how much meat ...

[Le Petit Norman]

Hey guys,

I have been looking around this forum for a while, I am not yet ready for big animals (reads legged ones) yet on my place but I can sure put a steer in the freezer

There is an add on the local craigslist for a 19 month old highland steer the price is $450. I know those cattle were hype a few years ago and that seems to fade (great for me I love how they look but can not pay top dollar for a cow or two ...) any way I was wondering how much meat I can hope from the little fella ?

I do plan on fencing a couple acre this spring and bringing in a few cow later in the summer ....

Thanks for your advice.

[arcticow]

Figure around 50% of liveweight for dressed out. There is really no more bone than average on a Highland and probably less waste fat.

[copperhead46]

I might ad that even the 50% hanging weight is not going to be what you get home with. After the carcass hangs for the 10 to 14 days, you will get more shrinkage and when it's cut up you will lose more for the bone and some of the fat removal. So, don't think that if you have 250 lbs of hanging weight that you will get 250 lbs of cut and wrapped meat, but it's still a heck of a lot better than any crap you will get from the store, and a lot better deal price wise, too.
P.J.

[Le Petit Norman]

Hey Guys thank you.

I agree on the crapy meat from store... I have nothing against it except maybe the lack of tatse ....

I gave a call to the guy and will go see the steer tomorrow. I'll bring the trailer just in case. Even though, I am not set up for cow yet, I can house him in the barn for a week or two, and get some hay around here. At $450 even if I get only 250 lbs which is pretty conservative I believe, I should get enough meat for the whole summer and fall until I get a few weather got and a new pig in the freezer ...

[Cheribelle]

Doesn't cost to look.

[Hogleg]

Last grass fed steer I did - 900lbs live, 502lbs hang, 390lbs frozen meat, including the liver, tongue, heart and ox-tails (a friend wanted this). Meat very lean and tender, no grain, only clover pasture.

John

[tinknal]

Depending on how the steer was fed he could be a skinny feeder steer or a finished fat steer. If he is bulked out and ready to butcher it is a good deal. If he is skinny and needs filling out, not so much.

[oneokie]

Last 6 head I have had processed averaged 35% packaged weight. Live weights have ranged from 600 to 850 lbs.

[tinknal]

Remember that a Highland will look a lot fatter than he really is because of the heavy coat. If at all possible try to feel him up. Feel along his ribs and his hip bones. Also feel along his spine. For immediate butcher he should be well filled out.

[Le Petit Norman]

Well I brought him home with a round bale of hay to feed him while I booked him for an interview at the butcher shop. I stop by a weighting station on the interstate on the way back home and weighted him, the bale was in the pick up truck as i did not wanted to get the two of them in the stock trailer. He should weight between 750 to 800 lbs depending on the weight of the snow in the fenders of the traillers... well for $450 with a 35% cut and wrap I should average $3.5 a pound once the all job have been done ... I saw must of his herd this morning and he had some good looking heifer that will make my pasture more looking like a homestead ... well I guess I have to get those pasture fenced and cross fenced, I should re read the rotational grazing thread again and the calf from sales barn as well and keep reading you guys.

Thanks for your advice, I now need to not get too attached to the teddy bear in the barn ...

[Le Petit Norman]

booked him for thursday ... I know have to wait ....

[mr.breeze]

Well congrats on your buy, let us know how he taste after you cook some up.

[Le Petit Norman]

Well I see how it test but so far the live weight was 780 lbs, we will see for the test in 3 weeks when I'll go pick up the meat. hopefully it will be freezing around here so I will not have to bother to find coolers ...

[oneokie]

This is the one just butchered.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...00_0979rev.jpg

Live weight was 850, rail weight was 428, packaged weight was 286.38.