How much does a cow share cost? At Carter Country Meats, a quarter cow is $1,700 for at least 115 lbs of beef (about $14.78/lb), a half cow is $3,130 for at least 225 lbs (about $13.91/lb), and a whole cow is $5,600 for at least 425 lbs (about $13.18/lb). Smaller shares start at $590. Prices are before shipping, which is calculated at checkout (estimates below). The bigger the share, the lower the price per pound.
| Share | Price | Beef you get | Price per lb | Freezer space | Ground shipping (est.) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole cow | $5,600 | at least 425 lbs | about $13.18 | about 11-12 cu ft | about $425-575 | Buy a whole cow |
| Half cow | $3,130 | at least 225 lbs | about $13.91 | about 6 cu ft | about $225-305 | Buy a half cow |
| Quarter cow | $1,700 | 115 lbs minimum | about $14.78 | about 3 cu ft | about $115-155 | Buy a quarter cow |
| Eighth cow | $1,000 | about 65 lbs | about $15.38 | about 2 cu ft | about $65-90 | Buy an eighth cow |
| Sixteenth cow | $590 | at least 35 lbs | about $16.86 | about 1 cu ft | about $35-50 | Buy a sixteenth cow |
Shipping is added at checkout based on the weight of your share and the speed you choose. Ground shipping runs about $1 to $1.35 per pound (larger shares land at the low end), and 2nd Day Air runs roughly $2.50 per pound or more. The exact amount shows at checkout before you pay.
Freezer space uses a common rule of thumb of about 1 cubic foot per 35-40 lbs of beef. A sixteenth or eighth fits most fridge-freezers, a quarter fits a small chest freezer, and a half or whole cow needs a dedicated chest freezer.
Every share is a balanced cross-section of the animal, so you get your fair portion of steaks, not just what is left after someone else picks. Weights are averages from our cut sheets. Specific cuts vary from animal to animal, which is why we list each share by category.
| Share | Ground beef | Premium cuts | Mid cuts | Organs | Bones |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole | ~195 lbs | ~98.8 lbs | ~95.2 lbs | ~12.1 lbs | ~29.5 lbs |
| Half | ~110 lbs | ~52.2 lbs | ~49 lbs | ~6 lbs | ~10 lbs |
| Quarter | ~61 lbs | ~24.6 lbs | ~22.6 lbs | ~3 lbs | ~6 lbs |
| Eighth | ~30 lbs | ~18.8 lbs | ~13.1 lbs | ~1.5 lbs | ~2 lbs |
| Sixteenth | ~15 lbs | ~8.75 lbs | ~8.1 lbs | ~1.5 lbs | ~1.75 lbs |
Every share can add grass-fed bone broth or beef tallow at checkout. If you add bone broth, the bones from your share go into the broth instead of into your box.
A cow share prices every cut, from ribeye and tenderloin to roasts and ground beef, at one blended per-pound price. Buying the same mix one cut at a time at retail means paying steak prices for the steaks. The trade-off is that you pay once, up front, and need the freezer space.
All shares come from the same cattle: 100% grass-fed and grass-finished, raised on Carter Ranch in the Big Horn Mountains near Ten Sleep, Wyoming. Carter beef is EverSoil Certified, and lab testing of our July 2026 ground beef measured an omega-6:3 ratio of 1.82:1 (it shifts with the season), versus 8.28:1 for grain-finished beef in a 2026 Journal of Animal Science study.
Our quarter cow share is at least 115 lbs of frozen beef: about 61 lbs of ground beef, 24.6 lbs of premium cuts, 22.6 lbs of mid cuts, about 3 lbs of organs and 6 lbs of bones. Specific cuts vary from animal to animal.
A half cow is at least 225 lbs of beef for $3,130, or about $13.91 per pound.
Shipping is not included in the share price. By ground, expect about $1 to $1.35 per pound: roughly $425-575 for a whole cow, $225-305 for a half, $115-155 for a quarter, $65-90 for an eighth and $35-50 for a sixteenth. 2nd Day Air costs roughly $2.50 per pound or more. Checkout shows the exact amount.
Sixteenth, eighth and quarter shares ship within the week - please allow 5 days to process and pack, and we generally ship cow shares out on Tuesdays. Half and whole shares take up to 3 weeks to ship, depending on inventory. Every share ships frozen with dry ice.
Stored at 0°F, frozen beef keeps its quality for 12 months or more. Most families work through a quarter share in 6 to 12 months.
If you eat beef a few times a week and have a small chest freezer, a quarter is the usual starting point. If you only have a fridge-freezer, start with an eighth or sixteenth.
Both. Local pickup in Denver is available for cow shares. Shipped shares go frozen by UPS from Denver, so Colorado and Wyoming orders go UPS Ground at the low end of the shipping range. Our cattle are raised on Carter Ranch near Ten Sleep, Wyoming.
Want the full breakdown? Read How Much Does a Whole Cow Share Cost? A Rancher's Price Breakdown, or see all cow shares.