kill out %

[P.O.T]

What sort of kill out percentage do people get? Took a 22 month bull to slaughter few weeks back, dont know what weight he was liveweight but deadweight he was 404kgs. Which was more than we were expecting, not complain tho.

 

[z.man]

bull could do 60%+ depending on quality
steers 55%+
heifers 52% just average figures some will be better some worse

 

[Blod]

We had a 16 month bull lwt 750kg dwt 475kg. A bit of a freak and ugly as hell but a field of them (yep, grass fed with a bit of barley) and anyone would be laughing.

 

[harperfarmer]

Bulls to ABP generally 56-60% depending on breed normally U-/U+. Steers to woodheads are invariably 52% mainly R's and 0+'s.

 

[M-J-G]

Bulls to ABP generally 56-60% depending on breed normally U-/U+. Steers to woodheads are invariably 52% mainly R's and 0+'s.

Why so much difference in grade and KO% between bulls and steers. Do you keep the best as bulls and cut the poorer ones?

 

[Henarar]

the last one was 680kg live 414 dead O+5L
The five years before that have all been 390kg give or take about 5kg but I don't know the live weight most likely 650 to 700 but not sure
O+2, O+5L, R4L, R3, R5L
they would have had silage and about 2kg of blend for the last month one wouldn't eat it though, The last one was out on grass till he went with a couple kg of blend
Non of them would be by any means our best animals

 

[GTB]

BBx U or E grades will do 60% easily. Holsteins 50 to 52%. Run of the mill cattle 54 to 56%

 

[Ali]

Slight off topic.
If you are roughly 50% ko weight what would be the expected percentage saleable butchered weight you would expect from that 50%

 

[harperfarmer]

Why so much difference in grade and KO% between bulls and steers. Do you keep the best as bulls and cut the poorer ones?

No all the steers are bought in as stores around 12-15 months, mainly dairy-bred beef x's with a few suckler bred sorts. All our own bulls are bred in the suckler herd, so are all either Charolais x Blue's (homebred), or Limousin X's bought in from a couple of neighbouring farms. The Lim's generally kill out around 1-2% better than the Charolais. Plan is to completely replace buying in stores with suckler cows.

 

[-farmer_girl-]

We usually get 54-64% from bulls and 50-58% from heifers. Cows are 25-50%dairy, bulls we used were 87.5%dairy. This autumn will slaughter the first bulls sired by pure Limousine bull.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Can vary on breed feed and abattoir.
I'd guess steers will do beteween 52-62%

 

[backin black]

2 bulls killed today 752kg and 749 kg live, killed out at 484kg and 471 kg respectively, more than I was expecting

 

[Northeastfarmer]

2 bulls killed today 752kg and 749 kg live, killed out at 484kg and 471 kg respectively, more than I was expecting

Peanilsed for being overweight?

 

[backin black]

Don't know yet will find out when we get the cheque this week!

 

[mushnt grummmble]

Don't know yet will find out when we get the cheque this week!

you wont be paid for much more than 400

 

[backin black]

Don't know what the limit is, we were paid in full for one at 442kg last year.

 

[harperfarmer]

ABP certainly pay in full up to 450kg

 

[Netherfield]

Slight off topic.
If you are roughly 50% ko weight what would be the expected percentage saleable butchered weight you would expect from that 50%

Google 'kill out percentage for cattle' and pick eblex site, it will explain a lot.

Although around 35% of the live weight as a general guide.

 

[Ali]

@Netherfield.

thanks for that

 

[jamie]

Are these live weights with cattle weighed when full? This is our first year finishing cattle on an adlib barley system but we aren't getting as good kill out %. Last lot of bulls averaged 342kg deadweight and 70% were -u4l. Killed out 53%when weighed 3 days before hand, fairly full as feed infront of them all of the time. Would this be normal?

The beef shorthorn steers did 49% same treatment.