DEPOSIT for 100% Grass-Fed Quarter Cow Share, Raised in Texas

READ CAREFULLY BEFORE BUYING.  This is a DEPOSIT for a quarter cow share based on hanging weight.  Final Price is determined on Hanging Weight of the Carcass (divided by 4).

• Price per lb of hanging weight: $10.00, locked in on the day you place your deposit
• Typical quarter hanging weight: 150 to 175 lbs
• Typical total: $1,500 to $1,750
• Deposit to reserve: $850, applied toward your total
• Processing (cut, package, freeze): included in your price
• Effective cost per lb of beef in your freezer: about $19.55 to $21.50, depending on the yield

A quarter cow is the easiest way to try bulk beef without committing to a whole freezer full at once. You get a real spread of steaks, roasts, and ground beef from a single animal, raised on Texas pasture, picked up in McKinney. It's a good fit for a couple, a smaller family, or anyone buying a quarter of a cow for the first time.

Our partner ranchers raise Angus and Hereford cattle (and crosses) on Texas pasture with rotational grazing. No feedlots. No confinement. Never grain-finished to fatten them up at the end. No antibiotics. No added growth hormones. No mRNA vaccines. No glyphosate. That's the beef in every quarter cow share.

What you get in a quarter cow

A quarter cow share runs roughly 75 to 90 lbs of packaged beef, depending on the animal's hanging weight. Every quarter comes back with the same standard lineup. Nothing to fill out, nothing to decide:

• Filet mignon: 6 oz (typically 3-4 filets)
• New York strip, ribeye, and sirloin: 1.25 inches thick (typically 4-6 each)
• Flank steak and skirt steak (flank and skirt steaks are split between 1/4 share buyers)
• Chuck roasts: about 2 lbs each, boneless (typically 3-5 roasts)
• Stew meat: typically four 1 lb packs (about 4 lbs)
• Ground beef: vacuum-packed in 1 lb packs, typically around 40 lbs. The biggest share of the box, and usually the most-used part

Your quarter also includes about 3.5 to 5 lbs of split brisket. Instead of two quarters splitting one brisket end for end, we cut the full brisket lengthwise so each quarter gets half of the whole thing: both the point and the flat. The point is the richer, fattier side, made for burnt ends and chopped brisket. The flat is leaner and slices clean. You get a taste of both in one piece, and at this size it's a Saturday cook instead of an all-nighter.

What a quarter doesn't include

Worth knowing up front. A quarter doesn't include short ribs, dino ribs, tri tip, picanha, shank, soup bones, or organ meats. Those go to the half and whole shares, where the buyer builds their own cut sheet. Value-added products like sausage, beef bacon, and hamburger patties are also half and whole only.

One more thing that surprises people: we run an over-30-month grass-finished program, so the loin gets cut as New York strip and tenderloin instead of T-bones or porterhouse. Same meat, two steaks instead of one. If T-bones are what you're after, this isn't the program for you.

Why quarters come standard

Two quarter buyers share a single side of beef, and a side gets one cut sheet. Since you and the other buyer would have to agree on every line of it, we cut every side the same way and split it evenly. If you want to choose your own cuts, the half cow share gives you your own side and your own sheet.

How quarter cow pricing works

Quarter cow price is based on hanging weight (hot carcass weight, or HCW), not the final packaged weight. When the animal is processed, it's weighed at the USDA-inspected facility before cutting and trimming. Your quarter is priced from that weight.

• Price per lb of hanging weight: $10.75, locked in on the day you place your deposit
• Typical quarter hanging weight: 135 to 190 lbs
• Typical total: $1,450 to $2,045
• Deposit to reserve: $850, applied toward your total
• Processing (cut, package, freeze): included in your price
• Effective cost per lb of beef in your freezer: about $19.55 to $21.50, depending on your yield

See the full breakdown, including a worked example on a real animal, on our How We Price Your Beef Share page.

How to reserve your quarter cow

1. Place your deposit by the 15th. Reserve your quarter cow share with an $850 deposit. Order by the 15th of the month and your share goes into that month's batch, with pickup the following month. Your deposit lets us match you with other quarter and half buyers to make up a whole animal.
2. The 15th is also the lock-in date. Cancel any time before the 15th and we refund your deposit in full to the card you paid with, no fee. After the 15th your share is matched and scheduled for processing, so the order can't be cancelled or changed. See our Refund & Cancellation Policy.
3. We handle processing. Your beef goes through a USDA-inspected Texas facility. Their process uses electrical stimulation, which starts tenderizing right after harvest and prevents the cold-induced toughening that makes some grass-finished beef disappointing. The quarter comes as our standard selection, so there's no cut sheet to fill out.
4. We confirm your balance. Once the hanging weight is confirmed at the processor, we calculate your final balance from that weight and send you a second invoice. You pay by entering your card on the invoice; we don't store your card or charge it automatically. The balance is due within 3 business days of the invoice, and no later than 48 hours before your pickup day, whichever comes first.
5. We send your pickup date. Pickup is on a scheduled Saturday afternoon in McKinney, TX. We'll send the date and your assigned arrival window once processing is done.

Fulfillment runs about four to six weeks after the cycle closes. That covers finishing the cattle, scheduling and delivering to the processor, harvest, aging, cutting, packaging, and our pickup from the plant.

Pickup in McKinney

All shares are pickup only in McKinney, TX right now. We're not shipping.

Pickup happens on a scheduled Saturday afternoon, and we assign each customer an arrival window, generally between 12:00 PM and 6:00 PM. Your beef comes packed frozen in sealed boxes with a packing slip inside. You sign for your box count at pickup, then check the contents against the slip when you get home and tell us within 72 hours if anything's off.

Can't make your window? Send someone in your place. No charge, just let us know in advance and have them bring photo ID. How you get your beef home is up to you, so bring whatever coolers or bags you want for the drive. Full details are in our Shipping & Pickup Policy.

Do you have room for a quarter?

Plan on 7 to 10 cubic feet of freezer space, which fits a small-to-mid chest or upright freezer. Real-world packing eats about a quarter of a freezer's rated capacity once you account for package shapes and shelving, so size up rather than down.

Not sure a quarter is enough?

A quarter cow splits cleanly with a neighbor, a friend from church, or family, and still gives each household a meaningful amount of grass-finished beef. If you cook beef most nights or you've done bulk before, take a look at the half cow share instead. You'll get more per-pound value and full control over your cuts.

Quarter cow, answered

Is buying a quarter cow worth it?

For most families, yes. You typically pay less per pound than comparable grass-finished beef at the grocery store, you know exactly where it came from, and you cut way down on grocery trips. A quarter cow makes the most sense for a couple, a smaller family, or anyone trying bulk beef for the first time before stepping up to a half. If you rarely cook beef, a quarter can still be a lot at once, so it's worth splitting with someone.

How much does a quarter cow cost?

Quarter cow cost is based on hanging weight, not packaged weight. You pay $10.75 per pound of hanging weight, with processing to cut, package, and freeze included. A quarter typically hangs 135 to 190 lbs, so your total usually lands between $1,450 and $2,045, which works out to about $19.55 to $21.50 per pound of actual beef in your freezer. You reserve with an $850 deposit and pay the balance once the exact hanging weight is confirmed.

How many pounds of beef is a quarter cow?

Expect roughly 75 to 90 lbs of packaged beef, depending on the hanging weight. Your take-home weight is always lower than the hanging weight because of trimming and boning, which is normal and why we price on your actual animal's weight.

Can I choose my cuts on a quarter?

No. Two quarter buyers share a single side of beef and a single cut sheet, so quarters come as our standard selection. Everything in a quarter is listed above, so you know exactly what's in the box before you order. If you want to build your own cut sheet, look at a half or whole share.

Can I add sausage or beef bacon to a quarter?

No. Value-added products like sausage, flavored ground beef, hamburger patties, and beef bacon are available on half and whole shares only, since they're ordered on the cut sheet.

How much freezer space does a quarter cow need?

Plan on 7 to 10 cubic feet once you account for real-world packing, which fits a small-to-mid chest or upright freezer.

How long does the beef last in the freezer?

Properly vacuum-sealed and kept frozen at 0°F, a year or more without meaningful quality loss. Your beef comes to you frozen and ready to store.

By placing a deposit you agree to our Terms of Service, Refund & Cancellation Policy, and Shipping & Pickup Policy. Questions about your order: orders@texasgrassfedfarms.com or 469-809-8098.