Beef animals hang at roughly 60% of their live weight, some more, some less, a range of 58-66% with few exceptions.
A warm carcass will shrink maybe 4 or 5% while hanging in a cooler. If the meat is hung too long, it can become sticky, actually rotting, and the trim can be 40%, a good case for not overhanging beef.
When the carcass is processed, bones and excess fat removed, 25% is lost. Some cuts still have bone, if they are all deboned, the loss would be higher.
To use a rough estimate, about 50% of an animal's live weight ends up in the freezer as cuts of beef.
Jason Trowbridge Southern Angus Farms Alberta Canada
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