It is a great convenience to have different cuts of meat on hand when you want them. And buying meat in bulk can save you money in the long run if you and your family eat meat regularly.
Many people will buy a larger quantity of meat with family and friends to reduce and spread costs. Buying a whole animal and sharing it with two or more people is an economical way. But remember, steaks, chops and roasts are limited. So make sure you know what you're getting.
There are several things to consider before you decide to buy a quarter, half, or whole animal for your freezer.
Find a local farmer or processor
You can work directly with a local butcher and often a local farmer to find an animal ready for processing.
Voxet from Minnesotalists local farms that sell whole and part animals to consumers. Use their keyword search with terms like "whole beef" or "whole lamb" to find sources near you. Many of these producers can be found at local farmers markets.
Your butcher will tell you how many cuts to expect based on the live weight of the animal. Lists from the Minnesota Department of Agriculturespecially exempt plantswho can process meat and poultry for the animal owner.
Commercial and wholesale manufacturers can find MDAs usefulMinnesota State "equal to" plantsand resources formeat, poultry and egg inspections.
The following charts can help you understand the bulk meat purchasing process.
Buys a quarter of beef
A typical quarter of beef from a 1,300-pound live weight cow should give you about 142 pounds of meat.
Typical 1/4 cow pieces
- 7 ribeyesteaks
- 6 T-bonesteaks
- 3 steaks
- 3 steaks
- 3 round steaks
- 6 fryer
- 35 to 60 pounds of ground beef
Freezer space
For 142 pounds of beef, you will need at least 4.5 cubic feet of space in a freezer or 5.5 cubic feet of space in an upright freezer.
Cost
For a quarter of beef, the price of the whole animal is divided by 4. Each buyer is responsible for their share of the processing costs.
Buys half a pig
A typical half pig with a live weight of 250 to 270 pounds should yield you 60 to 70 pounds of pork.
Typical 1/2 pig cuts
- 12 to 14 pounds pork chops
- 3 4 pound shoulder steaks
- 3 pond spareribs
- 8-10 pounds spec
- 15-18 pond ham
- 2 hooks
- 6 to 10 pounds ground pork or sausage
- Additional products: heart, liver, tongue, fat and lard
Freezer space
An average-sized empty home freezer with 8 cubic feet of space can fit 50 pounds of pork.
Cost
The cost of the whole animal is divided by 2. Each buyer is responsible for their share of the processing costs.
Buy a whole lamb
A typical market lamb with a live weight of 140 pounds should yield you 47 pounds of meat.
Typical pieces of a whole lamb
- 8 8 ounce shoulder chops
- 16 4-ounce rib chops or 2 2-pound loins
- 14 6-ounce pork chops
- 4 shafts of 1 pound
- 2 2 pound ribs
- 10 to 12 pounds of ground lamb
- 15 pounds boneless leg for kebabs, stews, roasts or minced lamb
Freezer space
47 pounds of lamb requires 2.25 cubic feet of space in an average home freezer.
Cost
The cost of the whole animal plus the costs of processing.
Buy a whole goat
A typical market lamb with a live weight of 80 pounds should yield you 33 to 38 pounds of meat.
Typical pieces of a whole goat
- 6 to 7 pounds neck and shoulder
- Front legs from 6 to 7 pounds
- 7 to 8 pounds rack and loin
- 4 pounds of ribs
- Hind legs from 10 to 12 pounds
Freezer space
33 to 38 pounds of meat on the bone or 20 to 22 pounds of meat on the bone requires 2 cubic feet of space in an average home freezer.
Cost
The cost of the whole animal plus the costs of processing.
Buy whole chickens
A typical broiler chicken with a live weight of 6 pounds should give you 4.5 to 5 pounds of meat.
Typical pieces of a whole chicken
- Neck; oven use for storage
- 2 wings; white meat
- 2 breasts; white meat
- 2 thighs; dark meat
- 2 legs; dark meat
- 2 feet; fry or use as stock
- Offal: heart, gizzard and liver, often included in whole birds
Freezer space
- 2 whole chickens with an average of 4.5 to 5 pounds of meat per The carcass requires 1 cubic foot of space in an average home freezer.
- Thirty whole chickens of the same weight can fill approximately 15 cubic meters of freezer space.
Cost
The cost of the whole chicken plus processing costs. Processing fees may be included in the price of birds sold by a specialty or retail store.
Diagram design: Hannah Lochner, CFANS graduate student
Beef and Pork Buying Guide, Iowa State University
Sheep map information by Travis Hoffman, Extension sheep specialist
Goat card information adapted by Travis Hoffman from material from McMillin and Pinkerton (2008) and Dugas and McMillin (2019).
Reviewed in 2020
Lateral examination
