Beef Fact Friday: How Much Meat Will My Animal Produce?

If you’re interested in buying local beef for harvest, you might also be interested in learning about some of the factors that go into the meat you'll get back from the processor. There are many consumer misconceptions out there, but our #BeefFactFriday will hopefully clear up any grey areas for you.

Just because you have an animal that weighs, say, 1200 pounds doesn't mean that you'll get 1200 pounds of meat from the processor. Once a live animal is harvested, about 58-63 percent of the live weight will go to the cooler. This is called the "dressing percent," and factors such as horns, superior (or inferior) musculature and amount of fat can affect the dressing percent.  When these factors are considered, that number usually falls around two-thirds of the animal’s live weight.  This means that your 1200-pound animal will produce around 500 pounds of meat for consumption. 

Whoa. Did you say 500 pounds?! Where am I supposed to put that meat?

That's a great question! Once you bring all that meat home, you’ll need about one cubic foot of freezer space for every 30-35 pounds of meat you have. Going back to our 1200-pound animal example, this means you'll need about 14 cubic feet of freezer space. Also, in terms of food safety, the closer your freezer stays to 0 degrees Farnenheit, the better!

Get the facts on factors affecting your meat return by clicking here and as always, Eat More Beef.

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