in anyone's headline price

Freezer. If you do not already have the space, that is a real cost — sizes and running costs here.
Your time. One pickup, one afternoon of stacking a freezer.
Waiting. Beef is ready when the animal is ready, not when you order.

What our price includes

Our beef is raised on our ground in Jack County, grass-fed and grain-finished, and processed at American Butchery in Mineral Wells to your own cut sheet — vacuum-sealed, flash-frozen and labeled. Ranch pickup in Jack County is by appointment; local delivery in our area is available.

Where exactly the processing bill lands, and what a deposit looks like, depends on the animal you reserve — so we tell you on the phone rather than printing a number here that might not be yours. (214) 202-1855

Work out whether it is worth it for your family

Is buying a half cow worth it?

The cut-by-cut comparison against grocery-store prices — including the cuts where bulk beef does not win.

Read the guide →

Hanging weight explained

Live weight, hanging weight, take-home weight. The three numbers, and which one you are actually paying for.

Read the guide →

How much meat you get

What a quarter, half and whole realistically put in the freezer, and what changes the number.

Read the guide →

How much meat is in a quarter cow?

About 112 lbs packaged from a ≈188 lb hanging weight, the mix of cuts, and the freezer it needs.

Read the guide →

What is a side of beef?

A side is half a cow. What it costs, how much meat is in one, and what half a side means.

Read the guide →

Pricing questions

How much is a half cow in Texas?

Ranches in North Texas price bulk beef two different ways: a rate per pound of hanging weight, or a flat price for the share. Both are legitimate, but they are not directly comparable. At Lost Valley Beef half a cow is currently $2,815 for approximately 225 lbs of packaged beef, and a whole cow is currently $5,625 for approximately 450 lbs. A quarter cow is $1,400 for approximately 112 lbs packaged.

How much is a quarter cow?

$1,400 for approximately 112 lbs of packaged beef, from an approximately 188 lb hanging weight — about $12.50 a pound. Quarters, halves and wholes are all priced at the same rate per pound of packaged beef.

How much is a whole cow?

$5,625 for approximately 450 lbs of packaged beef, from an approximately 750 lb hanging weight — about $12.50 a pound for every cut.

Is the processing included in your price?

Call (214) 202-1855 and we will tell you exactly what is and is not included for the animal you are reserving, so there is no surprise bill at the butcher counter. This is the single most common place people get caught out buying beef in bulk, and we would rather be plain about it than clever.

Do your prices change?

Yes. Cattle markets move, feed costs move, and processing costs move. The prices on this page are current as of the date shown, and the price we quote you on the phone is the price.

Do you take a deposit?

Call and we will walk you through how reserving and payment work for the animal you want.

Is buying in bulk actually cheaper than the grocery store?

On ground beef alone, no. Across the whole basket — where your ribeyes, strips, tenderloin and brisket cost the same per pound as your ground beef — it is a substantial saving. We laid the math out honestly, including where it does not save you money.

Talk to the ranch

Get today's price from the ranch

The prices on this page are current, but the honest answer to "what will this cost me" depends on the animal. Call and we will give you a real number.

(214) 202-1855

Monday–Thursday, 10am–2pm · Call or text

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