# Lowline hanging weights



## redgate (Sep 18, 2008)

We have been buying our beef direct from the rancher for years, and the smallest we bought was a couple of dexters with hanging weights between 400-500 lbs. This past year, we raised our first beef. We tried Lowline cattle, and they were both around 3/4 Lowline, so slightly bigger than average Lowlines and dexters. Both nursed late (until at least 8 months) in addition to being grass-fed only so they grew well. This spring, we fattened them on a very lush 75% alfalfa field, and within 2 weeks, they really blossomed after the winter doldrums. They were sleek, round, thick, and looked just gorgeous and ready for butcher. Two more experienced farmers who took a look at them agreed they were around 700 lbs. Expecting hanging weights of the national averages I had read of roughly 70%, you can imagine my surprise when the processor called to report hanging weights of 230 lbs! That's total. Half sides were, obviously half that. I am still in shock. Does this sound right to you? What are the chances this is a classic case of the butcher swiping a chunk of meat for his own family (which really ticks me off!) I just have trouble believing that the big, fat, healthy steers that were running around our pastures barely weighed less than my donkey who was half as round and weighed roughly 550 lbs. What are your thoughts?


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## nosqrls (Jun 9, 2012)

That's why you only deal with a butcher that weigh them when they step off the trailer in front of you. So you see what they weigh walking and hanging.


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## redgate (Sep 18, 2008)

Good to know. I've never been given a live weight by a butcher--always told "hanging weights is all we get." Looks like I'll be looking for a new processor. Funny thing is, we took a hog in that we had calculated (estimated) to be 260'ish. His hanging weight came back at 168 lbs, which would be right on. So I just can't figure out why a hog would be 168 while a steer that appeared to be 3 times his size at least, would only come out at 230. Is there anything I can do about it? We sure could have used the income, and I really feel cheated.


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## Gravytrain (Mar 2, 2013)

Yeah...something is terribly wrong with that. My 3/4 lowline weigh in at 1000-1200 lbs at 24 months, with a hanging weight of 700-850 lbs.


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## sv.maple (Feb 16, 2014)

Is the 700lb estimate live weight or for hanging weight? If it was me id go there and talk to the people dont go in accusing but just ask questions maybe some how half got tagged diffrent or on his paper he only wrote one weight could be a simple answer and if you talk to them might clear it up.


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## Gabriel (Dec 2, 2008)

Got any pic's of the cattle that you can share? 

Not all processors have a scale for live weight, but I sure like the ones that do.


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## redgate (Sep 18, 2008)

The estimated 700 was live weight, out in the pasture, when a couple of local beef farmers were taking a look. They were only 16 months old, so they would be on the smaller side, but the national average figures I've read put 16-month hanging weights in the 300-400 lb range, so that's what I was expecting. When they called with the hanging weight of 230, hubby confirmed that each 1/2 was 115, which they said was correct. After all the work this year, moving the cattle every 1-2 days on IMGR, wintering them over, working as hard as we did to learn how to care for them properly&#8230;.it just made me sick to get those weights!! I'm afraid I have no recent pics--only photos of when they were young calves.


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## G. Seddon (May 16, 2005)

I would also be surprised/disappointed at hanging weight of 230#. The processor we use suggested multiplying hanging weight by 1.67 to give the approximate live weight, so in this case it would be 384# live weight, a little over half of your estimate of 700#.

Maybe you will need to run them a little longer than 16 months? We take a Dexter steer to 24+, depending on chondro+ or chondro-.

Is there a Lowline group that you could consult and see what results others get? It's a learning experience and you will find what works for your animals as you do more of them.


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## CIW (Oct 2, 2007)

I don't run those lighter weight cattle. The yield percentages shouldn't be, at the most, a few points less. We yield 65 to 67% on the hook. That is for a Herford, Angus, Limosine x.
Without seeing the cattle, you should be around 425#, hook weight, if they did indeed weigh 700#.
OPINION; Butchering 16 month old cattle has no avantage. It only serves to bring your ppp way up. And the last 20% of your calves finish weight should be the least expensive, so why not bring him up to his full potential before he starts to increase his fat content. Its likely that those calves would have shown an even better yield if you would have waited for the first real good frost before processing them. 
Everyone gets stuck on hanging weight. That's why we are happy to deliver the calves to the butcher of *their* choice. Along the way, we drive over the scales and get a documented live weight. That calf is paid for, and its not my concern once he steps off the trailer. Most times the final part of the transaction takes place right at the butcher's chutes.
I do have several customers who I put together, one with another, and they have co-ownership of that calf as he walks off my trailer.
Its best for me to stay out from between my customer and the butcher. There's really no money to be made there. And they both will only point fingers back at me if there is a problem.


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## SteveO (Apr 14, 2009)

I sell lowline but we go by the live weight and meat in the freezer. Your cows most likely needed another couple of months to put some fat on they are a lot leaner animal than the Angus. We get from 32 to 38% in the freezer depending on the way it is cut. SO a 800# should get you 256 to 304 take home
The 2 I took in early this spring were to lean and had a lower yield as we had a cold long winter. A slick coat is a sign your headed in the right direction but a lowline needs 24 - 30 months to max out. I would have got a call from the processor asking if I wanted to see the carcase before he would cut it. Also if you decrease the hang time on a lean animal you will get a better return they don't need it
Steve

Steve


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## PNP Katahdins (Oct 28, 2008)

We have sheep and get the same questions about yield. Here is a good article that addresses cattle yields too: http://caes.uga.edu/topics/sustainag/documents/didthelockerstealmymeat.pdf

Peg


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## opportunity (Mar 31, 2012)

I used to do lowline crosses but they took 24 months to be worth butchering then they had hanging weight in the 300's. They are lean and it seems like they have good rib eye area but not so much total meat. The jersey's had better hanging weights by far then the lowlines. I do highlands now still run 22 months or more if I can but they butcher with a higher yield for me. I can do the Angus at 16 months and get more.


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## idigbeets (Sep 3, 2011)

Yea lets see some pics.... At this point there's not much you can do besides accuse the processor, get nowhere because there's really no way to prove which animal is yours at this point. Time to look for a new processor.


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## Gravytrain (Mar 2, 2013)

Here's a pic of my 1/2 lowline heifer who turned 1 year old today. I'll bet she would hang over 300 lbs right now.


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## kycrawler (Sep 18, 2011)

Not to be too harsh but after the problems you had with the jersey heifer/cow and now the lo hanging weights on the butcher beef and your self admitted learning curve being new to cattle. You may not be feeding as hard as you think you are


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## Lazy J (Jan 2, 2008)

Seems to me that the 700 lb assumption is the faulty part of this equation, couple that with a higher than realistic yield of 70% and one can easily see where the amount of beef does not meet expectations.


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## idigbeets (Sep 3, 2011)

I don't think 70% is realistic for a lot of cattle. My experience is closer to 50-60% of live weight ends up as hanging weight. Check out http://www.thebeefsite.com/articles/759/dressing-percentage-of-slaughter-cattle for more info.

Looking at that photo.... you MIGHT be at 300lbs hanging weight, but a lot of that will be bones.


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## Gravytrain (Mar 2, 2013)

idigbeets said:


> I don't think 70% is realistic for a lot of cattle. My experience is closer to 50-60% of live weight ends up as hanging weight. Check out http://www.thebeefsite.com/articles/759/dressing-percentage-of-slaughter-cattle for more info.
> 
> Looking at that photo.... you MIGHT be at 300lbs hanging weight, but a lot of that will be bones.


I don't often get a live weight on my cows before slaughter, so my live weights are usually guesses...so your probably right about yield percentage.

As far as the heifer...the butcher called yesterday with her pasture mate's (a runty black baldy steer that I picked up cheap for my own freezer) hanging weight. He was about the same size frame, maybe a tad taller and a little less beefy and his hanging weight was 446 (halves of 222 and 224).


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## copperhead46 (Jan 25, 2008)

I always ask for the live weight when they walk off the trailer. I don't know of anyone who gets 70% return, usually its 55 to 60%, so that may be part of it, also, if he had food and water before going in that can give some extra weight, with a full gut. I do think that not having the weight may be your answer, nothing beats getting a live weight. 
I would talk to the butcher, and ask why.


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## Wanda (Dec 19, 2002)

copperhead46 said:


> I always ask for the live weight when they walk off the trailer. I don't know of anyone who gets 70% return, usually its 55 to 60%, so that may be part of it, also, if he had food and water before going in that can give some extra weight, with a full gut. I do think that not having the weight may be your answer, nothing beats getting a live weight.
> I would talk to the butcher, and ask why.





I can not think of one processor in our area that has a scale for weighing on foot! We always weighed ours at the elevator if we were curious on the weight. Almost all lockers use the hanging weight of the hot carcass as as the basis of there processing charges so it is to there advantage for your beef to way as much as possible.


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## Jim S. (Apr 22, 2004)

Here's how you can rest easy on this next time. Got a farmer's co-op in your area, or a cotton gin, or a grain elevator? All you do it run your truck and trailer over the scales empty. Then when you get ready to haul your animals, run it over them loaded, and subtract. That way you KNOW your live weight.

This is also a good practice, at least on a spot-check basis, to check your auction sale barn to verify they aren't shorting you on sale weights. Most sale barns won't because they don't want the downside of rumors about such things, but it never hurts to check.

Some places will charge you a small fee for the use of the scale, but if you are suspicious, the fee is worth the peace of mind. Usually a farmer's co-op at which you are a customer will let you weigh for free, in these parts anyway.

I've yet to find a rural community that doesn't have at least one of these scales in the county. If nothing else, check your local sand and gravel supplier.

As others have said, right now you are guessing your live weight and guessing your cutting percentage. And SteveO is right on the percentage.


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## goodhors (Sep 6, 2011)

I have had good luck using a weight tape, to get an accurate reading of gain in meat steers. Might be an idea to get a weight tape, put it on the animal before deciding to send it in for processing.

Jim S. with his running the truck and trailer over the scale with the animal inside, is a good one. You could get the loaded outfit weighed before dropping it off at the processor, then hit the same scale again on the way home, to have the weight differences right in your hand. Would also show if your weight tape is accurate!

For us, using dairy steers, the tape was right on the money for weight, with scale at the Fairground reading exactly the same weight. We used the tape because as Prospect Beef animals, they could not weigh over a certain amount to show.

No one I ever knew got 70% of the cattle weight back in meat after processing. Bone is so heavy, big amounts of weighty items in the gut, so the return meat to customer is not close to live weight.

With our big lambs being processed, I expect to lose 1/3 of the live weight. Big lamb to me, is about 150#, so we get back 90-100 pounds of freezer meat. With smaller lambs, 100# or less, you probably will only get 50% at most back for the freezer. May end up with even less meat on smaller lambs. This is why I wouldn't consider raising small breed sheep, too much invested in them to make very high priced meat at the end. All those processing costs, killing, cutting, wrapping add up! With smaller meat return, the cost of that meat per pound goes much higher than on a big lamb. We regularly get those 150# lambs raised mostly on grass, very little grain diet, just a handful daily to keep them friendly for putting them away at night.

Sorry about your poor meat return. But as mentioned, with folks just guessing weight live, you have no true idea if they weighed a lot or a little. You MUST decide on a method to get weight live, before making their processing date. Tape or trailer ride over a scale, means extra time, but you have a FIRM idea of that live weight at that moment. The eye is easily fooled, lookers may not be familiar with that breeding, so they guess wrongly. Get business like, you can't afford to take such meat losses very long.


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## idigbeets (Sep 3, 2011)

weight tapes can vary quite a bit based upon how much feed and water is in the rumen.... Just a FYI.


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## goodhors (Sep 6, 2011)

idigbeets said:


> weight tapes can vary quite a bit based upon how much feed and water is in the rumen.... Just a FYI.


 
That is interesting to hear. I put the tape right behind front legs, around the cow like a girth, pull tape up tight and read the weight. Tape is not back further, near or in the rumen area at all, so having water or feed in there shouldn't affect the reading.

I use the same location consistently with the tape, on various animals, who then read the same weight on the scale going into the Fair. 4-H folks weigh the cattle upon unloading, that is your Sale weight for the Auction. Our 4-H Leader showed us how to use the tape, all of the cattle were darned consistant in weight for the kids using tape and scale at the Fair.

Tape should give the owner a CLOSE idea of live weight, for making decisions about feeding animal more, being ready to process or too small yet. Save the owner by not taking animal in when not ready. 

For that FINAL run as Jim S. said, I still would take the truck, trailer with cow inside, over the scale for weight, then reweigh when headed home with the same people in the truck. Those two slips are the cow weight live. You could mention that when dropping off the animal at the processor, that you have weight slips for cow.

I know that every person who is new at taking animals in for processing, is ALWAYS surprised at the losses from live to meat packages. But if you look up meat returns in the computer, live to processed meat, they also show huge poundage loss during the processing. That story about Butcher stealing their customer's meat is a one of the MOST common stories shared by farm folks. MAYBE a few did steal meat, but mostly the customers had a very incorrect idea of what meat quantity they would get back. Customers couldn't believe that so much is lost, so they had to blame someone. Most folks don't want all the bone, hooves, hide, many internal parts in their returns, so those pounds end up with the processor to sell or pay to dispose of.


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## G. Seddon (May 16, 2005)

Once we came home with boxes of meat -- there was only ONE rump roast included. I know that steer had two when we took him there, LOL! Needless to say, we didn't use that processor again.


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## idigbeets (Sep 3, 2011)

Its not that you are measuring the rumen, you are in the correct place. But to get a correct reading (or close) one should with hold feed and water for 12 hours to get a good idea of what shrinkage will occur.


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## justusnak (Jul 24, 2011)

Finding a good butcher is hard. You are trusting someone with an animal you have put your hard earned money into, to someone you barely know. Do your homework before dropping off that critter! Ask around. I am sure "someone" has had experience with them... or someone else. Or, better yet...... look around for a "Mobile butcher" One that will come to your farm, and do the work right there. This way you have hands on experience with your meat from pasture to table. However, if you DO find a mobile butcher, again, do your homework. Ask around. This year we are looking into butchering our own hogs. I of course will enlist help from someone, as I am not a spring chicken.  Just make sure if you process it at home, you are ready to deal with the "mess" and you are able to dispose of the innards properly. ( did a deep hole and have plenty lime on hand to cover before filling in the hole with dirt.)


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