Expected Beef Yield from a Butcher Calf
Mark Z. Johnson, Oklahoma State University Extension Beef Cattle Breeding Specialist
Producers who finish their own calves or consumers who purchase a finished butcher calf often face the question of how much beef they will take home after the harvest and cutting process. The answer to the question dictates how much freezer space will be needed. The amount of product yielded from a finished beef calf is often misunderstood. Accordingly, this topic addresses what to expect in terms of the relationship among live weight, carcass weight, and actual take-home product from the carcass.
Chilled Carcass Weight, Primals, Sub-Primals, and Retail Cuts
After the carcass is cooled, it will be further processed into cuts of meat. This process is referred to as “breaking down the carcass.” Beef primal cuts are the rib, chuck, shank, brisket, plate, flank, round, short loin, and the sirloin. Primal cuts will be further processed into sub-primal or retail cuts. The basic concept is to remove the majority of the bones, separate tender muscles from less tender muscles, to separate thicker muscles from thin muscles, and to separate fatter from leaner portions. There are several factors that will influence the amount of beef that will be wrapped for the freezer. The most common factors influencing variation include:
• External carcass fat, which has the greatest impact on the percentage of retail product from a carcass. As more fat is trimmed away, less weight will be in the packaged meat.
• Superior carcass muscularity, which will increase the percentage of retail product. For example, dairy-type cattle typically yield lower than beef-type cattle.
• Cutting style, or the cutting specs given to the processor can affect the take-home yield. This can be a major influence based on the amount of bone-in versus boneless cuts, how much external fat is trimmed off, and the amount of fat in the ground beef.
• Carcass aging (typically for seven to ten days) offers the advantages of improving tenderness and intensifying the flavor of beef. With respect to carcass yield, long-term aging can have a negative effect.
As a general guideline, expect to take home about 42% of the live weight for consumption. If basing the prediction off the HCW, expect to take home roughly two-thirds. If using the 1,500pound live butcher calf with a 63% DP referenced in the above example, you will need freezer storage space for about 630 pounds of cut and wrapped beef.
Scan the QR code for more information from the University of Tennessee about beef carcass yield and cuts.
What Every Producer Should Know about Judicious Antibiotic Use
Judicious use of antibiotics is tremendously important for the future of beef and dairy production. “If we’re going to preserve the effectiveness of the limited number of antimicrobials that we have in the cattle industry, using them appropriately to minimize the development of antimicrobial resistance is vital,” said Pat Gorden, DVM, PhD, professor at Iowa State University, and specializing in dairy production medicine and clinical pharmacology.
Utilizing antibiotics responsibly also supports the long-term success of cattle operations, and helps reinforce consumer trust in our industry. “Keeping cattle healthy is always the goal,” stated Nathan Meyer, DVM, PhD, Boehringer Ingelheim. “When antibiotics are used judiciously, it improves the lives of cattle, producers, and consumers.”
Using antibiotics judiciously requires implementing these fundamental herd health practices on your operation.
Maintain a veterinarian-client-patient relationship
The foundation of responsible antibiotic use begins with establishing and maintaining a veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR), which is required to access prescription antibiotics.
With a VCPR, your veterinarian can be a true partner in supporting your herd’s health. It can help them gain a better understanding of your herd and be more aligned with your operation’s goals. “Before a disease occurs, your veterinarian can help develop protocols for receiving cattle, or moving cattle through an operation that can minimize the stress and the risk of disease,” noted Dr. Gorden.
Then, when treatment is needed, your veterinarian can provide more timely and accurate treatment advice. “Your veterinarian can help identify the correct animals that need treatment, and recommend when to implement metaphylaxis protocols,” related Dr. Meyer.
A strong VCPR allows you to work with your veterinarian to build more effective protocols, preventing problems before they start, and ensuring long-term success for your herd.
Maximize antibiotic efficacy
A key strategy to judicious antibiotic use is accurately identifying which cattle need treatment. “Making sure we identify sick cattle quickly and treat them soon after detecting signs of illness is very important,” said Dr. Meyer. Tools like digital sensors,
stethoscopes, and rectal thermometers can help improve the odds of finding sick animals. However, it still ultimately comes down to the human eye to properly identify illness, so it’s important that anyone working with the animals is trained to recognize the signs early.
Once an animal has been identified for treatment, the right antibiotic should be selected. “For instance, if you’re treating bovine respiratory disease [BRD], a broad-spectrum antibiotic might be advised,” shared Dr. Meyer. “The macrolide class of antimicrobials is broad-spectrum, meaning they treat the four primary BRD pathogens. So, choosing the correct antibiotic is crucial, based on what you’re observing for clinical illness.”
Following the treatment protocols and label recommendations is also a must. This includes withdrawal periods, dosage, and post-treatment intervals. “Where we could improve is accurately knowing the weight of cattle, so we deliver the right dosage,” Dr. Gorden pointed out. When determining the correct dosage, try to weigh cattle individually to get an accurate weight, or, at a minimum, use a weight tape.
Once cattle have been treated, keep thorough records on each individual animal to better adhere to withdrawal periods and know what to do if additional treatment is required.
“Frequently monitor records to see what’s changing,” continued Dr. Gorden. “If you’re typically seeing a certain prevalence of a disease, and it suddenly increases, that’s an indication that something changed. Unless somebody’s looking at those records on a regular basis, an issue may not be found until it’s too late.”
Management matters
Strong management practices are imperative to preventing disease and reducing the need for antibiotics. Implementing tactics such as biosecurity, low-stress handling, limiting overcrowding, housing in well-ventilated buildings, and providing a clean environment are just a few ways to help minimize stress and disease risk.
“Cover the basics, like trying to minimize stress by purchasing high-health cattle if they’re on the beef side,” said Dr. Gorden. “Taking care of nutrition on the dairy cattle side is hugely important to grow those animals at a faster rate, but at the same time, feed the immune system so it’s ready to help fight off any infections that may come.”
Vaccinations are another way to prepare cattle for a battle with disease and reduce the need for antibiotics. “The cornerstone to any herd health plan is prevention,” asserted Dr. Meyer. “We want to build immunity through vaccination to have a good herd health status. Whenever cattle are challenged, they normally mount a strong immune response. The key is prevention, so vaccination must precede the challenge to have maximum effect.”
Work with your veterinarian to create protocols that help optimize the health of your herd and reduce the need for antibiotics. .
