wt.on the hoof

[backachersfarm]

Can someone tell me approx. % of wt. lost after slaughter? 30%..40%..50%?

Hanging wt was 470...I need to figure ballpark on hoof wt.

[SCRancher]

I thought avg yield for a beef breed was 65% of hoof wt. but I'v not yet had one sent to freezer camp so I'm just going off of memory from what I have read on the forum.

[topside1]

What breed?,,,big difference...Topside

[topside1]

Without knowing your answer, the quick guess would be 900#...

[topside1]

I always choose a slaughterhouse that bases their prices on live weight...no confusion, they weigh in your animal as you unload...Something to think about.

[genebo]

Live weight can vary a lot, depending upon the amount of feed and water in the rumen and the degree of hydration.

10 gallons of water weighs 70#.

[mozarkian]

Makes a big difference if they had a long hot ride or a night without water. The place we take ours lets me book them in at a certain time and they unload them, weigh them, tell me what they weigh and kill them within minutes of arrival. Hard enough to butcher something you hand raise, I don't like the idea of a calf that's never been off the farm, standing around for hours smelling blood and seeing the killing.

[rancher1913]

like topside said---need breed. most of our angus does 70%, holstiens around 50%. we use hanging weight because thats what is accepted commercially and the only way the little locker plants have to weigh. if you sell a semi load, the processor does not want to pay for the shrink on the trip or in their yards so they use hanging weight.

[backachersfarm]

Thanks for the info. This steer was 3/4 angus and 1/4 jersey. He had a short early morning ride. The place we use doesn't have scales to weight them in. I'm trying to price some of this meat for some friends.

[Lazy J]

725 lb