Buying a custom half beef in bulk allows you to purchase up to 45-48 weeks worth of beef at one low price per pound. You pay the same price per pound for Ground Beef as you pay for Rib Eye steaks and Prime Rib roast.

No matter how you order your locally raised half beef, you’ll receive the maximum number of cuts. The quantity of each cut may vary due to the weight of the animal, the steak thickness you select, and the size of roast you select.

You get to customize your order, from start to finish:

• Steak thickness
• Roast size
• Pounds of ground beef per package
• Your choice of steaks
• Your choice of roasts
• Your choice of ribs
• Your choice of stew meat, fajita meat, patties, cube steak, and other ready-made cuts
• Your choice of specialty cuts like brisket, short ribs, and soup bones
• Your choice of organ cuts
  

We have four standard harvests per year: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. Additional harvests are offered when our butchers have availability. Buying a half cow is a great option to fill your freezer for up to a year at one low price per pound!

We offer two types of bulk beef.

Custom Bulk Beef
If you want to customize your bulk beef, our Custom Bulk Beef  option is the way to go. Christensen Ranch is located in Weldona, Colorado and we work with three processors, all located near Eastern Colorado to process our customer’s orders.

• Stagecoach Meat Company in Wiggins, Colorado
• Mike’s Meat Market in Sterling, Colorado
• 307 Meat Company in Laramie, Wyoming

All processors allow pick up of Custom Bulk Beef orders at their location and all Custom Bulk Beef orders are eligible for shipping. Shipped orders will experience a one month turnaround time from when your animal is taken to the butcher to when you receive your beef. Choose your harvest month and butcher when placing your order for your custom half beef. Your order confirmation and final invoice will also list your butcher.

Standard Beef Shares
If you don’t want to customize the cuts you receive and want to fill your freezer quickly, our Standard Beef Shares ship every Monday and Tuesday and deliver right to your door! We offer 1/8, 1/4, and 1/2 Beef Shares.

We have four standard harvests of Custom Bulk Beef per year: Spring, Summer, Winter, and Fall.  Typically, each harvest sells out months in advance as repeat customers typically order a year or more in advance. 

We recommend reserving yours early so you don’t miss out.

When you buy half a cow that's customized to your specifications, you pay a small deposit to reserve your beef. The total cost of your custom half bulk beef depends on the size of your animal. The prices below are estimates based on average-sized beef. Your cost may vary based on the weight of your animal. Due to market fluctuations and processing fees, our prices are subject to change without notice.

Average Cost for Your Beef: $1,400

Average Processing Fee: $390-$525

Average Total Cost: $1,615-$2,125

When you purchase a half beef, you will have two costs: the beef and the processing.

Payment for your beef is due to Christensen Ranch and we require a partial deposit to secure your beef at the time of order. Your final payment for your beef is determined by the weight of your animal and will be determined the day your beef is taken to the butcher.

Beef Payment Schedule
Deposit
Your deposit is due the day you reserve your Custom Half Beef.

Remaining Balance
We now offer payment plans for our Custom Bulk Beef so you can split your total cost into three payments after you pay the initial deposit. It’s the perfect way to enjoy a freezer full of naturally raised, premium beef from ranchers you know and trust!

Payment installments will be split into three equal parts based on the date of your order and the date of your harvest. Full payment for your beef must be received before your Custom Bulk Beef order ships or before you can pick up your beef from the butcher.

If you don't want to enroll in a payment plan, we will email your final invoice when we deliver your animal to the butcher.

You will pay the final beef cost to Christensen Ranch and you will pay the butcher directly for the processing fees.

Please Note: Our Custom Bulk Beef Payment Plans are only available if you order 3 weeks or more ahead of your selected harvest.

Processing fees vary based on the the cuts you choose and the butcher.

Average Processing Fees

Half Beef: $390-$525

When an 1,200lb animal is taken in for processing, we can expect an average yield of 60%, although that can range from 57% – 61%, and a 720lb hanging carcass weight (after the head, hide, and leg bones have been removed). The percentage of cuts yielded from a whole beef averages 48% of hanging carcass; the cut yield can range from 45-50%. For a 1200lb animal with a hanging carcass weight of 720lbs, a whole beef provides an average of 345lbs of beef. Our steers average 1,200lbs but the weight range is 1,000-1,400lbs depending on age, genetics, and time of year when we take them in for processing.

The butcher for each harvest will be noted on our website and we include it in our Facebook and Instagram posts, as well as in the emails we send about each harvest (subscribe to our emails on the footer of every page of our website). We also include the butcher used for your harvest in the order confirmation email and it will appear on your final invoice.

• Stagecoach Meat Company in Wiggins, Colorado
• Mike’s Meat Market in Sterling, Colorado
• 307 Meat Company in Laramie, Wyoming

The butcher for each harvest will be noted on our website. Custom Bulk Beef orders can be shipped right to your door or picked up directly from the butcher processing your selected harvest. Select your shipping option at Checkout.

When choosing Ship My Order, there will be a one month turn-around time from when your animal is delivered to the butcher to when you receive your beef. 

We now ship all Custom Bulk Beef orders! You can choose to pick up your order from the butcher or have it shipped to your door. Select your shipping method at Checkout.

When choosing Ship My Order, there will be a one month turn-around time from when your animal is delivered to the butcher to when you receive your fee.

If you do not want to customize your bulk beef order and want to receive it quickly, you can order one of our pre-packaged Standard Beef Shares. Our Standard Beef Shares ship every Monday and Tuesday directly from our ranch and deliver right to your door. Available in 1/8, 1/4 and 1/2 beef shares, your order will arrive in more than one box.

You will need approximately 20 cubic feet of freezer space for your custom half beef order. 

Click here to learn more about freezer space requirements and tips for your custom half beef.

We know circumstances can change and we’re happy to offer refunds for the initial deposits for custom half beef orders.

Because your order is cut to your exact specifications, we are unable to offer cancellations or refunds 0-2 months prior to harvest or after your beef has been cut.

6 Months Prior to Harvest: 75% of your deposit minus $30 Restocking Fee

3 Months Prior to Harvest: 50% of your deposit minus $30 Restocking Fee

2 Months Prior to Harvest: 25% of your deposit minus $30 Restocking Fee

0-2 Months Prior to Harvest / After Harvest: We are unable to accept cancellations or offer refunds at this stage

Absolutely! However, the cuts, steak thickness, number of roasts, patties, and ground beef you choose cannot differ between order parties for a single Custom Half Beef order.

Half beef packages cannot be separated for multiple parties by the processor. You'll have to divvy it up with your family or friends after receiving your order.

When choosing the Custom Half Beef option, you get to customize your order by choosing your steak thickness, roast size, the exact cuts you want including specialty cuts such as prime rib, pre-made patties, and organ cuts. We have four standard harvests per year: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. If you want to customize your Custom Bulk Beef order, we recommend reserving yours early so you don’t miss out. All three of our processors allow you to choose between shipping your order or picking it up directly from them.

While our Standard Beef Shares aren't customizable, they include the standard assortment of cuts you’d receive in a typical side of beef. Standard Beef Shares ship every Monday and Tuesday and deliver right to your door! We offer 1/8, 1/4, and 1/2 Standard Beef Shares and each cut is vacuum sealed and individually packaged for easy storage.