Steer Weights

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Sun Oct 26, 2008 11:31 am

If a given non-short steer will weight say about 380kg at 26 months, approx what will it weigh at 8 months and 12 months?

Anybody got any idea or data to go on?

Liz D · Post by **Liz D** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 1:39 pm

Hi Clive; The one that we killed at twelve months dressed at 283lbs. I think there is more loss in dressing out the younger they are. I know that our veal calves have a 50% loss.

Sylvia · Post by **Sylvia** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 7:13 pm

What does 'dressed out' mean?

It can't be what I thought it meant surely.

If a 12 month old dressed out at 283lbs and say that was a 40% loss is that just off 400lbs dead weight ? At 12 months? I know Dexters are supposd to be getting bigger but that seems like the giant economy size.

sid · Post by **sid** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 9:43 pm

Have had two steers slaughtered this year, 1st @ 168 kg dead weight , 2nd 178 kg dead weight. Both could have done with a little bit more weight on them but had hit 30 months so off they went. The next four look a lot better so will see in the next four months how they do.

welshdexterboy · Post by **welshdexterboy** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 10:05 pm

Hi Clive I have no factual figures but you would have seen that after the first year they just grow frame and then put on the weight and that is where you will see the biggest gain. The younger they are when killing the more loss I think you will have.

Liz the average killing out % is around 50 to 60 on normal age cattle or at least it used to be. has it changed? ???

Liz D · Post by **Liz D** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 10:00 pm

No and on our veal calves there is a larger percentage loss, 50 -55%. We have only sent one steer at twelve monts but I think that it was closer to 50% loss from live to 'dressed' weight or carcass hanging weight; sorry Canadian term. Which would support the 'growing frame not meat' theory to me

BTW my girls could hardly be described as 'big' except perhaps in their own perceptions, where if one would judge by how they boss the Jersey, they're HUGE!

welshdexterboy · Post by **welshdexterboy** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 9:26 am

LizD it is the small person -- big attitude syndrome you see it in most small things I think :D

wagra dexters · Post by **wagra dexters** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 10:16 am

Our yearlings this year averaged 195.5kg at weigh-in coming out of winter. (Edit, yearling steers, that is)
Several small yearlings we sent to slaughter previously averaged 199 kg liveweight. Their average hook weight was 53.73%, 107kg. Their meat weight was 62% of hook weight and 33.3% of liveweight.
Two calves we sent to slaughter weighed 185.5 kg and 187.5 kg at 8 months liveweight, 100 kg & 104 kg hook weight, and 56.7 kg & 58.24 kg meat, ie 31.4 & 31.3 net %.
Two steers just back today weighed 251 & 240 kgs seven weeks prior, both gained 730 grams a day on oats/rye/clover, made 285 & 276 kgs live-weight, and 152 & 146 kgs hook-weight. The meat should be about 94 and 91 kg when we weigh it tomorrow (minus the 250 gr scotch fillet from each which we used as taste test tonight).
These steers were 19 months & 18.5 months, non-carrier obviously. They have good enough fat to be perfectly acceptable, although they could have been superb with another few months in the hay paddock, but we had to lock it up.
Margaret.

Edited By wagra dexters on 1225358429

wagra dexters · Post by **wagra dexters** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 6:19 am

The meat weighed 102 kg & 103.25 kg, better than expected, and the heavier weight of meat came from the lighter steer.
Margaret

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 9:09 am

Thanks all. Here's how the data looks from Margaret. I've put one in of my normal steers in for comparison at differing ages.

It's also on www.info.dexterbeefonline.co.uk under Downloads.

Post by **Mark Bowles** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 12:21 pm

A couple of months ago i took in a 28 month short steer that ended up with 124kg meat back, plus kidney and liver. Un fortunately i did not weighband him live and i don't know on the hook weight either. He was a very good short and stacks up well on weight to some of the non-short stats i read.
Once again....don't knock the carrier animals!

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 1:42 pm

Hi Mark

I've got stats for loads of animals, all sorts, short, medium and tall, and the Boned-Out meat you end up with varies little in relation to the liveweight as long as they are finished properly (obviously). On the basis of those stats the liveweight of your steer should have been roughly 3 times the BO weight, or maybe a bit more, making him roughly 375-385 kg LW.

Post by **Mark Bowles** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 7:09 pm

Sounds about right.
This 33% of liveweight is an easy calculation, how accurate is it do you think.

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 7:35 pm

The figures I have are generally about 33% meat to liveweight Mark, as a rough rule of thumb (or just under). The occasional animal is in there at 40%, and a couple at 27%, but I think if your animal looks sort of about right, it'll work out to 33%. If he looks skinny or big boned, then maybe lower.

Edited By Broomcroft on 1225478173

nuttalls · Post by **nuttalls** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 9:22 pm

picked up my meat tonite just talkn bout weights he woz dressed out at 175kg. not bad to say he woz grassed only