Deadweights and cutting spec!

[Mima]

Hi Mark and All,

Thats a good price for butchery costs. Ours cost £240 which included vac pac and labels, then another £100 for slaughter costs and with fuel etc our meat processing costs equate to £400 a carcasse.

I shouldn't be surprised but its always nice to taste again just how good grass fed beef really is! It has sold well with lots of good feedback particularly from customers trying dexter/grass fed beef for the first time. I must say it is very rewarding knwoing we produced a good product! Lets hope the novelty doesn't wear off too soon!

I have started a spread sheet to record all the data and worked out these first 2 steers yield 62% and 65% kill-out percentage which I was pleased with, (although I would be pleased with anything as these two are setting the bench mark for the future). I was wondering if this years unusual growing season effected deadweights? as I maybe bench marking in a particularly good or bad year!

I am trying to compare Dexter to the Belted Galloway beef we also produce as I'm interested in knowing what factors have the strongest influence on the quality of taste and texture, ie diet, breed, handling, image, cooking etc so as I take the business forward I can prioritise these factors in the most effective way. With no scientific proof only an educated guess, genetics and diet would be top of my list, I'd be interested in anyone elses experience, thoughts or beliefs regarding this?


Mima

[ShaunP]

Mima

Best deal I can get from the abattoir I normally use is £85 for killing and 0.80p/deadweight kg for butchery which includes vac pac and label!!

So that would have put Marks cost at £245....still £95 more expensive than Marks costs but still better than your £340!! I am sure that another abbattoir I used before would be able to charge even more than you paid......it does seem there is a vast range of prices people have to pay and for some there is probably not many options o where to go.

Shaun

[Rob R]

You're lucky to have an abattoir that will pack and label, it takes all the work out of it bar delivering to the abattoir & selling the meat.

[Broomcroft]

Thats a good price for butchery costs. Ours cost £240 which included vac pac and labels, then another £100 for slaughter costs and with fuel etc our meat processing costs equate to £400 a carcasse.

That seems very expensive to me. I haven't done one for a year now as everything's going to the butcher, but last time we were at £200 for kill, hang 21 days, butcher, pack (professional/heavy cling film), on trays where best, labelled, and then put in a quality box (8 boxes for each carcass).

[Jac]

You're lucky to have an abattoir that will pack and label, it takes all the work out of it bar delivering to the abattoir & selling the meat.

Would you trust other people to cut up your meat?

[Jac]

Thats a good price for butchery costs. Ours cost £240 which included vac pac and labels, then another £100 for slaughter costs and with fuel etc our meat processing costs equate to £400 a carcasse.

That seems very expensive to me. I haven't done one for a year now as everything's going to the butcher, but last time we were at £200 for kill, hang 21 days, butcher, pack (professional/heavy cling film), on trays where best, labelled, and then put in a quality box (8 boxes for each carcass).

Anyone who thinks butchery is not the most tiring work ever should try it. It doesn't surprise me that meat goes walkabouts or gets swapped ........

[Rob R]

You're lucky to have an abattoir that will pack and label, it takes all the work out of it bar delivering to the abattoir & selling the meat.

Would you trust other people to cut up your meat?

Yes, unless I were to entrust the care of my animals to other people I just wouldn't have the time to do all of the work. I've known my butcher since primary school and our cattle graze outside his front door. I've had a few times when I've thought something was amiss, but every time that has been because of my paranoia, rather than his butchery, when I've eventually worked it out.

[Rachael@BRIL]

I apologise now incase I've missed this point (only skim read the thread!!) but no one appears to be talking about actual saleable meat weights it's all DW, which isn't what you get back!!

Just thought I'd add that!

[ShaunP]

Hi Mima,
With regard to selling Dexter beef we always make sure we have customers available prior to slaughter. As a general rule we sell the beef in quarters ie four boxes, each comprising an equal mix of fore and hind quarter cuts. On occasion we will split the boxes to suit individual customer requirements but still maintaining a mix of fore and hind cuts. We do not sell specific cuts.

A recent steer slaughtered at 21mths old had a carcase weight of 199.7 kgs and for example a quarter sold comprised the following cuts/wts. We sell 1lb bags of all meat except joints which are cut by the butcher to 3-4 lb weights.

Cut Lbs
Mince 14
Stewing stk 8
Braising Stk 4.25
Rib Joints 7.25
Brisket Jnts 5.5
Topside Jnts 14
Rump Stk 3.25
Fillet Stk 1.5
Sirloin Stk 4

The contact for the TBMM is Richard Lutwyche 01285 869666.

Mark S.
Brereton Dexters

You seem to have missed this!!!

[Broomcroft]

Here's some more figures which are an average of a lot of Dexters, not many of mine though. Mine would be about 10-15% heavier on average. All in Kg's.

• Liveweight 376.15 Kg
  Deadweight 197.42 Kg
  %age Deadweight to Liveweight 53%

• Butchered Meat 118.59 Kg
  %age to Deadweight 60%
  %age to Liveweight 32%

• Joints
  Topside 13.05
  Silverside 9.15
  Top Rump 1.23
  Forerib 9.05
  Brisket 6.24
  Thick Rib 5.59
  
  Steaks
  Fillet 2.86
  Sirloin 10.15
  Rump 6.78
  Minute 2.70
  
  Braising Meats
  Braising Steak 7.66
  Stew Steak 16.75
  Minced beef 21.02

No offal, tails, tongues etc has been included. PS. It doesn't quite add up but not far out!

[Mima]

Hi
At the time I started the thread I didn't know what the KO% would be but my second message refered to it. (62% and 65% saleable meat of DW)

Yes I'm interested in all facts, figures and discussions, when I can get online to read my emails as we are suffering from rural broadband frustrations!!

I can also update you with the taste test, and can say that in the beer stew test the Dexter was a winner in texture and tenderness and of course great flavour, the Beltie had a stronger 'beefy' flavour but they get hung for 28 days which I guess the Dexter will not be able to do?

What have you all found as the optimum hanging times for Dex?

MIma

[Mima]

Hi
At the time I started the thread I didn't know what the KO% would be but my second message refered to it. (62% and 65% saleable meat of DW)

Yes I'm interested in all facts, figures and discussions, when I can get online to read my emails as we are suffering from rural broadband frustrations!!

I can also update you with the taste test, and can say that in the beer stew test the Dexter was a winner in texture and tenderness and of course great flavour, the Beltie had a stronger 'beefy' flavour but they get hung for 28 days which I guess the Dexter will not be able to do?

What have you all found as the optimum hanging times for Dex?

MIma

[Rob R]

I don't hang, ordinarily, for more than two weeks - we did a taste test once with 2 x two and three week hung carcasses and there wasn't anything in it as to which was more popular. As a shorter hanging time requires less electricity it also fits in with our green business ethos, which also goes down well with customers. As hanging is a relatively modern phenomenon (since we've had fridges) I've never seen as essential, better to rear them in a way that enhances their taste, texture and tenderness in the three years of their life than 3 weeks after their death IMO.

[Broomcroft]

We hung for 3 weeks but have known experienced people hang for a lot longer, 6 even 8 weeks. Never done it myself. Again the hanging depends on the level of fat. If you have a lean carcass you can't hang for long. Like Rob, we've done 2 weeks and it was fine.

Some of the most important hanging though is in the fridge. Many, many times I have got a batch of 3 steaks out of the freezer, defrosted them thoroughly, left them for another day. Had the first and it was good, then the other two on the following days and each was better than the one before. Might be just pot luck but done quite a few times now.

If you drop me an email at clive@broomcroft.com I'll send you the Excel file of weights etc. Can't guarantee the cut figures are totally accurate because I pulled it together from different people who were butchering differently and calling the cuts different names as well. i.e. some people didn't do Topside, but cut the joints up into Minute Steaks etc.