FAQ Page

Product & Ranch General Q&A

Is your beef grass fed or grass finished?
Our beef is grass fed and finished on grain but we also sell grass finished ground beef only.  

 

What finishing methods do you use?
The animals are put on grain for the last 90 days prior to harvesting

 

How is your beef packaged? 
Our beef is packaged by our USDA certified processor.

 

How does your beef compare to grocery store beef? 
Our beef is 100% grass fed.  We do not use any hormones or antibiotics.  Our cows only eat the grass we grow, cut and bale.  We know exactly what our cows eat and we do not buy hay.   It is common for grocery stores to purchase beef that comes from cows on feed lots.  This means that the beef you buy from a big chain grocery store can actually come from 300-600 different cows!  We don't find that enticing and we do not agree with practices feed lots use.

 

Is this beef raised locally? 
Yes, our herd is located on our ranch.

 

Do you use antibiotics? Hormones? 
No and No

 

How do you raise your beef? 
We plant winter wheat to provide grazing during the winter months. We also maintain a large pasture of Klein grass which is a late summer grass that was introduced from Africa in the 1950’s. Of course, the most beautiful of our pastures is the Coastal Bermuda that allows for grazing and baling. Our family does all the hay baling from these pastures to provide enough hay for the winter months. We do not purchase any hay. This way we know what we are feeding our cows, therefore we also know what we are putting on the dinner table.

 

Do you use any antibiotics on your cattle?
No

 

Do you use hormones on your cattle?
No

What breed of cattle do you raise?
Here at Willis Ranch we raise F1 cross or Black Baldies. This is by design. This cross creates a larger bodied cows with less health issues.  We currently breed registered Black Angus bulls on our baldies to keep the marbling that the Angus are known for. This elite combination produces what we call fancy faced calves, or F1 Baldy calves.

 

Is your beef processed at a local USDA processing facility?
Yes

 

Bulk Beef Q&A

How much freezer space do I need for bulk beef?

1/8 Beef
Our most popular package, great for the bulk buyer without too big of an investment. 1/8 beef requires 2-3 cu. ft. of freezer space.

 

1/4 Beef
The rule of thumb is 1 cu. ft. per 35 pounds of meat. For a ¼ steer, you can expect about 115 pounds of meat so you would need a 3.5 cu. ft. freezer. You should keep in mind that this would mean you have just enough room to stuff everything into a very small freezer and it would be difficult to sort or find anything.

 

Half Beef
A 1/2 steer, you can expect about 230 pounds of meat so the absolute smallest freezer necessary would be a 7 cu. ft. freezer. Again, this would mean just enough room for the meat, and some difficulty in sorting and searching. Recommended size for a half-steer is a 10-14 cu. ft. for a little more room.

 

Whole Beef
For an entire steer, you might expect over 700 pounds of hanging weight with approximately 450 pounds of meat in your freezer. The smallest freezer that would accommodate your meat is a 14 cu. ft. freezer. For sorting and searching ease, the recommended size is around a 21 cu. ft freezer.

 

How many pounds of meat can I expect?

1/8 side of Beef (approx 60 lbs)
1-2 Sirloin steaks - Individual wrapped
3 Porterhouse steaks - Individual wrapped
3 Rib eye steaks - Individual wrapped
2-3 Cutlet steaks - Individual wrapped
Skirt steaks – 1 Package
Flank steaks – 1 Package
Short ribs – 3 lbs per package –1-2 packages
Soup Bones – 2 per package – 1-2 packages
Chuck Boneless – 3 lbs – 1-2 packages
Rump Roast – 3 Lbs – 1 package  
Ground Beef – 1 lb – Approx 15 packages   

 

1/4 side of Beef (approx 115 lbs)
3 Sirloin steaks - Individual wrapped
6 Porterhouse steaks - Individual wrapped
6 Rib eye steaks - Individual wrapped
5 Cutlet steaks - Individual wrapped
Skirt steaks – 1 Package
Flank steaks – 1 Package
Short ribs – 3 lbs per package – 3 packages
Soup Bones – 2 per package – 2-3 packages
Chuck Boneless – 3 lbs – 3 packages
Rump Roast – 3 Lbs – 1 package
Ground Beef – 1 lb – Approx 30 packages   

 

½ Side of Beef (approx 230 lbs)
1 - Brisket
6 Sirloin steaks - Individual wrapped
12-13 Porterhouse steaks - Individual wrapped
12-13 Rib eye steaks - Individual wrapped
9-10 Cutlet steaks - Individual wrapped
Skirt steaks – 2 Packages
Flank steaks – 1 Package
Short ribs – 3 lbs per package – 6 packages
Soup Bones – 2 per package – 5 packages
Chuck Boneless – 3 lbs – 6-7 packages
Rump Roast – 3 Lbs – 2 packages  
Ground Beef – 1 lb – Approx 60 packages 

 

Whole Cow – 2 sides of Beef (approx 460 lbs)

2 - Briskets
12 Sirloin steaks - Individual wrapped
24-26 Porterhouse steaks - Individual wrapped
24-26 Rib eye steaks - Individual wrapped
18-20 Cutlet steaks - Individual wrapped
Skirt steaks – 4 Packages
Flank steaks – 2 Package
Short ribs – 3 lbs per package – 12 packages
Soup Bones – 2 per package – 10 packages
Chuck Boneless – 3 lbs – 12-14 packages
Rump Roast – 3 Lbs – 4 packages  

Ground Beef – 1 lb – Approx 120 packages

 

NOTE: These are estimates. All animals and cuts can vary. Until the animal is harvested it is difficult to be exact on the cuts and weight.

 

How long will our beef be safe to use once it is in our home freezer?
Uncooked roasts and steaks will last 4-12 months.  Uncooked ground beef will last 3-4 months.  However, if meat is frozen too long it may lose quality and taste.

 

Why is your deposit non refundable? 
When you place your order, we start the finishing process, reserve harvest appointment with our USDA approved processor and have fees to cover.

 

Can you ship a whole beef?
Yes, we can, email sales@willisranchmeats.com.

 

Can I split a whole beef? 
Yes, you can split a whole beef with family or freinds.  Email sales@willisranchmeats.com

 

Can I customize my bulk beef order? 
When purchasing an entire cow, we can custom cut to whatever you desire. If your deposit is made with enough advance notice we can also finish them to your preference (grain or grass finish.)

 

When will my order be ready?
This will depend on when we can harvest the animal at our USDA approved processor.  We will keep our timelines updated on our product listings.  Upon ordering and receiving your deposit, we will provide an updated time frame.

 

Shipping Q&A Examples

Do you ship?
Yes, we ship anywhere in the continental United States.  If you are in Canada or Mexico, please email us at micah@willisranchmeats.com

 

Can I track my order?
Yes, we will provide you tracking number for your packages.

 

How do you package your boxes? 
We carefully pack your order in insulated boxes with dry ice.

 

Is shipping included in my order?
Yes

What if my order arrives thawed?
Depending on shipping time by the carrier your meat may have slight to minor thawing but it should NEVER be completely thawed out.  You must make sure that you receive your delivery in person so that it can be placed in to the freezer immediately upon receiving.

 

What if I'm not home when my order arrives? 
You must make sure that you receive your delivery in person so that it can be placed in to the freezer immediately upon receiving. We or the shipping company cannot be held liable for packages received and left outside for over five hours after delivery. Please make sure that you inform the shipping company you are expecting a frozen meat product and where to best leave it. We suggest you sign up with the carrier to track your delivery and to be notified once delivered.

Email us at sales@willisranchmeats.com

Happy Eating!