Appalachian grown, dry aged beef
Freezer beef and beef shares
Buy beef by the eighth, quarter, half or whole animal, direct from our farm in Vilas, North Carolina. R.G. Shipley Signature Beef is Appalachian mountain-raised and pasture-raised, with no steroids, no antibiotics and no added growth stimulants.
Beef shares at a fixed price
A share is a published list of cuts for one price, so you know exactly what you are getting before you order. Every share arrives vacuum sealed, labelled and frozen.
Half Beef Share
$2,670
About 175 lbs packaged, 26 cuts
- Pickup only at the butchery
Quarter Beef Share
$1,380
About 85 lbs packaged, 23 cuts
- Pickup only at the butchery
1/8 Beef Share
$750
40 to 42 lbs packaged, 19 cuts
- Ships frozen, or collect at the butchery
Or buy a side or a whole beef by hanging weight
This is the lowest cost per pound we offer and it is cut to your own instructions. You pay a reservation deposit now, and we invoice the balance on your animal's actual hanging weight once it has been processed and weighed.
A whole beef
$750 deposit
then $7.50 per hanging pound
- Typically $4,875 to $6,000 in total
- Cut to your own instructions
- Pickup only at the butchery
Balance invoiced on actual weight after processing.
A side of beef
$500 deposit
then $7.60 per hanging pound
- Typically $2,470 to $3,040 in total
- Cut to your own instructions
- Pickup only at the butchery
Balance invoiced on actual weight after processing.
| Option | Price | Minimum |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-formed 1/3 lb hamburger patties | $1.20/lb | 10 lb minimum |
| Link sausages | $2.00/lb | 25 lb minimum |
What is in each share
Pack counts and weights are what a typical share carries. Individual packs vary a little, because beef is cut from a real animal rather than to a spec sheet.
Half Beef Share: 26 cuts, about 176 lbs
| Packs | Cut | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 50 packs | Ground Beef (1 lb) | 50 lbs |
| 5 packs | Shipley Farms Burger Patties (4 pre-formed patties) | 7 lbs |
| 2 packs | Steak Burger Patties (3 pre-formed patties) | 2 lbs |
| 4 packs | Beef Garlic Bratwurst Link (4 per pack) | 4 lbs |
| 4 packs | Beef Chorizo Link (4 per pack) | 4 lbs |
| 4 packs | Sweet Beef Italian Sausage Link (4 per pack) | 4 lbs |
| 12 packs | Ribeye Steak | 11 lbs |
| 12 packs | Strip Steak | 9 lbs |
| 4 packs | Chuck Eye Steak | 2.5 lbs |
| 4 packs | Flat Iron Steak | 2.5 lbs |
| 4 packs | Fajita Skirt Steak | 4 lbs |
| 1 pack | Inside Skirt Steak | 1 lb |
| 8 packs | Filet Mignon Steak | 4 lbs |
| 1 pack | Flank Steak | 1.5 lbs |
| 12 packs | Top Sirloin Steak | 10 lbs |
| 1 pack | Brisket, Whole | 11 lbs |
| 4 packs | Short Ribs | 10 lbs |
| 4 packs | Bavette Steak (Sirloin Flap) | 3 lbs |
| 2 packs | Beef Tips | 2 lbs |
| 4 packs | Chuck Roast, Boneless | 12 lbs |
| 1 pack | Tri-Tip Roast | 1.5 lbs |
| 2 packs | Osso Buco (shank) | 4 lbs |
| 4 packs | Sirloin Cap, Picanha | 4 lbs |
| 2 packs | Stew Beef | 4 lbs |
| 3 packs | Beef Liver | 3 lbs |
| 5 packs | Ancestral Blend (1 lb) | 5 lbs |
Quarter Beef Share: 23 cuts, about 86.3 lbs
| Packs | Cut | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 25 packs | Ground Beef (1 lb) | 25 lbs |
| 3 packs | Shipley Farms Burger Patties (4 pre-formed patties) | 3.5 lbs |
| 2 packs | Steak Burger Patties (3 pre-formed patties) | 2 lbs |
| 2 packs | Beef Garlic Bratwurst Link (4 per pack) | 2 lbs |
| 2 packs | Beef Chorizo Link (4 per pack) | 2 lbs |
| 2 packs | Sweet Beef Italian Sausage Link (4 per pack) | 2 lbs |
| 6 packs | Ribeye Steak | 5.5 lbs |
| 6 packs | Strip Steak | 4.5 lbs |
| 2 packs | Chuck Eye Steak | 1.4 lbs |
| 2 packs | Flat Iron Steak | 1.4 lbs |
| 2 packs | Fajita Skirt Steak | 2 lbs |
| 1 pack | Inside Skirt Steak | 1 lb |
| 4 packs | Filet Mignon Steak | 2 lbs |
| 4 packs | Top Sirloin Steak | 3.5 lbs |
| 1/2 pack | Brisket, Whole | 5 lbs |
| 2 packs | Short Ribs | 5 lbs |
| 2 packs | Bavette Steak (Sirloin Flap) | 2 lbs |
| 2 packs | Beef Tips | 2 lbs |
| 2 packs | Chuck Roast, Boneless | 6 lbs |
| 1 pack | Sirloin Cap, Picanha | 1.5 lbs |
| 1 pack | Stew Beef | 2 lbs |
| 2 packs | Beef Liver | 2 lbs |
| 3 packs | Ancestral Blend (1 lb) | 3 lbs |
1/8 Beef Share: 19 cuts, about 41.7 lbs
| Packs | Cut | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 10 packs | Ground Beef (1 lb) | 10 lbs |
| 2 packs | Shipley Farms Burger Patties (4 pre-formed patties) | 2.5 lbs |
| 1 pack | Beef Garlic Bratwurst Link (4 per pack) | 1 lb |
| 1 pack | Beef Chorizo Link (4 per pack) | 1 lb |
| 1 pack | Sweet Beef Italian Sausage Link (4 per pack) | 1 lb |
| 4 packs | Ribeye Steak | 3.5 lbs |
| 4 packs | Strip Steak | 3 lbs |
| 2 packs | Chuck Eye Steak | 1.5 lbs |
| 2 packs | Flat Iron Steak | 1.5 lbs |
| 2 packs | Fajita Skirt Steak | 2 lbs |
| 2 packs | Filet Mignon Steak | 1 lb |
| 2 packs | Top Sirloin Steak | 2 lbs |
| 1 pack | Short Ribs | 2 lbs |
| 1 pack | Bavette Steak (Sirloin Flap) | 1.2 lbs |
| 1 pack | Beef Tips | 1 lb |
| 1 pack | Chuck Roast, Boneless | 2.5 lbs |
| 1 pack | Stew Beef | 2 lbs |
| 1 pack | Beef Liver | 1 lb |
| 2 packs | Ancestral Blend (1 lb) | 2 lbs |
What a whole animal yields
A whole steer typically yields 400 to 450 pounds or more of packaged meat. Our steers usually hang at 650 to 800 lbs. Whether cuts are bone-in or boneless, and how closely they are trimmed, both move that number.
| Category | Share of packaged weight |
|---|---|
| Ground beef, patties and sausages | 50 to 55% |
| Steaks (ribeye, strip, filet, flat iron, skirt, fajita and more) | 16 to 18% |
| Roasts (London broil, sirloin tip, eye round, short ribs, brisket, stew beef) | 23 to 28% |
| Offal (liver, kidney, heart, bone) | about 3% |
Offal (liver, heart, kidney), broth bones and suet are yours at your option. Some customers want all of it, some take it for their dogs, and some would rather not have any. Kidney, oxtail and hanger steak are included with a whole beef if you want them.
Collecting your beef
We call you to arrange a date and time at Watauga Butchery, Vilas, NC. We have no space to hold beef after it is ready, so the appointment matters. The eighth share is the one size we ship: it travels frozen and shipping is calculated to your address at checkout.
Common questions
How much does a half cow cost?
A Half Beef Share is $2,670 and gives you about 175 lbs of packaged beef across 26 different cuts. If you would rather buy a side of beef by hanging weight and choose your own cutting instructions, that is $7.60 per hanging pound, usually $2,470 to $3,040 in total.
How much freezer space do I need?
As a rough guide, allow about one cubic foot of freezer space for every 35 to 40 lbs of packaged beef. An eighth share fits in the freezer compartment of most domestic fridges. A quarter needs a small chest freezer. A half or a whole wants a dedicated chest freezer.
What is the difference between a share and buying a side?
A share is a fixed price for a fixed, published list of cuts, so you know exactly what you are getting and what it costs. A side or a whole beef is priced on hanging weight and cut to your own instructions, which is cheaper per pound and gives you control over the cuts, but the final invoice depends on what your animal weighs.
Can you ship a beef share?
We ship the eighth share, which is the largest size that travels well. It goes out frozen and shipping is calculated to your address at checkout. Quarter, half, side and whole orders are pickup only at Watauga Butchery, Vilas, NC.
What does dry-aged mean here?
Dry-aged shares are aged 21-day dry-aged before they are cut and packaged. It is the same cut list either way. On a side or a whole beef the dry-age option is an extra $250.
When do I pay the balance on a side or whole beef?
You pay the reservation deposit when you order. Once your animal has been processed and weighed we invoice the balance on its actual hanging weight, less the deposit you have already paid.
More on filling a freezer
- How long does beef last in the freezer?
- Packing and wrapping beef for the freezer
- A better way to buy beef, gifts and stocking the freezer
No shortcuts since 1872
North Carolina sales tax of 2% is added at checkout. Questions about cutting instructions, timing or which size suits your household are best answered on the phone: (828) 484-1872 or beef@shipleyfarmsbeef.com.