Jack County, between Perrin and Jacksboro  ·  Ranch pickup & North Texas delivery Call or text (214) 202-1855
Lost Valley Beef Lost Valley BeefJack County, Texas (214) 202-1855

How buying a half or whole beef actually works

Five steps, start to finish. No jargon, no surprises, and no part of it you are expected to already understand.

  1. Call the ranch

    Call or text (214) 202-1855. We tell you what is available right now, what it costs, and roughly when it would be ready. If you are not sure whether you want a half or a whole, this is the conversation where we work that out.

  2. Reserve your animal

    Once you decide, we put your name on an animal and give you a date range for processing. Beef is sold as the cattle finish, so reserving is what holds your place in line.

  3. Fill out your cut sheet

    Before the animal goes to American Butchery in Mineral Wells, you tell the butcher how you want it cut — steak thickness, roast sizes, how much you want ground, bone-in or boneless, what to do with the brisket. We walk first-timers through it.

  4. The beef hangs and is cut

    The carcass hangs in a cooler to age, which is what makes it tender, then it is cut, vacuum-sealed, flash-frozen and boxed. Plan on a couple of weeks from harvest to pickup.

  5. Pick it up or we deliver

    Pick up at the ranch in Jack County, or we run it out to you if you are in our delivery area. Have the freezer cleared out before it arrives — a half beef is more boxes than people expect.

The short version: you call, you reserve, you tell the butcher how you want it cut, and a couple of weeks later you pick up boxes of labeled, frozen beef. Everything else on this site is detail underneath those five steps.

The three things people ask before they commit

"What is hanging weight?"

The single most confusing term in this business, and the reason two ranches' prices look nothing alike. Here is what it means and how to compare quotes properly.

Read the guide →

"Will it even fit in my freezer?"

How much freezer space a quarter, half and whole beef actually take, what size freezer to buy, and what it costs to run.

Read the guide →

"Is it actually cheaper?"

The honest math against grocery-store prices, cut by cut — including where buying in bulk does not save you money.

Read the guide →

Common questions

How far ahead do I need to order?
It depends on where we are in the season. Sometimes we have beef ready within a couple of weeks; other times you are reserving an animal that finishes later. Call (214) 202-1855 and we will tell you the honest current answer.
Do I pay all at once?
Call and we will walk you through how payment works for the animal you are reserving. We would rather tell you on the phone than post terms that change.
What if I have never done this before?
Most of the people we talk to have never done it before. That is normal, and there is no part of this you are expected to already know. Ask us anything — especially about the cut sheet, which is the part that trips everybody up the first time.
Can I see the cattle?
Yes. We are a family ranch in Jack County and we are glad to talk about how the animals are raised. Call ahead so we know you are coming.

Talk to the ranch

Start with a phone call

There is no form that answers your questions better than five minutes on the phone with the family that raised the animal.

(214) 202-1855

Monday–Thursday, 10am–2pm · Call or text

Reserve Your Beef See Current Pricing