What do you actually take home?

The number one question first-time buyers ask. A live animal loses weight twice before it reaches your freezer: once at slaughter (live weight → hanging weight) and again at cutting (hanging weight → packaged meat). This calculator uses the same university extension yield numbers we use to price fairly, so there are no surprises on invoice day.

Animal

Live weight

1,200 lbs

9001,500

Your share

Cutting style

Your estimate

Hanging weight (your share)189 lbs

Packaged meat in your freezer132 lbs

Freezer space needed~3.5 cu ft

Meat cost (@ $5.85/lb hanging)$1,106

Processing (est.)$170

Estimated total$1,276

≈ $9.64/lb of packaged meat

Compare that to $7–$15/lb retail for the same mix of steaks, roasts, and ground.

Estimates based on published Michigan State University and ATTRA processing benchmarks: beef dresses at ~63% of live weight, pork ~72%, lamb ~50%; packaged yield ~70% of hanging weight bone-in or ~50% boneless. Actual results vary by animal and cut choices.