Whether you’re filling a shop cooler, planning a seasonal menu, or stocking the family freezer, ordering beef in bulk is a smart move – and understanding your yield helps you make the most of it.
At Beverly Creek, we offer ethically-raised Ontario beef, custom-cut to suit your needs. But before that beef gets to your table or countertop, there are a few things to understand about bulk beef orders. From yield, weight, and cut options, here’s what to keep in mind when you’re buying in bulk.
From Farm to Freezer: Understanding Beef Yields
Here at Beverly Creek Farms, we take pride in providing custom-cut Ontario beef – raised with care, processed with precision, and hand-selected for every order. But even with the best processing practices, not every pound of a live animal ends up as steak on your plate or meat in your display.
Whether you’re buying a whole cow, a side of beef, or just exploring freezer beef options in Ontario, it’s important to understand the difference between live weight, hanging weight, and packaged weight. Here’s how the numbers break down:
Live Weight
This is the animal’s full weight on the hoof. Our cattle typically average between 1,200 and 1,500 lbs.
Hanging Weight (Carcass Weight)
After slaughter, the head, hide, organs, and blood are removed. The result is the carcass – about 60% of the live weight. So a 1,400 lb animal would yield around 840 lbs hanging weight.
Packaged Weight (Yield Weight)
This is the meat you actually take home: trimmed, portioned, and boxed.
Depending on how it’s cut, a whole animal typically yields 350–400 lbs of packaged beef, or about 25–30% of the live weight. A half cow yields roughly 175–200 lbs.
(Keep in mind: Your actual yield depends on cut preferences, boneless vs. bone-in choices, and trim level – more on that below!)
So for that 1,400 lb steer:
- Live weight: 1,400 lbs
- Hanging weight: 840 lbs
- Packaged meat: Approximately 350–400 lbs (final yield varies by cut preference and trim)
This means that roughly 25-30% of the live weight ends up as take-home product.
How Cuts, Trim & Prep Shape Your Yield
Whether you’re running a butcher shop or feeding a family of five, our wholesale beef customers in Ontario often ask how their cut instructions affect final yield. Here’s what you need to know:
Your Cutting Instructions Matter
- Want lots of roasts and steaks? You’ll yield more whole muscle cuts but less ground beef.
- Prefer more ground beef? You’ll yield more weight from bone-in steaks and less from trim.
- Going boneless? You’ll lose more weight in the trimming process.
For retailers and restaurants, it’s all about getting the cuts that suit your customer demand or menu style. For families, it might be about freezer space, cooking habits, or meal planning. That’s why every Beverly Creek order is cut with your end use in mind – to give you exactly what works.
Trim Level Makes a Difference
At Beverly Creek, we trim to a consistent, practical standard – removing excess fat but leaving enough for flavour. But if you request extra-lean cuts or more aggressive trimming, your final yield will decrease.
Bone-In vs. Boneless
Bone-in cuts (like T-bones, short ribs, or bone-in rib roasts) add weight, but also great presentation and flavour. Opting for boneless may be more freezer-efficient, but it does reduce total poundage.
Whole Animal Butchery Reduces Waste
Many of the butchers we work with tell us that whole animal butchery results in the best quality cuts – and the least amount of food waste. When you work with the full carcass, it’s easier to maximise yield, honour the animal, and build customer trust.
What’s in a Side or Quarter of Beef?
Curious what cuts you’ll actually receive when you buy a half cow or quarter beef?
While every order is customised to your preferences, here’s a general breakdown of what’s typically included in a custom-cut bulk order from Beverly Creek:
- Rib steaks or rib roasts (bone-in or boneless)
- Striploin steaks
- Tenderloin roast or filet steaks
- Sirloin roasts or steaks
- Round steaks or roasts
- Chuck roasts
- Stewing beef
- Brisket
- Short ribs
- Ground beef – lean or 80/20
- Soup bones
- Liver or other organ meats (on request)
A front quarter typically yields more chuck, brisket, and rib cuts – all great for braising, grilling, or ground. A hind quarter offers more of the premium grilling steaks and roasts.
Planning Ahead: Freezer Space & Storage
If you’re buying a whole or half animal, make sure you’ve got enough freezer space. Here’s a rough guide:
- Half cow: ~8–10 cubic feet
- Whole cow: ~16–20 cubic feet
All Beverly Creek bulk orders are vacuum-sealed, clearly labelled, and boxed for easy storage and inventory. Whether you’re organising your shop’s walk-in cooler or a chest freezer at home, we make sure it’s easy to manage.
Beverly Creek Promise: Transparency, Quality & Service
When you order in bulk from Beverly Creek, you’re getting more than just meat — you’re getting a trusted supply partner. We’re proud to be a trusted source of wholesale beef in Ontario, with reliable delivery and consistent quality. Our cattle are raised on a carefully balanced diet that includes farm-grown crops like corn silage, designed to support healthy digestion and deliver flavourful, tender beef.
We also offer grass-fed, grain-finished beef for customers seeking pasture-raised options, and our lamb is naturally raised on pasture with no unnecessary additives.
We hand-pick and prepare every order with care. Choose the option that works for your business or family:
- Whole or half cow
- Whole or half lamb
- Front, hind, or quarter beef
- Custom-cut options for your kitchen or freezer
We offer reliable delivery for trade customers across Southern Ontario, with free delivery on orders over $500 and next-day weekday service on scheduled routes. Prefer to pick up? We also offer abattoir collection. Furthermore, as a trade customer, buying in volume means you’ll get our best pricing. From one-time orders to recurring weekly supply, we make it easy to get premium Ontario meat at the right value.
Want to know more about our current pricing, delivery routes, or what’s in season? Contact the team or browse bulk order options to get started.