Splitting a beef between customers
When two to four people share one animal, give each of them their own cut sheet, deposit and bill, all tied to the same carcass. Weigh it once, and price every share from that one weight. The rest is deciding what a quarter means in your shop and how per-animal fees divide.
The ways an animal gets split
- Two halves. Each buyer gets one side of the carcass.
- Four quarters. Four buyers, each with a quarter.
- A half and two quarters. One side goes to one buyer, and the other side is shared by two.
Settle which of these you'll take before the animal comes in, and write the buyers' names against it. Matching four people to one tag number at pickup is where split orders go wrong.
Halves: each side, its own sheet
A half is one side of the carcass, so a half buyer can fill out the whole cut sheet their own way. One wants T-bones, the other wants strips and filets, and both can have them. Give each buyer their own sheet and bill and keep the two orders linked to the same animal.
Quarters: split, or front and hind?
"A quarter" means two different things, and customers rarely know which one they're asking for:
- Split quarter (mixed quarter). A share of every primal: some steaks, some roasts, some ground. Each quarter buyer fills out a full sheet and gets their share of each cut.
- Front or hind quarter. The actual front or back of one side. A hindquarter has most of the steaks and a forequarter most of the roasts and ground, so they don't weigh or cost the same.
Say on your sheet which one you sell. Most shops selling quarters to households sell split quarters, because a buyer who got only the front calls you about the missing steaks.
Weigh once, price every share from it
Record the hanging weight for the carcass, not for each buyer. Each share's per-pound charges come from its part of that weight. With a 700 lb carcass, $1.10/lb cut and wrap, and a $100 slaughter fee divided by share:
| Share | Hanging weight | Cut & wrap | Slaughter | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole | 700 lb | $770.00 | $100.00 | $870.00 |
| Half | 350 lb | $385.00 | $50.00 | $435.00 |
| Quarter | 175 lb | $192.50 | $25.00 | $217.50 |
Add-ons like patties or sausage are charged to whoever ordered them, not divided. For how to lay out the rates themselves, see how to price custom processing.
Per-animal fees: divide them, or charge a share more?
The simple rule is that a half pays half of every per-animal fee and a quarter pays a quarter. Plenty of shops charge more than that, because a half isn't half the work: it's a second sheet, a second bill and a second set of packages. A $100 slaughter fee might be $55 for a half and $30 for a quarter. Either way is fair if it's printed on the sheet before anyone orders.
Deposits per buyer
Take a deposit from each buyer, not one for the animal. When one buyer drops out, you know whose share is unpaid and can offer it to someone else before cutting starts.
Label every copy
Every cut sheet, bill and package label for a split should say Half or Quarter, the animal's tag number and the buyer's name. In the cutting room that's how a quarter's packages end up in the right box.
How Cut Sheet Helper handles it
In Cut Sheet Helper you split an animal into two halves, four quarters, or a half and two quarters. Each buyer gets their own link, fills out the full cut sheet, and sees their share's price as they choose. You enter the hanging weight once, every share re-prices, and each buyer gets their own bill. Every copy says Whole, Half or Quarter. Flat fees divide by share unless you set your own half and quarter prices.
Common questions
How do you split a beef between two customers?
Give each customer their own cut sheet, deposit and bill, linked to the same animal. Weigh the carcass once, and price each half on half the hanging weight.
What is a split quarter of beef?
A split quarter is a quarter of the animal that gets a share of every primal, rather than the front or hind quarter alone. It's the common way to sell quarters because both buyers get steaks, roasts and ground beef.
How do you charge the slaughter fee on a half or quarter?
Most shops divide per-animal fees by the share: a half pays half the slaughter fee. Some charge a half or quarter a little more than its share because the extra cut sheet and packaging take more work.
Can half-beef buyers choose different cuts?
Yes. Each half is one side of the carcass, so each buyer can fill out the full cut sheet their own way. Quarters sharing a side need to agree, or the shop has to split cuts piece by piece.