percentage of weight lost, live to table

[Jaidee]

Hi All, am new to cattle, and had my first steer butchered. He was an angus x herford, angus x shorthorn cross. Live weight was 958, hanging weight was 653 and table weight (is that what you call it) was just under 300. SO... is this normal? It seems like A LOT of waste of the animal, 658 lbs? Or did my processor have a few steaks?

Anyway, if this is normal, it has me rethinking buying another calf. I paid 300.00 for him as a weaner, and put alot of money into him, grain darn near doubled at the end in price, and hay is almost 45% higher than last year. I have only 5 acres and a couple of horses too, so just grass is not an option.

Thanks for your imput!

 

[BC]

Most of the time you figure 60 to 62% for dressing weight. It can vary down to 58 and up to 65%. Your calf weighed 958 live and dressed at 653 for a dressing percent of 68% which by industry standards is pretty high.

 

[birdog]

Hi All, am new to cattle, and had my first steer butchered. He was an angus x herford, angus x shorthorn cross. Live weight was 958, hanging weight was 653 and table weight (is that what you call it) was just under 300. SO... is this normal? It seems like A LOT of waste of the animal, 658 lbs? Or did my processor have a few steaks?

Anyway, if this is normal, it has me rethinking buying another calf. I paid 300.00 for him as a weaner, and put alot of money into him, grain darn near doubled at the end in price, and hay is almost 45% higher than last year. I have only 5 acres and a couple of horses too, so just grass is not an option.

Thanks for your imput!

This is a good question, as I am fixing to feed and finish our first home raised beef. The 60% - 62% live to dressed ratio is what I've heard. But it sounds like you had over 50% loss due to trimming and boning from the dressed weight. That sounds kinda high to me but I don't know. Would like to hear from someone who has done this before.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Would like to hear from someone who has done this before.

birdog I have done a bunch and there is more to it. That is a good dressing weight but there is also "shrinkage" as the beef is aged. Depending on the length of time, it can be up to 10%.

I get the hamburger extra lean. That gives me less weight too but less shrinkage in the skillet. Less mess on the counter or dripping from the grill too.

You can butcher a steer out of a cow and bull and the same one next year and find you have a variation at the same processor. That is just how it is. Head, hide, and intestines weigh a lot. They are taken out then you get the shrinkage at aging. Then they trim away from the bone and everything else you don't want to eat.

Years ago it cost about $1 a pound to put your own beef in the freezer, pound for pound. With the price of feed these days, you are probably going to spend about $3 a pound or better. Your steak will be better than anything you can buy at the butcher shop for $12 a pound. Plus you know what you are eating.

 

[birdog]

Would like to hear from someone who has done this before.

birdog I have done a bunch and there is more to it. That is a good dressing weight but there is also "shrinkage" as the beef is aged. Depending on the length of time, it can be up to 10%.

I get the hamburger extra lean. That gives me less weight too but less shrinkage in the skillet. Less mess on the counter or dripping from the grill too.

You can butcher a steer out of a cow and bull and the same one next year and find you have a variation at the same processor. That is just how it is. Head, hide, and intestines weigh a lot. They are taken out then you get the shrinkage at aging. Then they trim away from the bone and everything else you don't want to eat.

Years ago it cost about $1 a pound to put your own beef in the freezer, pound for pound. With the price of feed these days, you are probably going to spend about $3 a pound or better. Your steak will be better than anything you can buy at the butcher shop for $12 a pound. Plus you know what you are eating.

Thanks Backhoe. I sent you a PM with a few more questions.

 

[donnaIL]

There was a post in Jan 2007 regarding yield, I posted in and if I referenced it right you can click the link below:

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=30201&p=323118&

the subject was "Bringing Home the Bacon". Sounds to me like your steer hung at a very heavy weight compared to live weight and there was alot of shrink/loss when packaged. If you have boneless roasts and have specialty cuts I guess that could happen. We generally take animals between 1100-1400lbs and they hang at 62%..yield is about 60% or better. Just took one 2 weeks ago, hung at 668..yield on one side was 230lbs. I have been keeping records and our yields are consistent...ofcourse we consistently use the same processor. Hope this helps and the link works. donna

EDITED: okay the link doesn't work I don't know how to copy and paste topic. can someone put the link here.

 

[donnaIL]

Try this:

http://cattletoday.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=30201&hilit=bringing+home+bacon

think I got it.

 

[kscowboy]

Just an opinion but you might have butchered him too early , to garner maximum yield , i take mine in at around 1150 - 1200 live , which is usually when i'm running out of feed money too , we have consistently yielded 470-480 lbs , at 950 lbs you have built the base but not put on all the options , those last few hundred pounds are the gravy portion of your yields. Seems I've heard those on here with really well bred cattle hitting 1500-1600 lbs. Target age about 15-16 months , and hitting peaks in the early spring before it gets too hot for them .i had three that i held a bit long and i think they actually dropped weight when the heat came on here.

Also get references on your processor , we have about 7 close by to us , I will only use two of them !

 

[houstoncutter]

Get you a Limmi cross or a maine cross, and you will hit the 66 to 70 percent dressing percentage on a regular basis

 

[dcara]

The hanging weight is pretty close to 60%. But "table weight" (I call it cut-out weight) depends on the finish/fat level of the animal and your butchering preferences. My table weights yield about 42%-45% of live weight for cutouts that yield roughly 50% groundbeef and 50% steaks and roasts. You can get the most "weight" by yielding more roasts, vs groundbeef, from the arm and chuck (GB yield ~30%). The other extreme is to bone it out completely which will yield the least "weight", roughly 33% of live weight. My butchering costs (per lb of hanging wt.) are the least for the most "weight" (i.e. more roasts vs GB), and the most for the least weight (i.e. bone out). That is, he charges a little more for the additional work involved in a bone-out.

 

[dun]

Marc has a table that shows a carcass weight of 734 pounds with a retail product yeild of 463 pounds.