% yield?

[fnfarms1]

We've grown steers for butcher for 10+yrs now gradually increasing our cliental. Took 3 to butcher 10days ago. Typically we expect 63-65% yield from live to hanging weight. This year we had one go 68.7% and one go 67.4%. Also one go 64% but he went early due to injury I was afraid would get worse with weight, me and my brother will eat him. I know bulls go 68-75% yield due to muscle mass. But these are steers. Kind of feel like we really have it dialed in. Thoughts?

 

[mwj]

When and where are you getting your live weight, and how long are they off feed? They are not trimming much so the hot weight is good and they get paid more.

 

[SBMF 2015]

Time off feed would be the biggest factor.

We always had cattle yield better at the local butcher than they do at Tyson. Never have quite figured out what the local guys weigh that the packers don't.

 

[4hfarms]

I never second guessed my butcher.... until he was full and I used another on the other side of town. Now I think he stepped on the scale for hang weight, or kept some grass fed beef to sell or keep. Thought the 2 steer were very similar in size. They were live weight....
Seems everyone is out to get over on someone else.
Lesson learned!

 

[SBMF 2015]

I never second guessed my butcher.... until he was full and I used another on the other side of town. Now I think he stepped on the scale for hang weight, or kept some grass fed beef to sell or keep. Thought the 2 steer were very similar in size. They were live weight....
Seems everyone is out to get over on someone else.
Lesson learned!

I've always been leery of a butcher who also has a retail counter.

 

[4hfarms]

I've always been leery of a butcher who also has a retail counter.

I trust people to much..... usually bites me in the a$$.

 

[Mountaintown Creek Ranch]

We have a processor 2 miles from us and I won't use them because they sell retail. A local owned it for many years and 2 years ago the Chinese bought and started competing with all of us ranchers.

 

[fnfarms1]

I fed them the nite before and took them to corrals for load out in morning with grass hay in pen. Loaded them at 6am, unloaded about 6:30am, killed about 9-10am. So off feed 12hrs maybe if you don't count the grass hay