The short answer
| Order (1,200 lb steer, 744 lb hanging) | Processing cost |
|---|---|
| Boxed, vacuum-packed subprimals | $725 |
| Family freezer order (150 lb of steaks, 200 lb ground) | $1,325 |
| One half of that freezer order | about $663 |
| A goat or sheep | $90 |
Creek Ranch rates posted January 2025. The animal itself, hauling and any card fee are not included.
Line by line
A 1,200 lb grain-finished steer usually dresses at about 62%, so it hangs at about 744 lb (University of Wisconsin Extension). Creek Ranch prices beef on that hanging weight.
| Line | Subprimals | Freezer order |
|---|---|---|
| Kill fee | $75 | $75 |
| 744 lb hanging weight × $0.75 | $558 | $558 |
| 12 boxes × $3.50 | $42 | $42 |
| E. coli test | $50 | $50 |
| 150 lb of subprimals cut into steaks × $2.00 | – | $300 |
| 200 lb of ground beef in 1 lb bricks × $1.50 | – | $300 |
| Total | $725 | $1,325 |
Paying by card adds 3%, so the freezer order becomes about $1,365. The steak and ground-beef pounds are an example; your own cut sheet sets them.
What that means per pound
That steer yields roughly 481 lb of packaged beef once chilling loss, bone and trim come off (University of Wisconsin Extension). The $1,325 freezer order therefore costs about $2.75 per pound of beef in your freezer, on top of what you paid for the animal.
Per-pound or flat-fee pricing?
Processors price beef two common ways. Some charge one flat fee per animal that covers cutting and wrapping. Others, like Creek Ranch, charge a kill fee plus a rate per pound of hanging weight, with steaks, grinding and patties priced separately.
- Per-pound pricing scales with the size of the animal and suits producers who want boxed subprimals for resale or their own butchering.
- Flat fees can be simpler for a family freezer order.
- To compare fairly, price the same animal with the same cuts at each processor, and ask what is included: boxes, testing, patties, aging.
What moves the price
- Hanging weight. Bigger animals cost more under per-pound pricing.
- How much you portion. Cutting subprimals into steaks is $2.00/lb; leaving them whole costs nothing extra.
- Ground beef format. Bricks are $1.50/lb, patties $1.75/lb.
- Extras. Keeping the hide or head, a missing cut sheet ($25), late drop-off ($150/hour) and late cancellations add cost.
Try your own numbers in the cost calculator, or read what a half or quarter beef costs.
Sources
- Creek Ranch posted processing rates
- University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension, Beef animal yield
- South Dakota State University Extension, How much meat can you expect from a fed steer?