What is dressed weight

The dressing percentages varied from The number of days an animal spends in the feedlot on a high grain diet influences the dressing percentage. Dressing percentages will vary by 1. The period of highest dressing percentages occurs from May through August. This is a period when feedlot conditions are dry, when calves have been on feed for an extended time, and when calves have a light hair coat.

Dressing percentages start declining in September as cattle hair coats thicken and more tag accumulates. Also, yearlings that have been in the feedlot for only 60 to 80 days start coming to market in the late fall. The lowest dressing percentages tend to occur in December and January. Marketings during this period consist mainly of yearlings that have been in the feedlot for less than days, and which have a heavy hair coat and accumulated tag.

Dressing percentages increase through March and April as animals shed their winter hair coat and last year's calves begin coming to market. Last year's calves have been on higher grain diets for periods greater than days. Any weather conditions that affect the hair coat of an animal can have an impact on that animal's dressing percentage. For example, rainy weather can dramatically lower dressing percentages, especially if the hair coat is thick.

The dressing percentage of cattle marketed in Canada will differ from that of similar animals marketed in the United States. The US carcass weight includes the weight of the kidney, pelvic and heart fat, which is not included in the Canadian carcass weight. Dressing percentages for equivalent animals are, therefore, 2. Marketing procedures affect beef carcass yields. A feedlot that is 30 km from a packing plant can have higher dressing percentages than a feedlot km from the plant.

The difference in dressing percentages will be related to the difference in shrinkage that occurs while the animals are being transported. If the shrinkage is only gut shrinkage and not tissue or carcass shrinkage, then the difference in dressing percentages is not important for animals sold on a railgrade basis.

Studies at the Lacombe Research Station demonstrated that slaughter weight steers and heifers that fast for 48 or 72 hours prior to slaughter had warm carcass yields nearly 1. This weight loss was attributed to losses in carcass lean, fat and water.

Management practices such as quiet, efficient sorting and loading, limiting time in transit, loading trucks to recommended weight, and proper delivery timing at the plant will help reduce the interval that cattle are without feed, and lessen the stress level for long haul animals.

This ultimately increases the value of the animal. Other factors may affect carcass yield, but these are controlled by the packing plant rather than the feedlot, and therefore, the producer price is not directly influenced by these practices. For example, intermittent cold water spray chilling of the carcass can reduce carcass shrink age by 0. Shrouding carcasses can reduce the loss to evaporation by 0. Even carcass spacing within coolers and the feeding of an electrolyte solution to the animal prior to slaughter has shown to influence carcass shrinkage.

The factors affecting dressing percentage are summarized in Table 5. The results will vary, but the numbers provide a general indication of the influence of these factors. Although the dressing percentage and carcass weight of A2 and A3 grades tends to be higher than for A1 grade, this does not necessarily mean a higher return for the animal.

Dressing percentages are highly variable, and influenced by factors such as days on feed, the season and the market where an animal is sold. Producers should analyze sale weights from feedlots to better understand how these factors influence dressing percentages. Note: Dressing percentages given above decline by 2 percentage points for livestock on feed 60 days, by one percentage point for cattle on feed 80 days and are unchanged when cattle are on feed days. On average, dressing percentages are 0.

Bailey, C. Gut fill affects liveweight gains. Beacom, S. A comparison of four system for finishing beef heifers. Berg, R. New concepts of cattle growth. Yield grading provides an estimate of the percentage of boneless, closely trimmed retail cuts from the four beef primal cuts chuck, rib, loin and round.

So how the beef is fabricated by the meat processor, boneless or bone-in, can provide another and potentially confusing source of variation in how much beef the consumer is receiving. Yield grades range in score from 1 to 5 and provide only a certain degree of accuracy when estimating cutability, or the amount of saleable beef for a particular carcass.

Yield grade is determined by several factors, which include external fat cover, internal organ fat and degree of muscling, which is measured as ribeye area in square inches.

Yield grade 1 carcasses tend to be leaner and more heavily muscled when compared to the other yield grades, and also provide a greater amount of beef to the consumer when fabricated into retail cuts. Table 2 below provides an estimate of the amount of beef a consumer may expect from certain yield grades, carcass weights and fabrication styles boneless or bone-in.

Figure 1 below depicts the location of the four primary cuts chuck, rib, loin and round on the beef carcass, as well as, the remaining sub-primal cuts shank, brisket, plate and flank. Table 3 below provides the break down of the cuts of beef and their corresponding percentages. Understanding the factors involved in estimating the amount of beef derived from the live animal will ultimately assist cattle producers who directly market their beef.

It is important to provide consumers with the knowledge that how they choose to have their beef fabricated into retail cuts can play a major role in the total weight of beef they receive from the meat processor. Cattle producers can ensure to both the novice and experienced consumer of beef quarters, halves and whole animals, that neither the producer nor the processor was conspiring to steal meat from them.

Both the packer and producer alike should strive to produce the safest and most enjoyable eating experience for the consumer. Educating your consumers, listening to their expectations and providing a consistent beef product will help maintain repeat customers of your healthy and nutritious food source.

Figure 1. Beef Carcass Primal and Sub-primal Cuts. Let's Stay Connected. By entering your email, you consent to receive communications from Penn State Extension. View our privacy policy. Thank you for your submission!

Understanding the factors involved in estimating the amount of beef derived from the live animal will assist cattle producers who directly market their beef. Table 1. Then take this number and multiply by the percentage in the final column to estimate your take home yield.

Wulf, PhD. You have a pound cow. Your yield may reasonably be:. As you can see, the take home weight is less than half of the original weight of the animal.

Read the next post in this series on how much ground beef you can expect. Keep a yield table on hand, right along with your price lists, cut sheets, etc. Give them an overview of what they can expect but be sure to let them know that anything can happen. If you are purchasing the animal from a farmer, ask if they have any yield data. If it's a heritage breed, you can research that breed's muscle structure to make sure there is good fat distribution.

There is an optimal age to slaughter too - when it comes to livestock, bigger isn't always better. Once a steer or cow gets past a certain age, most of what they eat might not go into marbling but could just be tacked on as outer body fat. Unless you're keeping all the fat, you may be paying extra for fat you're throwing away. If you are the farmer and processing for yourself, ask your processor for as much yield data as they can give you.

Start to collect this data and when you have enough, analyze it. You may be able to identify areas where you can improve the yield in your herd. But, note that the price you pay will be on the total poundage that you take home, so just because it may have ended up as trash in the facility, doesn't mean it's free for you. This often includes everything but certain organs and potentially not the spinal column if the cow is over 30 months.

You can ask for fattier ground , or if you prefer leaner ground, package the fat separately. If it's a pig, ask for the kidney fat - this is the clean, creamy fat that is used to make lard.

Experiment with offal - there are lots of people who enjoy things like sweetbreads, head cheese and pig's ears, and with the right cooking treatment you might too.