# Kill out percentage



## Rob30 (Nov 2, 2004)

Dos anyone know what the kill out percentage is on a 700lb steer. Would a heifer be any different? I know breed makes a difference as well. We want to use mostly British cows, but we have some Charollais in the mix. We also raise a few holstiens.


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## topside1 (Sep 23, 2005)

A healthy, well fed, full grown steer should yield 45-47% of it's total weight into your freezer....Topside


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

Holsteins typically yeild somewhat less. Something like a Limo should top 50%


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## francismilker (Jan 12, 2006)

Topside, would you think the percentage should stay about the same on a MS/jersey cross steer? I've got about a 500lb steer of this breeding and he seems to be meatier than any dairy bred calf I've ever raised. (and that is on mama's milk and grass alone.) He doesn't stand much chance to get his share at the feed bunk against the bigger cattle and seems to be doing fine without the grain supplements. I'm planning on putting him on grass this summer on a place I have down the road and experimenting for the first time with 100% grassfed. I'm interested to put him to the test for taste/tenderness against a 1/2 brother of his that is on grain now getting ready for the freezer.


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

Most 700 lb steers are "feeders", not ready to butcher, unless you are talking about "super baby beef". Do you have a photo?


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## oneokie (Aug 14, 2009)

The percentage of packaged meat depends on how it is processed. Bone in will give more weight, no fat trimmed will do the same. Organ meat (heart, liver, tongue, sweetbreads) up the percentage. Oxtail?


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## wstevenl (Mar 26, 2008)

I was surprised to see 50% quoted above. 
From our first Dexter we only got 46% hanging sides, and 75% of that became frozen beef. 
That is 34.5% of the live weight in frozen beef. When I took a 3 year old cow in they told me to expect 50% of the hanging sides in beef because I wouldn't be getting much bone in meat back. 
To get 50% of the live weight in beef you would need to get 75% live-to-hanging and around 75% hanging-to-beef.


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## topside1 (Sep 23, 2005)

Wstevenl, sounds like your slaughterhouse employees are filling their freezers at your expense....Not trying to pee you off, but I've taken at least 6 Jerseys or Holsteins to be butchered and 45% or more of live weight lands in my freezer....Sounds like some wacky double talk to me.....Three weights are involved here, live, hanging and dressed...Topside


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## Rob30 (Nov 2, 2004)

I am guessing a bit at 7oolbs. We sent in 2 shorthorn steers last year. We had about 400lbs of meat. The steers looked to be about the same size as my neighbors veal calves. The usually weigh 6-700lbs. I am only asking because we will be selling more freezer beef this year and I want to do some budgeting.


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## wstevenl (Mar 26, 2008)

From "ask the meat man"

With an average market (live or on hoof) weight of 1,150 lbs and the average yield of 62.2%, the typical steer will produce a 715 lb. (dressed weight) carcass.

The dressed beef (or carcass) will yield approximately 569 lbs. (further details below) of red meat and trim (take home meat - which includes the average weight of 27 lbs of variety meat: liver, heart, tongue, tripe, sweetbreads and brains) and 146 lbs of fat, bone and loss. This is roughly a yield of 80% from the dressed or hanging weight - this is for a VERY LEAN Beef. A High Quality, USDA Choice Beef will yield approximately 70% of the Hanging or Dressed Weight. The yield on the take home meat weight from the live weight of the (VERY LEAN) steer is approximately 50%.

- I guess you are right on some animals with 50% but if you take the above 62.2% and then the 70% of that you get 43.5%, that's on a beef steer. Ours was a dairy type Dexter and although he looked very healthy, he was not very fat at all. The last post about the shorthorns looks like they come up to about 30%.


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## wally (Oct 9, 2007)

Rob , to help me guess the weight I played a game with my self and tried to estimate a cows (or hog) weight before looking at the scale at the local sale barns. yes sometimes iam good at it and sometimes not..helps pass some time also


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## KenfromMaine (Feb 3, 2010)

Hi, here is a link that breaks down the percentages pretty accurate.
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/PM2076.pdf it will give you a pretty good ball park figure, and I usually show it to customers first so they get an idea of what to expect, a lot of folks dont realize how much is non usuable from an animal, head bones skin etc. Hope this helps.
Ken from Maine


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## Allen W (Aug 2, 2008)

KenfromMaine said:


> Hi, here is a link that breaks down the percentages pretty accurate.
> http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/PM2076.pdf it will give you a pretty good ball park figure, and I usually show it to customers first so they get an idea of what to expect, a lot of folks dont realize how much is non usuable from an animal, head bones skin etc. Hope this helps.
> Ken from Maine


This should be added to the freezer beef sticky.


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## copperhead46 (Jan 25, 2008)

Thats a great link, thanks. I've allready put it in my favorites. I've had Dexters weight in anywhere from 61% to 48% in hanging weight. The only thing I can figure is the different butchers call it different ways, maybe hot weight, including organs, or who knows??? As far as how much you actually take home, I've never weighed the take home packages. I'm picking one up in a couple of weeks, and I'm going to get the weight we actually take home. I think one reason that I don't get the high percentages on hanging weight is because I grass feed so I don't have much fat cover on the calves, so that should probably be considered when figuring the percetages.
P.J.


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## Le Petit Norman (Apr 28, 2008)

my experience ....

19 months old highland steer, 780 lbs, on the low side for this age as far as I know...

304.2 lbs of meat to take home .... 38% of live weight.

Total cost :

$425 for the animal
$61 for slaughter charge
$243 for processing fee ($.51 /lbs for 475 lbs)

grand total : $729

already resold half of the boy for $4.5 /lbs which left me with 152 lbs of meat for a price of $45 .... (lets say that I have more ground meat than him, /I do not need that much steak anyway...)

got my first fresh steak last night ... awesome ... the guy who bought my half beef sent me an email this morning asking me if I know about a pork to buy .....


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