Estimating weight

[Jerry]

I’ve never killed a bullock so no idea on how to estimate carcass weight.

No means to weigh him but he is 28 months old and booked to go and be sold direct of farm

I know exactly how my lambs kill out as been doing it years.

So how do I estimate meat yield?

( for reference he’s a pedigree Devon so will be excellent eating, 100% grass fed but smaller than commercial breeds)

 

[thorpe]

are you saying devons arnt commercial? im sure that quote will upset sombody!

 

[delilah]

142kg a side DW.

 

[thorpe]

sh1t 28 mth and only just in spec!

 

[neilo]

sh1t 28 mth and only just in spec!

Are you saying Devons aren’t commercial now? I’m sure that will upset somebody…

 

[C.J]

Saleable meat will be about 1/3 so if he's 600 Lw , you will have 200kg of beef to sell and if he's 750 Lw then you will have about 250 kg of beef to sell.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

28% [meat yield] of full liveweight is usually within a bulls' roar of it, if cuts sold have bone-in then it adds to that percentage obviously and that is usually the case

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

Saleable meat will be about 1/3 so if he's 600 Lw , you will have 200kg of beef to sell and if he's 750 Lw then you will have about 250 kg of beef to sell.

You will be extremely lucky to get a Devon to weigh 600kg!
You need to get it to 500kg first before it is over 30 months.
I bought 3 yearlings in the Spring which looked good and I thought were worth grazing for the summer, luckily the price has continued to rise as they weren't any bigger when I sold them.

 

[Stw88]

280-320kg dead. I would expect him to be quite similar to what my pure Galloways kill out at. Being just grass fed will affect his kill out %.

 

[Henarar]

160kg of meat tops would be my guess if you killed him now

 

[egbert]

You'll know as soon as he's hung up.
We expect around 65% of hung weight in sellable product. (Someone's knife is too blunt else)

Physics suggests the bigger the beast, the heavier his bone structure has to be pro rata, so that figure might drop as size goes up.

 

[organicguy]

We used to work on 25% of live weight as saleable meat. Dairy cross, weighed full, trimmed hard!

 

[Henarar]

You will be extremely lucky to get a Devon to weigh 600kg!
You need to get it to 500kg first before it is over 30 months.
I bought 3 yearlings in the Spring which looked good and I thought were worth grazing for the summer, luckily the price has continued to rise as they weren't any bigger when I sold them.

what do you think it weighs ? about 450 ?

 

[Cowgirl]

I would bet he’s heavier than he looks. People always underestimate the weight of ours. Our Traditional Hereford pasture fed steers at 28 months vary but weigh DW on average 280 - 300 kg, R4L or H, about 190 kg saleable meat. Having said that, we have a steer going shortly that weighed 634 kg last week - depends on bloodlines. Would have thought a Devon would be similar. He is what he is and will be fantastic eating quality I’m sure. Hope you’re keeping some for yourself!

 

[Henarar]

I would bet he’s heavier than he looks. People always underestimate the weight of ours. Our Traditional Hereford pasture fed steers at 28 months vary but weigh DW on average 280 - 300 kg, R4L or H, about 190 kg saleable meat. Having said that, we have a steer going shortly that weighed 634 kg last week - depends on bloodlines. Would have thought a Devon would be similar. He is what he is and will be fantastic eating quality I’m sure. Hope you’re keeping some for yourself!

I am not very good at guessing weights hence why we have a weigh crush, some breeds/types seem to weigh heavier than they look.
different type of thing I know but our blue cross freezer steers are usually a bit over 600 live and nearly 400 dead, had one around 450 they moaned about him out the slaughter house, It will be a bit different this time as we are killing a Sheeted Somerset which will be nearer the weights you mention I would think, be interesting to see what he eats like in comparison.

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

what do you think it weighs ? about 450 ?

No more I am sure.

 

[Azlett]

142kg a side DW.

+1

170kg boned out meat.

 

[Cowgirl]

Please let us know!

 

[delilah]

+1

170kg boned out meat.

Yep, 10 beef boxes @ 17kg each, plus the fillet. Lovely .

 

[Jerry]

Yep, 10 beef boxes @ 17kg each, plus the fillet. Lovely .

At what £ per kg?