Cutout weight percentages

[cfpinz]

How many of you here keep up with your cutout to hanging weight percentages? And those of you that do, would you mind sharing?

Here's my problem, and opinions are appreciated. We used a different butcher this year for the fat steers that we sell to customers - most of which are friends and co-workers. Really liked the butcher and he did a clean, professional job. I pulled a sample of 3 halves from this year's calves and weighed the cutout percentages, 48.7%, 51.2% and 54.0% of hanging weight. Just from the past 3 years I have records from 42 customers and those weights averaged 66-69%, with extreme outliers at 59.3% and 72.9%. It's too late for me to pull more samples from this year's group, but a couple regular customers commented their coolers seemed lighter this year. Nothing else has really changed other than the butcher.

Is there anything I could be missing here other than the obvious?

 

[sim.-ang.king]

We're they tanked up on feed and water before going?
Probably just his scales, how close was his live weight to what you figured them at?

 

[Son of Butch]

We're they tanked up on feed and water before going?

How would that effect hanging weight to take home weight?

 

[sim.-ang.king]

We're they tanked up on feed and water before going?

How would that effect hanging weight to take home weight?

I thought he was talking about carcass cutout which would be live weight minus hanging weight. Which a lot of water and feed would effect. My mistake for forgetting to engage brain. :lol:

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

We're they tanked up on feed and water before going?

How would that effect hanging weight to take home weight?

I thought he was talking about carcass cutout which would be live weight minus hanging weight. Which a lot of water and feed would effect. My mistake for forgetting to engage brain. :lol:

That would be dressing percent.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Any major difference in your breeding program - producing your steers? Lighter muscling?
Just looking at options other than your obvious.

 

[Son of Butch]

How many of you here keep up with your cutout to hanging weight percentages?
And those of you that do, would you mind sharing?

Here's my problem, and opinions are appreciated. We used a different butcher this year for the fat steers.
Really liked the butcher and he did a clean, professional job. I pulled a sample of 3 halves this year weighed the
cutout 48.7%, 51.2% and 54.0% of hanging weight.
the past 3 years weights averaged 66-69%, with extreme outliers at 59.3% and 72.9%.
Nothing else has really changed other than the butcher.

Is there anything I could be missing here other than the obvious?

To be clear, with previous butcher your take home pounds ranged from 59.3 - 72.9% of the hanging weight.
New butcher this year and the take home was 48.7 - 54% of the hanging weight.

I see no obvious answer.
What do you mean when you say the obvious must have happened?

 

[Stocker Steve]

We use two butchers. They vary greatly in dressing percentage. One is a pro, the other hires kids to trim and grind.

That said, 66 to 69% dressing percentage sounds too high. Do you believe this?

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Rule of thumb is you get back 2/3 hanging weight.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Here's a good explanation:
https://extension.psu.edu/understanding ... processing
Your steers may have been fatter than normal. Customer may have had different cuts

 

[cfpinz]

Any major difference in your breeding program - producing your steers? Lighter muscling?
Just looking at options other than your obvious.

Same genetics and muscle type.

 

[cfpinz]

To be clear, with previous butcher your take home pounds ranged from 59.3 - 72.9% of the hanging weight.
New butcher this year and the take home was 48.7 - 54% of the hanging weight.

You are correct.

I see no obvious answer.
What do you mean when you say the obvious must have happened?

One way or another, 10-15% was left behind. I'm trying to be polite, use your imagination.

 

[cfpinz]

We use two butchers. They vary greatly in dressing percentage. One is a pro, the other hires kids to trim and grind.

That said, 66 to 69% dressing percentage sounds too high. Do you believe this?

Yes, I've got about 10 years worth of weights to back it up. Some of the finished weights are theirs and some are mine.

 

[Son of Butch]

To be clear, with previous butcher your take home pounds ranged from 59.3 - 72.9% of the hanging weight.
New butcher this year and the take home was 48.7 - 54% of the hanging weight.

You are correct.

I see no obvious answer.
What do you mean when you say the obvious must have happened?

One way or another, 10-15% was left behind. I'm trying to be polite, use your imagination.

So you're going with the age old complaint? The Butcher Stole My Meat. The number of days aged and the quality
of the hanging freezer can account for several percent in take home weights and lead to false assumptions of theft.
Health conscience butchers may discard more fat than those that grind more of it in with the hamburger.

 

[cfpinz]

So you're going with the age old complaint? The Butcher Stole My Meat. The number of days aged and the quality
of the hanging freezer can account for several percent in take home weights and lead to false assumptions of theft.
Health conscience butchers may discard more fat than those that grind more of it in with the hamburger.

I didn't say that, and truly hope that's not the case. They seem like good folks and I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt. Precisely why I'm here asking for reasons that I've missed.

We pulled cuts from previous years and compared fat trim, everything looked similar. We always spec 90/10 on the burger, so that should be similar.

I really liked the butcher and would like to continue using them, just trying to find something I've overlooked to justify the numbers.

 

[jscunn]

I have a couple of thoughts, but first just to be clear. We are talking about the difference between Hanging wt vs packed meat weight?

1. My butcher has also told me on aged meat the % of packaged meat is gonna be 55% of the hanging weight. That depends on some factors (ie bone in steaks vs boneless, days of aging 4, 7, 10, 14 days, etc.)
2. Some butchers give a HCW with the KPH still attached some cut it out, maybe your old butcher took it out and the new one left it in.
3. Scales could be off at one of the butchers.
4. Hanging weights could have been taken on different days (ie Day 0 on the new butcher vs last day with old butcher).

Lots of questions..

BTW we have the same problem here, one gives us Dressing percentages in the 58-65% range the other one is 48-52% (and a 50 mile shorter haul)..

 

[cfpinz]

I have a couple of thoughts, but first just to be clear. We are talking about the difference between Hanging wt vs packed meat weight? Yes, sir.

1. My butcher has also told me on aged meat the % of packaged meat is gonna be 55% of the hanging weight. That depends on some factors (ie bone in steaks vs boneless, days of aging 4, 7, 10, 14 days, etc.)Both aged about 14 days, cuts are basically the same.
2. Some butchers give a HCW with the KPH still attached some cut it out, maybe your old butcher took it out and the new one left it in. What is the KPH?
3. Scales could be off at one of the butchers. Agreed.
4. Hanging weights could have been taken on different days (ie Day 0 on the new butcher vs last day with old butcher). I've read some about that situation, but it shouldn't produce a 10-15% difference in my opinion.

Lots of questions..

BTW we have the same problem here, one gives us Dressing percentages in the 58-65% range the other one is 48-52% (and a 50 mile shorter haul).. Exact same situation here.

I appreciate your input, thank you for your time.

 

[texan@heart]

KPH-kidney, pelic, and heart fat. That could sure contribute but I wouldn't expect it to cause the difference you are seeing.

I knew a guy that took a 280 lb pig in to get slaughtered and got back 260 lbs of meat. He thought he was the man until he ate some of it. Had to feed it to the dogs. It doesn't matter if they are dishonest or unorganized, at the end of the day it costs someone money.

I would sit down with the butcher and show him the same numbers. If he can tell you why it happened then your good to go. If not, take your business elsewhere. If you really like the people your numbers will be better next time if you want to use him again. People pay attention if they know before hand that you are paying attention.

 

[Son of Butch]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think KPH is usually in the range of 2.5% of the hot carcass weight.

Butchers charge processing based on hanging weight and would have incentive to record a higher h.w. not lower.

 

[jscunn]

2.5% of hcw is around 20# so it wouldnt fix it but it would help