Table of average net mass of beef meat from live weight

One of the main indicators of productivity of cows, bulls and other representatives of cattle is the slaughter yield of meat. This term is different from the actual weight at slaughter. You can calculate the yield of beef meat based on pre-slaughter live weight in zootechnical tables, using formulas and calculators. The final indicator is influenced by the orientation of the breed, age, and the chosen scheme of feeding livestock.

What is slaughter weight and slaughter yield

The slaughter weight of cattle is the weight of the gutted and processed carcass. The calculations do not take into account the entrails, head, hock and carpal joints of the legs, skin, and bristles (in pigs). The volume of blood released is also not counted. After cutting and gutting, the slaughter yield is calculated.

Slaughter yield is the ratio of slaughter weight to actual weight. To calculate live weight, individuals must be weighed before being sent for slaughter. The obtained data is compared and indicated as a percentage.

Table of slaughter yield of cattle meat

The value is measured as a percentage. Specific numbers depend on the breed lines of cattle: for dairy cows it is 40%, for meat and dairy cows - 70, for meat cows - more than 80. Beef yield is calculated after evisceration. Internal fat, blood, lower parts of the legs, brain from the head and other offal are not taken into account for the determination. Below are the average statistical indicators for different breeds of cattle, 18 months old at the time of slaughter.

After evisceration, about half of the actual weight is lost. When determining beef yield, internal organs and similar structures are not taken into account. But they also have their own weight. The table shows average indicators for cattle slaughtered at the age of 18 months.

You can determine the slaughter yield of cattle meat using formulas or a calculator. The easiest way is to use an online calculator on zootechnical websites. Such functions allow you to calculate the mass of cattle even without using scales.

Factors influencing performance

The first is the cattle breed and its direction. The most beef can be obtained from meat breeds: the weight of a heifer is from 600 kg, a bull’s weight is from 800 kg. Dairy and meat-dairy cows are distinguished by mediocre meat yield. The next factor is category. There are 4 of them in total:

1. A – selective. The actual weight of the animal is more than 500 kg.
2. B is the first. The numbers range from 400-500.
3. C is the second. Up to 450 kg.
4. D - third. Up to 300 kg of cattle from this category are subject to rejection.

Other influencing factors include the quality of livestock management, the fullness of the diet, and health status. Individuals need different amounts of time to gain maximum weight. Representatives of early maturing breeds can be slaughtered as early as 17-18 months. Regular breeds require an average of 2 years. The weight of a heifer is always less than the weight of a bull, the difference reaches 500 kg.

Requirements for cows and first-calf heifers

Meat cows that have well-developed muscle mass and no spinous processes of the spine are sent for slaughter. Their body has a rounded shape, and their shoulder blades are almost invisible. Also, the ischial growths and maclaques are not visible. For dairy cows, the standards and requirements are below:

1. When slaughtering, the presence of protruding blades and bones is allowed.
2. Poorly developed muscles.
3. Small fat accumulations.

For first-calf heifers (up to 350 kg), other requirements are put forward. This is the presence of a good fat layer that can be palpated before slaughter. The physique should be round. Shoulders, bony tubercles without sharp protrusions.

Determination of the quality of meat products and its composition

The quantity and quality of meat in a cattle carcass is influenced by fattening phenomena and the quality of zootechnical work. Beef contains tissues of adipose, muscle and connective nature. The presence of a minimum amount of cartilage, blood vessels or lymph nodes is allowed. Pure meat contains the following components:

1. Protein – content up to 22%.
2. Fats – 2-3%.
3. Carbohydrates and other inorganic compounds – from 5%.

The highest quality meat comes from young castrated bulls. Older animals have an increased content of refractory lipid, which negatively affects the digestibility of the product.

2-3 hours after slaughter, the rigor stage begins: excess moisture comes out of the meat. The sharpness of smell and taste is lost, but tenderness and juiciness appear.

Indicators of quality and freshness are the color, smell and consistency of the product. Fresh meat from cows is red, from calves it is whitish-pink, and from pigs it is pinkish-red. The consistency is dense, the hole quickly dissolves after pressure. The presence of foreign odors is not allowed. The color of beef fat is white, yellowish or cream.

Weight record holders

In the history of livestock farming, there are cases when the weight of cattle significantly exceeded the established standards. The record holder for males is a bull of the porcelain breed from Switzerland. Its dimensions are 1.9 meters in height and about 1,740 tons of live weight. The record holder among females is a cow of the Holstein-Durchman breed. Her body length is more than 400 cm, actual weight is 2,200 tons, sternum girth is 4 m.

The net weight of beef after slaughter is an indicator that determines productivity. To decipher, the concepts of slaughter weight and yield are used. This is the weight of the eviscerated carcass and its percentage of pre-slaughter weight.The highest quality productivity indicators are in beef cows. The best beef comes from young or castrated bulls.