FAQs

What kind of cattle do you raise? 

Black angus, born and pasture-raised right here at the ranch! From birth on, they live happy lives grazing out in the open sunshine. Superior herd genetics are just the beginning of our story; every year we breed for specific genetic traits, including exceptional tenderness, marbling, and flavor - as well as ease of calving and good nature to make Andrew's life a little easier!   

How will it taste? 

Delicious! We ultrasound our herd prior to butchering to ensure you only receive high-choice or prime grade meat. You won’t be disappointed! We have over 100 years experience raising nothing but beef – it’s all we do!

What about hormones and antibiotics? 

All of our animals are free of growth hormones and steroids.

We do not routinely feed or administer antibiotics to our animals. However their well-being comes first, and on the rare occasion one becomes sick (usually a calf), we will administer a dose. Anything more serious, and the animal is removed from our program. Additionally, if they require medication for any reason in the last 365 days prior to harvesting, they are also removed from our herd. 

Do you use chemical pesticides or herbicides?

Never.

What about mRNA vaccines?   

mRNA vaccines for livestock are in the testing phase and not commercially available for cattle. We are fortunate to have a very healthy herd with no plans to utilize mRNA vaccines in the future. 

Do you grass or grain-finish?

The answer to this is truly what sets us apart from other ranches. It's also the reason you'll find us in top farm-to-table steakhouses and butcher shops like Blackbelly and Urban Farmer (see our 'Partners' page for more info). 

Our cattle spend their whole lives on pasture grazing our thousands of acres. Just before heading to the butcher (the last month or so), we offer them a free-choice, homegrown blend of hay, alfalfa, corn, beets, and spent grains from local Colorado breweries, while still on pasture. We guarantee this will be some of the healthiest and tastiest beef you’ve ever had! 

How will my beef be processed? Is it humane?

Our beef is harvested at a first class, USDA inspected facility here in Colorado. It is one of only two Animal Welfare approved facilities in the state which focuses on no-stress handling and quick, humane harvesting.    

How is Bootheel 7 Ranch a regenerative ranch?

Our ranch is thousands of acres, and of those acres only about 3% is suitable to farm. By grazing livestock on that land that can’t be farmed we are able to naturally fertilize the soil, increase water retention, reduce fire hazards and still produce value from it - the beef we raise from our family to yours.

Using holistic management methods, our cattle graze and fertilize the soil on the ranch during optimal months and we manage when and where they graze to avoid overgrazing. Soil fertilized by grazing cattle both increases the nutrients in the soil and the amount of water the soil can retain. As different areas and pastures have different native grasses and turn at different times, we rotate our cattle throughout these pastures to allow the grass to be grazed at its peak points and before it turns.

Stay tuned for more information on regenerative agriculture from Bootheel 7 Ranch as we gather more information for you about our practices.   

Are your products gluten free? 

Beef is a naturally gluten-free product. A couple of our products (including hot links) are made with a small amount of local craft beer, which can contain gluten. 

How much freezer space do I need? 

For reference, our 1/4 cow share typically requires 4-5 cubic feet of space. A 1/2 cow share requires approximately 9-10 cubic feet, and a whole animal requires 18-20 cubic feet of space. 

What about the odds n' ends?

If you have specials requests for bones, oxtails, livers, hearts, etc. (otherwise known as the odds n’ ends), we are happy to accommodate your request. Just drop us an email and we’ll see how we can help!

Why does it cost so much to ship?

We currently ship orders nationwide via UPS every Tuesday, and do our best to keep shipping costs at a minimum. If you are in our home delivery area we encourage you to choose that option, we'll let you know if we deliver to your zip code at checkout. We use custom, insulated liners and dry ice to ensure that your beef arrives fast and frozen. Orders will arrive in 1-2 days depending on your location. 

1/8th and 1/4 shares will incur an additional shipping fee depending on your time zone. If the order is a gift, please leave a personal note in the 'Notes' section at checkout - we are more than happy to include it for you!  

Do you ever offer sales or specials?

We sure do! Join our email list below (link at the bottom of this page) to be the first to know about our special offers!

While we are always happy to add sale items on to current orders, we cannot accommodate requests for price adjustments on pending or delivered orders. We are a small but mighty crew that handles a large volume of orders and an ever changing inventory - to keep things fair and consistent for our customers we have adopted this policy. We hope you understand, as we love being able to offer great specials from time to time! 

Why does my order have sales tax?

We are required to collect sales tax in many different states. The collection of sales tax is based on where an order is picked up or shipped, whether we are required to collect sales tax in that particular state, city, or county, and the products purchased (food or merchandise). While there is typically no state sales tax on food for human consumption in Colorado, there are separate raw food tax rules for every city and county in the state. Bootheel 7 Ranch collects all local and state sales tax when applicable.