About Princess Beef
Home for Princess Beef is on Rogers Mesa outside Hotchkiss, Colorado where Cynthia and Ira Houseweart and their daughters, Izzi and CeCe, live and work on their fifth generation portion of the century old Houseweart Family Ranch.
You can learn more about the history of all the families involved in our History section. 
Princess Beef began in 1999 with a cow named Princess which was given to Cynthia by Steve and Rachel Allen of Crawford, Colorado. Princess was raised by Cynthia at the Allen Ranch, where she was a ranch hand for many years. Through Princess and her calves the idea of selling home grown, 100% grassfed and finished beef came to be.
You are welcome to visit the Princess Beef operation at any time.
- NO anitbiotics, NO hormones and
- NO toxic chemical fertilizers employed
- Animals NEVER confined in a feedlot and NEVER grain fattened.
- Beef lower in fat, calories and cholesterol
- Beef higher in beta carotene, vitamin E, conjugated linoleic acid (cla) and omega 3 fatty acids
If you’d like to learn more about the benefits of grass-fed beef, click here.
Cost
The goal of Princess Beef is to give the consumer a consistently priced, superior product unrelated to the ups and downs of the cattle market. At the same time, Princess Beef seeks to increase the sustainability of a small, family ranching business by cutting out the large feedlots and processors that presently control the beef industry.
When you purchase Princess Beef, you legally are buying a share of the herd and we are having it processed for you by our local meat processor. This allows us to keep the price reasonable for you while giving us the opportunity to employ the services of a small U.S.D.A. inspected meat processing plant in our area.
The price of the meat is based on hanging weight, which is the carcass weight before being butchered into cuts.
For the year 2024, the cost is $5.50. Butchering is included in that price. To give you an idea of your total cost, the average price of a split quarter will be $900.00 (+/– $100); $1,800.00/half; and $3,600.00/whole..
A deposit of half is required when you place your order: $450.00/split quarter, $900.00/half, $1800.00/whole.
Download an order form
Quantity
Princess Beef is sold in whole, half or split quarters. (A split quarter is divided between the front and back of the carcass.)
We sell mostly split quarters and halves. Last year’s hanging weight averaged 155 pounds for a split quarter. Processed weight averaged 86 pounds making an approximate price of $9.50 to $10.00 a pound for the finished product. If you’re wondering how much freezer space you need, a quarter of beef fits into a 5 cubic foot freezer. However, you should choose a larger freezer if you wish to store other food items.
Generally a split quarter wrapped for two people includes Sirloin Steaks, Tenderloin, New York Strip, Rib Eyes, Round Steak, Chuck Roasts, Rump Roasts, Brisket, Flank and Ground Beef. Steaks are cut 1 1/2 inches thick and roasts average 3 pounds.
Here is a content list and image of a split quarter similar to what you will receive (double these numbers for a half beef). The dimensions of the boxes holding the beef are approximately 17″ x 26″ x 5″ each.
| Cut | Packages | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Brisket | 1 | 3.86 lbs. |
| Short Ribs | 4 | 6.96 lbs. |
| Back Ribs | 1 | 1.17 lbs. |
| Rump Roast | 2 | 6.98 lbs. |
| Chuck Roast | 3 | 11.66 lbs. |
| Chuck Arm Roast | 2 | 6.38 lbs. |
| Tenderloin | 2 | 1.15 lbs. |
| Rib Eye | 2 | 3.71 lbs. |
| New York Strip | 2 | 2.88 lbs. |
| Sirloin Tip | 1 | 1.99 lbs. |
| Sirloin | 3 | 5.98 lbs. |
| Flank Steak | 1 | 0.71 lb. |
| Cubed Round Steak | 3 | 9.23 lbs. |
| Stew Beef | 3 | 3.54 lbs. |
| Ground Beef | 36 | 34.94 lbs. |
| TOTALS | 66 | 101.16 lbs. |
Hanging weight for this order was 156.5 pounds. Total pounds of beef received was 101.16 pounds. $5.50 x 156.5 lbs. = $860.75.
$860.75 divided by 101.16 = $8.51 per pound.
Please note that possible variations may occur.
Receiving Princess Beef
It is not possible for us to make individual deliveries of Princess Beef orders nor do we have the facilities to store any of the beef once it is processed. We schedule ONE date for nearby customers (primarily Delta County) to pick up their orders at the Houseweart Ranch on Rogers Mesa, Hotchkiss, Colorado. We send written notice well in advance, along with directions. We do our best to make other arrangements for customers outside Delta County to receive their beef. For example, we schedule ONE DELIVERY DATE each for cities such as Montrose, Grand Junction, Denver/Colorado Springs and arrange for one time and one place in each location where customers can pick up their orders. We send written notice one month in advance. The cost of these deliveries is 67 cents per mile, roundtrip, per pickup load, which means we prorate the total mileage charge among all customers participating in a particular delivery. It is important that customers reserve early so that we can make these distant deliveries the most cost efficient for everyone.