Bulk Buying Basics: How Much Meat Does My Family Need?

If you've ever tried shopping for a quarter beef or half hog and wondered, "How much is that and how long will it feed my family?"...you’re not alone!

For many households, especially those with growing kids, buying meat in bulk from a local rancher sounds great… until the logistics get fuzzy.

At Ramstead, we’re here to make bulk buying make sense. This is your go-to guide for understanding portions, freezer space, and how to plan for your family’s real-life needs without overbuying or overthinking it.

Scroll down to find the family size that most closely matches yours, and read the details to find your best fit bulk order size.

🥓 Family of 2: 2 Adults or 1 Adult + 1 Teen

Let’s assume:

• You each eat ~0.6 lbs of meat per meal
• You cook meat 4–5 times per week

That’s 1.2 lbs per meal, and here are your planning needs:

• Weekly total: 5–6 lbs
• Monthly total: 20–25 lbs

What Should You Order?

For smaller households, we offer bulk portions that allow you to save while you stock up without overrunning your freezer space:

• 1/8 Beef (36 lbs): 2 months
• 1/4 Pig (26 lbs): 1.5 months
• Whole chicken (~4.5 lbs each): Plan for two meals per bird plus leftovers

🧠 Smart 3-month bulk combo for 2:

• 1/8 Beef (36 lbs)
• 1/4 Pig (26 lbs)
• 2–4 Whole chickens or as needed for extras

✅ Total Meat: 70 - 80 lbs
🧊 Freezer Space: 4–5 cu. ft.
💡 Great for smaller families who cook 4–5 nights a week and want variety across ground beef, steaks, roasts, chops, bacon, and sausage.

👉 Visit Our Bulk Menu Page

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family of 4: 2 Adults + 2 Young Kids

Let’s say your family eats pasture-raised meat 4–5 times per week.

• Adults eat about 0.6 lbs of meat per meal
• Young kids eat about 0.3 lbs per meal

That’s about 1.8 lbs per meal for the whole family:

• Weekly total: 8 lbs
• Monthly total: 24–35 lbs

What Should You Order?

You have options depending on how often you want to restock:

• 1/4 Beef (72 lbs): 2–3 months
• 1/2 Pig (55 lbs): 3–5 months
• 20 Whole chickens (at 4.5 lbs each): 2.5–4 months

🧠 Smart 3-month combo for your family:

• 1/4 Beef (72 lbs)
• 1/4 Pig (26 lbs)
• 2–4 Whole chickens, or as needed to fill in

✅ Total Meat: 105 - 110 lbs
🧊 Freezer Space: 6–7 cu. ft.
💡 This combo covers three months easily, with cuts to please both picky eaters and weekend cooks. Think burgers, meatballs, bacon breakfast, and slow-cooked roasts.

👉 Visit Our Bulk Menu Page

🍔 Family of 4: 2 Adults + 2 Teenagers

Teenagers can easily match or surpass adult appetites.

• Each person (adult or teen) eats ~0.6 lbs

That’s 2.4 lbs per meal for the family:

• Weekly total: 10–11 lbs
• Monthly total: 40–46 lbs

What Should You Order?

Here are some popular portions and how long they’ll last your family:

• 1/4 Beef (72 lbs): 1.5 months
• 1/2 Beef (145 lbs): 3 months
• Whole Pig (109 lbs): 2.5 months
• 30 Whole chickens (at 4.5 lbs each): 3 months

🧠 Smart 3-month bulk combo for you:

• 1/4 Beef (72 lbs)
• 1/2 Pig (55 lbs)
• 3–8 Whole chickens or as needed for fill in

✅ Total Meat: ~140 - 155 lbs
🧊 Freezer Space: ~8–9 cu. ft.
💡 This is a robust combo for hearty teen appetites. You’ll have plenty of ground beef for weeknights, roasts for Sunday dinner, bacon for big breakfasts, and sausage for quick protein boosts.

Pro-tip: Add whole chickens as needed for sports seasons when appetites are at their peak!

👉 Visit Our Bulk Menu Page

A Final Note

As you can likely guess, the amount of time these portions last your family will vary based on demand. This guide is a great starting point to help you understand what it takes to feed our most common family combos with a typical meat-eating schedule.

We hope this helps with your planning, and if you have specific questions or want to know more, as always, please contact us.  We are real humans here 😆, and we’re happy to help!