Hanging weight - Take Home Weight

[Son of Butch]

How much take home meat should I expect from butchering a steer?
This question is so common that thought I'd post the answer here.

I found a chart online showing an
average steer yields 61% h.w.
and 70% of hanging weight is the average take home
or
43% of live weight is expected retail yield
ie
Live weight 1,000 lbs
61% of 1,000 lbs = 610 lbs hanging
70% of 610 lbs = 427 lbs take home
or
43% of 1,000 = 430 lbs take home

*boneless cuts will lower take home weights

 

[Dsth]

nice math skills. obviously other factors determine true take home weight but this is a good starting point. thanks for passing on the info.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Yup, that's how I calculate it - usually use 62%, but 61% might be average. and I tell people they will lose 1/3 hanging weight. Easier calculating. Good post.

 

[ksmit454]

Excellent info. I have always told my customerhat hanging weight is approx 60% of live weight, and take home weight is approx 60% of the hanging weight. For example, one of my last steers I finished out and butchered was 858lbs hanging weight.
To find approx take home weight: 858 x 0.60 = 514lbs that goes into freezer.

I had a difficult time however calculating approximate live weight from the given hanging weight. Ideas?

 

[KAstocker]

Excellent info. I have always told my customerhat hanging weight is approx 60% of live weight, and take home weight is approx 60% of the hanging weight. For example, one of my last steers I finished out and butchered was 858lbs hanging weight.
To find approx take home weight: 858 x 0.60 = 514lbs that goes into freezer.

I had a difficult time however calculating approximate live weight from the given hanging weight. Ideas?

Approximate live weight would be 858÷60%=1430 lbs

 

[ksmit454]

Approximate live weight would be 858÷60%=1430 lbs

Yes, great thank you! I was trying to mulitiply it by 1.60 but I know that was incorrect.

 

[Son of Butch]

update on expected take home from hanging weight of a good young angus cow

Sold sides of beef from a healthy young open cow last week, body condition score 7
hanging weight 730 lbs so each customer received 365 lbs hanging
1st guy had his all ground into hamburger 216 lbs take home and processing was $322
2nd pulled some roasts and steaks (but not all) 173 lbs of burger, R&S lbs unknown $309

216 lbs all burger from 365 lbs hw = 59.17% take home
173 lbs = 47.39% and 43+lbs of bone-in roasts and steaks = slightly over 60% take home

p.s.
I charged 1.65 lb hanging so 216 lbs of burger with processing = $4.28 lb
2nd guy fewer lbs ground. so lower processing fee and his take home was $4.13 lb*

 

[HDRider]

I like to use this chart with my customer to show what meat they can get depending on how it is cut

 

[Hpacres440p]

Of course, if your processor states on their cut sheet "standard hanging weight is 50% of live weight"-that's when you absolutely need to know LW and maybe run

 

[J+ Cattle]

That works out to about $0.99 lb for you (good deal, better than kill prices at the sale barn plus no commissions to pay) and $0.86 lb X HCW for the processor.
At BCS of 7 and depending on how lean they wanted the ground meat there could be an extra 1% of fat in the trim pile.