FAQs

What’s the Cost to Purchas a Butcher Beef?

This is a little complicated, but we are happy to explain!

Each whole beef costs approximately $3,000.00 in total (Fall 2024 prices).

We price based on rail (hanging) weight, which is $4.69 per pound. This is what we use for the total on your invoice.

Extrapolating the information based on our rail weight averages and dividing it by the amount of meat you receive after cuts are made…each pound of burger, sirloin, T-bone, ribeye, etc. will cost you approximately $9.00 after packaging.

Our costs include processing, so there is nothing additional beyond the flat rate of $4.69 rail weight at the time of slaughter.

How Much Beef Will I Get?

Because we butcher at a slightly lower live weight than commercial beef (1,000 lbs. vs. 1,400 lbs.) we usually produce approximately 320 lbs. of packaged steaks and burgers.

How Would You Label Your Beef?

We do not believe in the ‘labels’. Why? Because most of the information you see on your steak is not actually certified or legally enforced information. Instead, it is usually blatant marketing propaganda.

BUT, if you were to label our product, it would be this:

Every Hashknife beef is custom cut all-natural, ethically raised, hormone-free Red Angus raised in South Central Montana. We produce grass-fed, grain-finished, pasture raised cattle from birth to butcher.

Every steak, roast, and package of burger is guaranteed antibiotic free.

NOTE: Although we typically grain-finish our beef, we are happy to accommodate a grass-finish upon request!

Do You have butcher REcommendations?

Yes. Yes! YES! We have recommendations on Butchers to use, a worksheet to provide for your cut choices, and OUR preferences that we use each year in case you have no idea where to start.

When we start a beef, we will provide as much information as you are interested. We want you to be happy and to be INFORMED.

What Does Grain-Finished Mean?

It means the animal is supplemented grain in its diet for the final 65 to 70 days of its life. Each butcher animal still retains full access to as much grass as it desires.

We have a regimented schedule to slowly integrate ten pounds of grain per day into the livestock’s diet immediately prior to butcher.

To accomplish this, we feed each steer or heifer twice daily until the day we transport to the butcher for the final steps.

how Do I get a Hashknife Beef?

Contact us! We currently have a growing list of consumers who are joining our annual rotation. However, if we cannot produce a beef for you or your family, we will be happy to point you in the right direction to make an informed decision on finding quality beef. The most important thing we can share is to BUY QUALITY, BUY LOCAL!

What Our Customers Say…

  • As far as the beef, DON'T CHANGE A THING! I can't remember ever eating a better steer! …[the butcher] did an AWESOME job!

    -Eric, Montana

  • [My daughter’s] eyes went closed and she dropped her fork. And just said, “WOW!” That meat is unbelievable. Hands down the best steak I've ever had. We just did 2 New York and 2 Ribeye steaks and there's no leftovers….we will be on the list for another 1/2 or maybe even a whole [beef] when we can make the room. Great job whatever you all did on those. They're fantastic.

    -Ryan, North Dakota

  • The best beef you can buy!

    -Jim, Wyoming

Process map for Hashknife Ranch custom beef sales showing stages from cattle breeding to beef delivery, including gestation, calving, branding, pasture, weaning, pregnancy testing, cattle receiving, butchering, transport, finishing, and delivery, with timeline details and key coordination points.

Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Process

2025 Beef Log

06 November 2024

Weaned off Cows

28 December 2024

Reintegrated with Hashknife Herd

01 June 2025

Trailed to Summer Pasture

07 August 2025

Returned from Summer Pasture to Hashknife Ranch for Final Grain Finishing

18 August 2025

Steers 1 and 2 Began Grain Finishing

26 August 2025

Steers 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 Will Begin Grain Finishing

07 September 2025

Steers 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 Will Begin Grain Finishing

23 October 2025

Steers 1 & 2 Will Arrive at Butcher

14 November 2025

Steers 1 & 2 Are Estimated for Final Delivery to Families 1, 2, and 3