100% Grass Fed Beef - Small Animal
This product is currently sold out.
This is a deposit to reserve your share of a small animal (~400 lbs hanging weight). You'll pay the balance based on final hanging weight when the animal is processed in Fall 2026, plus butcher fees paid directly to the butcher at pickup. The complete breakdown is below.
About Our Beef
Every animal is 100% pasture-raised right here on our land in Edinboro, PA — on grass and hay only, with no antibiotics, no hormones, and no feedlot finishing. That's different from most “grass-fed” beef at the grocery store, which is often imported, feedlot-finished, or both. If you want to learn more about how we raise our cattle, visit the main beef page or come see the farm for yourself.
How Your Beef Purchase Works
When you place a deposit, you are purchasing a share of a live animal that we are raising specifically for your order. Your deposit reserves your beef and secures your place in our processing schedule.
Because we raise and schedule processing for each animal based on customer commitments, all deposits are non-refundable and orders cannot be cancelled once placed. Your deposit represents a binding commitment to purchase your reserved share.
The only exception: if Deer Run Acres is unable to deliver your beef for any reason, your deposit will be refunded in full.
We know this is a meaningful commitment. That is exactly why we raise every animal with care, butcher at trusted local state-inspected shops, and walk you through the entire cut sheet process so you get exactly the beef your family wants.
New to buying bulk beef? Read our complete guide to how bulk ordering works.
Understanding Your Final Cost
Here's what you'll actually pay — and what you'll actually take home — when you reserve a whole Small Animal:
What you pay for:
- Hanging weight (~400 lbs) × $6.50/lb = ~$2,600 paid to Deer Run Acres
- Butcher fees (~$1/lb hanging weight) = ~$400 paid to the butcher
- Estimated total: ~$3,000
What you take home:
- Roughly 240 lbs of packaged cuts — about 60% of hanging weight
- The remaining 40% is bones, fat, and moisture loss during hanging
- Request the bones, fat, and organs too, and total utilization climbs to ~90%
What this works out to: Roughly $12.50 per pound of packaged cuts — a full mix of ribeyes, NY strips, sirloin, tenderloin, roasts, and ground beef. At grocery prices, those same cuts in the same quantities would run significantly more.
For a quarter or half: The math scales proportionally. A quarter of a small animal is approximately 100 lbs hanging weight (~60 lbs take-home), a half is approximately 200 lbs hanging weight (~120 lbs take-home).
Your three payments:
- Today: Your deposit (shown above) — reserves your share
- At processing: Balance on hanging weight × $6.50/lb, minus your deposit, paid to Deer Run Acres
- At pickup: Butcher fees, paid directly to the butcher
What You'll Choose at the Butcher
You'll work directly with the butcher to choose your cuts — bone-in vs. boneless, steak thickness, how much ground beef you want, roast sizes, and more. Typical selections include ribeye, NY strip, sirloin, tenderloin, chuck roast, brisket, short ribs, stew meat, and ground beef. If you want the bones for bone broth, the fat for rendering tallow, or the organs, just tell the butcher — these have to be specifically requested.
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Grass Fed Beef Tips
Cooking Tips
- Grass-fed beef cooks about 30% faster than grain-fed. Use lower heat.
- Let steaks reach room temperature before cooking for even results.
- Use a meat thermometer — pull steaks at 125°F for medium-rare.
- Rest meat for 5-10 minutes after cooking to retain juices.
Storage Guide
- Keep vacuum-sealed meat frozen at 0°F or below.
- Steaks and roasts stay fresh 12-18 months in the freezer.
- Ground meat is best within 6-12 months frozen.
- Thaw in the refrigerator overnight — never at room temperature.
- A 7 cubic foot chest freezer holds a quarter beef.
Recipe Ideas
- Steaks: Simple salt and pepper with high heat sear.
- Roasts: Slow cooker with root vegetables and herbs.
- Ground Beef: Burgers, tacos, bolognese, meatballs.
- Stew Meat: Hearty beef stew with potatoes and carrots.
- Bones: Rich bone broth simmered 24+ hours.
Satisfaction Guaranteed
We stand behind the quality of every product. Not satisfied? Contact us and we will make it right.
