Grain-Fed Freezer Beef Pricing Worksheet
DOWNLOADApril 13, 2026 - Michigan State University Extension Beef Team
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EmailThis spreadsheet can be used to help beef producers direct marketing beef to consumers, mainly in the form of freezer beef, to determine the amount of beef produced and sale prices for direct marketing of their grain-fed beef animals and provide their customers with price comparisons to store-bought retail beef.
Disclaimer: This worksheet is designed to assist people in estimating costs and making comparisons. The authors or institutions associated with the Grain-Fed Pricing Worksheet are not responsible for loss of income, outdated prices, and other missing information.
General Instructions
- The producer can input their values into the gray highlighted cells, as these are the only cells allowed to be changed.
- The blue cells are examples. Hover over the red triangles to read helpful notes.
- Enter the carcass weight determined in row 15 (cells B15 or C15) in the yellow cell.
- A link is provided to look up the current retail price of Choice grade beef.
Additional resources that may be helpful
Enterprise and breakeven spreadsheets can be found at these websites to more accurately calculate cost of production:
- https://livestock.extension.wisc.edu/
- https://www.canr.msu.edu/meat_marketing_processing/
- https://www.canr.msu.edu/beef/
Link for current retail Choice graded beef price: https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/meat-price-spreads
