Frequently asked questions.
We LOVE cows. It’s in our best interest to keep them alive, healthy, and happy and we really ENJOY doing so. Even in the worse conditions (snow, sleet, rain, freezing rain, heat, humidity) they are our priority, so when we offer you a share of our hard work we want to ensure you that we have cared for and LOVED these animals as much as we can. Just like you, we care about where our beef came from and how it’s raised, handled, and harvested. So, for the sake of transparency we’re answering your frequently asked questions, if you have more, no problem, please don’t hesitate to contact us, just to warn you though, we really like TALKING about cows as well.
Are your cattle born and raised on your land?
Yes. We are a cow-calf operation and all our cattle sold for beef are born and raised on the Huntzinger Ranch. They are born on pasture and stay with their mothers for 8-9 months until they’re weaned, we background them to a uniform weight and finish them on grain, corn, and forages. They are in our care from the moment they are born until they’re finished, we maintain vaccination records, antibiotics (if necessary) and their genetic records.
How are they finished?
They are fully finished animals raised for beef. Finished on grain, corn and other forages they are fed for premium beef production. This type of finishing allows maximum marbling that’s essential for a Choice Plus or Prime grade of beef.
What does “grain finished” mean?
They spend the majority of their lives eating grass or forage (pasture or back-grounding) and 4-6 months in a feed yard eating a balanced diet of grains, local feed ingredients, like corn, grain, and hay or forage.
Are there antibiotics in your beef?
No, there is no trace residue of antibiotics in our beef. All meat, poultry and dairy foods sold in the U.S. are free of antibiotic residues, as required by federal law — whether or not the food is labeled "antibiotic free." We follow all WSDA & USDA requirements when caring for our animals including administering medication, if necessary.
Are there hormones in your beef?
All living things, like humans, have naturally occurring hormones. Compare the estrogenic activity of common foods (ng per 3 oz serving or 85 g serving).
Soy flour: 128,423,201
Tofu: 19,306,004
Kidney Beans: 153,087
White Bread: 51,029
Chicken: 1.8
Eggs: 94
Beef : 1.2 (implanted); 0.9 (non-implanted)
Milk: 5.4
Yes, our beef contains naturally occurring hormones.
Are they fed GMO crops?
The short answer to this question is, yes. There are currently ten total crops grown from genetically modified seeds approved for use in the U.S.: corn, soybeans, cotton, canola, alfalfa, sugar beets, papaya, potatoes, apples and squash.
Feeding of these crops (corn, soybeans, alfalfa) is common in raising cattle, and others more commonly fed in the form a byproduct from the processing for human use (cotton, canola, sugar beets, potatoes, and apples). Cattle feed made from these crops, grown from conventional or genetically modified seed may be used safely.
The primary reason GMO seeds are used in growing cattle feed are the benefits of reducing the need for herbicides, insecticides, and fertilizers while maintaining crop yields. This allows farmers to grow feed for livestock and food for people using less land, water, and field applications.
When is your beef available?
Year-round. We offer beef shares every 3-4 months and have individual cuts all year long. If it’s a cut that’s more specialized (Tomahawks, Prime Rib roasts, etc.), we can usually accommodate within a month or two.
What is the weight of the animal before it’s butchered?
This weight can vary but we aim to harvest the animal when it’s around 1,300-1,500 pounds, this will yield a hanging weight of 700-900 pounds (roughly 62-65%of live weight or “dressing percentage”) and a cut yield of roughly 400-500 pounds (roughly 75% of hanging weight). Most times when you purchase a beef share (whole beef, half beef, etc.), the cost is on hanging weight so you’ll pay price per pound on hanging weight (700-800lbs) as well as cut and wrap. We cover the harvest fee and taxes due.
How old is the animal when it’s harvested?
Our beef production process involves harvesting animals before they reach 20 months of age. The reason for this is that as animals mature, the meat begins to undergo ossification. Ossification is the gradual process by which the cartilage present around the bones is replaced by bone tissue. As ossification progresses, the cooked meat becomes tougher, and the fat becomes less marbled. The extent of ossification varies depending on the cut of meat and the level of connective tissue present, and can significantly affect the meat's texture and quality. Therefore, by harvesting our animals at a relatively young age, we can ensure tender, high-quality beef.
Do I chose my cut and wrap options?
Yes, you chose your cut choices, our butcher (Limit Bid Packing) has customizable cut and wrap options for our customers. You will be contacted once the animal has been taken to the butcher to “choose” your cut choices, the process is simple, we will send you a Google document that has choices for the primal cuts of the animal, most of the time it’s an option to chose steaks, roasts or ground beef, once you fill out your cut instructions, the butcher receives those instructions and packages your beef in a vacuum sealed cyro-vac package that maintain it’s integrity for up to two years (pending proper care). All your beef will be flash frozen when it’s delivered.
Do you offer options to keep offal (heart, liver, tongue, kidney’s, etc.)?
Yes, this is an option on beef shares (keep in mind you will pay per pound and cut & wrap on these cuts) but you have the option to keep the heart, liver, tongue, oxtail, kidneys, and soup bones. If you wish to keep offal we need to know BEFORE the animal is harvested.
I can’t take a whole or half beef share, are there other options?
Yes, because we butcher our animals at a USDA inspected facility we also sell individual cuts of beef. You can order a prepackaged box with a variety of cuts or simply the individual cuts you desire. Keep in mind there are only so many cuts per animal so quantity of any certain items may be limited, however we usually keep a good stock of everything.
How much freezer space do I need?
For each 25-30 pounds of packaged beef you will need about 1 cubic foot of freezer space. If you order a half of beef, you need about 10-12 cubic feet, a whole beef, 20-24 cubic feet. It’s common practice for manufacturers to list the capacity of the freezer somewhere labeled on the freezer.
What do you estimate the quality grade to be?
Quality grades are different than USDA inspection, which is mandatory. A quality grade is prime, choice, select and is voluntary. It is a sign of how much marbling they anticipate a steak to have, and the prime grade will have more marbling than choice, and choice more than select. The majority of animals harvested in the United States grade at least choice. A beef producer CANNOT guarantee the quality grade since this can only be done after harvest. Our beef from the butcher is NOT graded, nor does it have to be. We estimate our beef to be prime or choice plus/choice based on the quality grades that we’re given when we sell similar beef to Tyson or Washington Beef.