How much beef per animal?

[Shayanna]

We raise Jersey steers and might do holstein steers too as opportunity arises. We can get the steers from a block away from our house for 50 dollars a piece. To avoid milk replacer, we use our own goat milk, and it keeps costs pretty low. Our steer that we have right now was born in september and he is filling out nicely. We plan on butchering between 18 months and 2 years depending on how big they are vs where 18 months falls seasonally to avoid keeping too many winters.

How much beef do you expect to get off of each animal? How much beef should I expect at 18 months vs 2 years?

[Shayanna]

Also... we have the opportunity to get an Angus Cow, possibly bred, or opportunity to breed with the Amish's bulls for free, for 500 dollars. My mother sold her to the Amish a while back out of hardship and she has the opportunity to buy her back for 500. (We would actually be buying her.) She is approximately 4 years old and has calved before. Do you think this would be a better deal to keep her and any heifer's she has to raise our own beef, rather than buying steers? Do you think this is a good deal? What would you do?

[Appalachia]

This is speaking only from theoretical knowledge (i.e. from what I've read), but if you have a local, ready source of steers for only $50, you will be better off going that route vs keeping a cow.