farmerjan
Herd Master
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@Mike CHS , just for you to think about. If the animal weighs 1,000 lbs the hanging weight will be between 5-650 lbs. When they get done with the cutting, trimming etc. you will be getting in the neighborhood of 300 + lbs. of actual meat back. USDA says 63% hanging of live weight and 60% of that will be edible meat. Our butcher says to figure 50% hanging of live, and 50% of that as edible meat in the freezer. Any over that is bonus. So, you will not have as much as you think in actual meat coming home..... and yes you still have to plan for it. When you think of how much is hide, head, guts, and feet, you lose alot of the animal's weight right off the bat. Don't think your steers will be overly fat, but we have most of our cuts as "boneless" and it saves on freezer space too. I like the bone in the sirloin steaks, and get back alot of the bones for soup and the dogs/cats to have. If the steer is under 27 months, then you can get back the backbone which has alot of meat on it. But if over, you cannot get back anything that has the spinal column due to the BSE rules. (Mad cow disease). Even though I know your animals are healthy, as ours are that we raise for meat. But it is federal regs to stop any possible contamination. So we just try to kill before that so we can get more of the parts. The t-bones are okay under 27 months, but otherwise if older than that they have to be NY strips, and filets; no bone. Sirloin bone is not part of the spinal column so not an issue.
Try asking your butcher if they know of anyone looking for a quarter or a half. Our local guy usually has one or two people looking for "local" home grown beef and maybe yours would know of someone.
Try asking your butcher if they know of anyone looking for a quarter or a half. Our local guy usually has one or two people looking for "local" home grown beef and maybe yours would know of someone.
