When you order a half cow, you’ll receive approximately 200–250 lbs of packaged, take home beef from a hanging weight of roughly 300–350 lbs.
That’s a full year’s worth of beef for most families — and one of the most cost-effective ways to stock your freezer with locally raised, USDA-inspected meat.
Here’s everything you need to know before you order.
Hanging Weight vs. Packaged Weight: What’s the Difference?
One of the most common questions we hear from families is why the hanging weight and the final packaged weight are different numbers — and whether that means they’re getting less than they paid for.
Here’s the short answer: hanging weight is how the beef is weighed at the processor, before trimming, deboning, and aging. Packaged weight is what actually goes in your freezer after processing.
For a half cow from Nadig Farms, that typically looks like this:
- Hanging weight: 300 – 350 lbs
- Packaged (take-home) weight: 200 – 250 lbs
The difference is accounted for by fat trimming, bone removal, and moisture loss during aging. A yield of roughly 55 – 60% is completely normal and consistent with industry standards — you’re not losing anything that would have been edible.
What Cuts Are Included in a Half Cow?
A half cow gives you a full cross-section of every primal on the animal, not just ground beef and roasts. You’ll receive a wide variety of cuts, including premium steaks you’d otherwise pay top dollar for at the butcher.
Here’s an approximate breakdown of what you’ll receive:
| Cut | Approximate Weight |
| Ground beef | 80 – 100 lbs |
| Chuck roasts | 15 – 20 lbs |
| Rump / round roasts | 10 – 15 lbs |
| Ribeye steaks | 10 – 14 lbs |
| New York strip steaks | 8 – 12 lbs |
| T-bone / porterhouse steaks | 8 – 12 lbs |
| Brisket | 8 – 12 lbs |
| Short ribs | 6 – 10 lbs |
| Sirloin steaks | 6 – 8 lbs |
| Tenderloin / filet | 3 – 5 lbs |
| Stew beef & soup bones | 5 – 10 lbs |
Exact weights vary by animal. At Nadig Farms, we offer custom processing, which means you can adjust the cut sheet to your preferences before we send your order to the processor. Want thicker steaks? More roasts and less ground beef? Organs like heart or liver? Just let us know when you place your order.
Ready to fill that freezer?
Stock your freezer with a Half Cow: ~225 lbs of Northern Illinois-raised, USDA-inspected cuts, vacuum-sealed and delivered to your door.
Now accepting orders for June 4, 2026 processing.
Reserve Your Half Cow ($200 Deposit) →⚡ Limited spots per processing date
How Does the Cost Compare to the Grocery Store?
Buying a half cow is priced by hanging weight, which can make the math feel unfamiliar at first. But once you work it out against what you’d pay at the grocery store for the same cuts, the savings are significant.
Think about it this way: at the grocery store, ribeye runs $15 – $20 per lb. Ground beef runs $6 – $8 per lb. When you buy a half cow, your blended per-pound cost (averaged across all the steaks, roasts, and ground beef together) typically comes out well below what you’d pay for ground beef alone in the meat aisle.
You’re also paying for beef that was raised and processed in Northern Illinois, not shipped from a commodity feedlot in another state. For most families, that combination of price and quality is the reason they never go back to buying beef by the package.
For a full breakdown of the numbers, see our post on why buying beef from a farmer is more affordable than the grocery store.
For current half-cow pricing and deposit details, visit our product page: https://nadig.farm/shop/bulk-beef/half-cow
How Long Will a Half Cow Last Your Family?
That depends on how often you cook beef. Based on a 225 lb take-home yield, here’s a rough guide:
| Household size | Beef meals per week | Estimated duration |
| 1 – 2 people | 2 – 3x per week | 18 – 24 months |
| Family of 4 | 2 – 3x per week | 10 – 14 months |
| Family of 6 | 2 – 3x per week | 6 – 10 months |
| Family of 6 | 4 – 5 per week | 4 – 6 months |
Most families find that a half cow lasts right around a year, which lines up well with our processing schedule, so you can reorder before you run out.
Keep in mind you’ll need dedicated freezer space: a standard 20 cu ft chest freezer holds a half cow with room to spare. Not sure what size you need? We cover it in detail in our freezer space guide.
Why Families in Northern Illinois Choose Nadig Farms
We’ve been raising cattle in Jo Daviess County, Illinois for six generations. Here’s what makes buying from us different from buying beef at the store or most other farms.
It’s raised here. Our cattle are born, raised, and processed right here in Northern Illinois. You’re not buying beef that was shipped across the country and repackaged.
- You know exactly what you’re getting. Every order is USDA-inspected, vacuum-sealed, and labeled by cut. No mystery packages, no ambiguity about where your meat came from.
- You choose your cuts. Our custom processing means you’re not stuck with a generic split. Tell the processor how you want your beef cut and packaged before we send it to the processor — we accommodate it.
- We’re a real farm you can talk to. Have a question about your order? Call us, contact us, or stop by our farm in Stockton.
- Delivery is optional. We deliver across Chicagoland — from Naperville to Rockford, Elgin to Joliet. No hauling required.
Processing dates fill up fast
We process in small batches. Once a date fills, it's gone until the next one. We're currently accepting orders for June 4, 2026 processing. If you miss this date, the next is July 9, 2026.
Reserve Your Half Cow Now →⚡ Limited spots per processing date
Ready to Reserve Your Half Cow?
It’s a big decision and you don’t have to figure it out alone. The process is straightforward: reserve your spot with a $200 deposit, tell the processor how you want your beef cut, and we handle the rest.
We process in small batches on set dates throughout the year, and spots fill up. If you’re thinking about it, now is the right time to lock in.
Browse our half-cow product page for full pricing and the next available processing date: https://nadig.farm/shop/bulk-beef/half-cow
Have questions before you commit? Reach out anytime. We’re happy to walk you through it: https://nadig.farm/about-the-family-farm#contact-us
