Clark Ranch cattle are not given any growth hormones. The stock cattle are vaccinated against the prevailing illnesses. The calves for sale by the whole or the half are not vaccinated. Both the stock cattle and the calves for sale by the whole or the half are not given routine antibiotics but are administered if they fall ill with a bacterial infection that needs medications to clear up the infection. Historically, we rarely need the use of antibiotics in our herd due to cattle management and land techniques which reduce environments which could increase infections.

We strive to utilize rotational grazing and physical means (pulling, shredding, etc...) to limit the need to utilize chemical spraying. If a pasture becomes within imminent danger of being over ran with foliage harmful to the cattle or pests which could decimate the pasture, we will use the least amount of proper chemical application. The cattle are removed from the pasture according to the chemical manufactures recommendation.

As a small family business, we have the luxury to allow the calves to stay nursing and grazing with their mothers. Upon weaning, the calves are placed in a separate pasture within viewing distance of their old herd which does reduce the stress of weaning considerably. Normally the cows are ready to wean the calves before we do. At no time are our calves placed in a "feed lot" type pen. The calves will continue to graze in their own shady pasture and will be given grain as a supplement to finish them off. Your calf will be living at their "home" their entire lives until taken to processing. We have chosen a state licensed and inspected processor with a quick turn around who also believe in cruelty free beef processing, so that your calf will not be standing in a crowded "feed lot" type pens before processing.

Weimar Meat Company in Weimar TX, which is a state and custom inspected processing facility, so you can be assured that your calf is processed according to all health and safety standards and processed same day or within a few days of arriving at their facility. While waiting at the facility, your calf will be cared for and treated humanely. The calves will not be standing in crowded "feed lot" type pens for days and weeks, which is one of several reasons why we have chosen this facility.

A half beef typically requires 8–20 cubic feet of freezer space, depending on the size and type of freezer. A general rule of thumb is to allow 1 cubic foot of freezer space for every 35 pounds of meat.

Anyone in our delivery area can receive home delivery for a cost of $10.00. It will be personally delivered to your home the same day as we pick it up from the processor, vacuum packed and on ice. You can also arrange to pick up their order at the processor in Weimar.

Taken from: https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/blog/whats-your-beef-prime-choice-or-select Beef is graded in two ways: quality grades for tenderness, juiciness and flavor; and yield grades for the amount of usable lean meat on the carcass. From a consumer standpoint, what do these quality beef grades mean? Prime beef is produced from young, well-fed beef cattle. It has abundant marbling (the amount of fat interspersed with lean meat), and is generally sold in restaurants and hotels. Prime roasts and steaks are excellent for dry-heat cooking such as broiling, roasting or grilling. Choice beef is high quality, but has less marbling than Prime. Choice roasts and steaks from the loin and rib will be very tender, juicy, and flavorful and are suited for dry-heat cooking. Many of the less tender cuts can also be cooked with dry heat if not overcooked. Such cuts will be most tender if braised, roasted or simmered with a small amount of liquid in a tightly covered pan. Select beef is very uniform in quality and normally leaner than the higher grades. It is fairly tender, but, because it has less marbling, it may lack some of the juiciness and flavor of the higher grades. Only the tender cuts should be cooked with dry heat. Other cuts should be marinated before cooking or braised to obtain maximum tenderness and flavor. Recently, USDA collaborated with the United States Meat Export Federation and Colorado State University to develop an educational video about the beef grading process. This video provides a comprehensive overview of the beef grading system – from farm to table.

Live Weight - Or "On the hoof" The first is “LIVE” weight. This is what the animal weighed on the hoof, or when it was alive. Hanging Weight The next weight is “HANGING” weight. This is the weight that the butcher gives us after the animal has been taken back to the butcher shop to hang. The weight difference from live to hanging is from loss of blood, head, hide, hooves, viscera, lungs and heart. The hanging weight is usually about 62% of the live weight. So, a 1200 pound animal (live weight) would have a hanging weight of 744 pounds. Final Weight or "Take Home" The weight is lost in 2 ways – from hanging to take home weight. About 4% is water weight lost during the 10-21 day period that the carcass is hung (or “cured”). Then about another 35% is lost during the cutting process. This amount is variable based on 2 factors – one is the amount of fat in the meat, and the other is the cuts that a customer requests. Higher fat means more loss. Also, the more boneless cuts requested by the customer, the lower the final weight. (Note that the lower weight doesn’t mean that you are receiving less meat – rather, you are receiving fewer bones). So, Why Is Meat Hung? Hanging beef in a cooler for 10 – 21 days is recommended to improve tenderness. This process is called aging. This allows the enzymes in the meat to break down the proteins and improve eating quality. The process also allows the development of flavors associated with the aging process.