Dexter Beef Carcass Weight Analysis

[kansasdexters]

Since we process and sell some of our Dexter steers to a local natural foods store, we get complete weight breakdowns on each whole carcass. I thought this might be helpful information to people that haven't yet finished and processed a Dexter steer.

Here's the weight analysis of a properly finished, grassfed/grass-finished Dexter steer that we raised on our ranch:

Age at slaughter: 27 months
Body Type: Non-carrier of Chondrodysplasia
ADCA Registration #: 20751
Live Weight at slaughter: 800 pounds
Hanging Weight: 467 pounds
Quality Grade: Choice
Yield Grade: 2.2
Ribeye Area (REA at 12th rib): 9.0 sq. inches
Marbling Score: Sm30

Carcass Weight Breakdown (Whole Steer):

Brisket: 8.55 lb
Short Ribs: 12.50 lb
Flank Steak: 2.33 lb
Sirloin Tip: 12.01 lb
Whole Round Primal: 62.70 lb
Whole Loin Primal: 60.80 lb
Whole Chuck Primal: 47.40 lb
Whole Arm Roasts w/Bone-in: 22.45 lb
Whole Rib Roast Primals w/Cap & Bones: 23.80 lb
Meaty Soup Bones (Neck & Shanks): 24.34 lb
Pet Bones (most of meat removed): 19.40 lb
Meat Trimmings (will be ground into hamburger): 54.00 lb
Fat (internal carcass fat): 29.10 lb
Liver: 8.45 lb
Tongue: 1.67 lb
Heart: 2.25 lb
Kidneys: 1.45 lb
Sweetbreads: None Kept
Oxtail: 1.85 lb

Total Retail Product: 395.05 lb (84.6% of hanging weight, 49.4% of live weight). Note that this includes the bones, the fat, and the organs. Hanging weight includes the organ meats and we pay for custom processing based on hanging weight.

The difference between the retail product weight and the hanging weight for this steer was 467 lb - 395.05 lb = 71.95 lb, and this loss is due to moisture lost during the dry aging process and to trim losses (sinew, tendons, etc.) removed when the carcass is trimmed and cut.

We have a good market for our variety meats (organ meats) because we pick them up and deliver them to the store within 24 hours of slaughter. These variety meats aren't frozen, they are delivered as fresh and sold fresh. The carcass is hung and dry-aged for at least 14 days. After dry-aging, it is cut into primals and subprimals, delivered fresh (never frozen) the same day, and then stored in the meat cooler at the store -- then, they fresh cut what they need to sell each day. In this way they can offer custom cuts of fresh meat for up to 2 weeks after we deliver it. It continues to age in their cooler where it is stored in Cry-o-vac wrappers to maintain proper moisture level and prevent excessive drying.

For anyone that lives near Lawrence, Kansas and that wants to try some -- our Dexter beef will be featured in the meat case at the Community Mercantile ("the Merc", 9th & Iowa) for the months of August and September. Fire-up those backyard grills!!


Patti Adams

WAKARUSA RIDGE RANCH
www.kansasdexters.com

[midhilldexters]

Hi Patti,
that is really useful information, I hope they have great success with your meat. Thanks for taking the time to type it all out, I find this sort of info very interesting.

Carol

[midhilldexters]

Patti,
forgot to ask, do you have a pic of the one you butchered? Would be interested to see how he looked.
Thanks,
Carol

[kansasdexters]

Hi Carol,

Here is a photo of one of our 24-month old Dexter steers. This one was processed 2 months later (at 26 months old) and he had a live weight of 820 pounds and a hanging weight of 494 pounds. Yields and the weight breakdowns were similar on his carcass:



Here are photos of the actual carcass for Wakarusa OB Mahone, ADCA No. 20751:





12th Rib Cross-sectional View of Ribeye Area:


The outer carcass view shows how well the meat is uniformly covered by a layer of fat. This fat layer helps to prevent excessive drying and trim loss, so that the carcass can be properly dry-aged for 14 to 21 days.

This is our third year selling Dexter beef steers to the Merc. Each year they have increased their order and in 2010, we are providing them with 6 whole steers! Selling our beef this way has also increased our retail sales for sides and split sides of freezer beef and for 50 pound boxes of hamburger (in 1 lb packages).


Patti

[midhilldexters]

Thanks Patti,
it really is helpful to see a visual of the animal.

Carol

[Star Creek Dexters]

Great pictures! Thanks for taking the time to post all this. It is very helpful and interesting!

[kohen]

This post is really helpful! This kind of detailed info is hard to find on the web..

Any idea what the weight of the abomasum was on that carcass? Or for that matter the typical ration of abomasum weight:steer?

[kansasdexters]

kohen,

The abomasum is discarded when the animal is slaughtered, so we don't get a weight on it. It becomes part of the "disposed" offal material. There is published information (ref: Structure and Development of Meat Animals and Poultry by H.J. Swatland) that provides the following:

"In a typical lean beef steer the emptied weight of the rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum comprises about 2.5% of the live weight. Gut fill is variable, but it is often around 15% of live weight."

Thus, for a steer with a live weight of 800 lb, we could expect the emptied weight of the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum to be 2.5%, approximately 20 lb. If the gut fill was 15% of the live weight, then it would weigh approximately 120 lb.


Patti

[kohen]

Oct 18, 2013 12:14:46 GMT -5 kansasdexters said:

kohen,

The abomasum is discarded when the animal is slaughtered, so we don't get a weight on it. It becomes part of the "disposed" offal material. There is published information (ref: Structure and Development of Meat Animals and Poultry by H.J. Swatland) that provides the following:

"In a typical lean beef steer the emptied weight of the rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum comprises about 2.5% of the live weight. Gut fill is variable, but it is often around 15% of live weight."

Thus, for a steer with a live weight of 800 lb, we could expect the emptied weight of the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum to be 2.5%, approximately 20 lb. If the gut fill was 15% of the live weight, then it would weigh approximately 120 lb.


Patti

Thanx Patti!


While H.J. Swatland's work is generally informative, the author did not break down each of the four stomachs individual weight. 

I was asking about the Abomasum:Steer weight ratio (specifically) and assumed some folks that come 'round here have "hands on" knowledge about the Abomasum:Steer weight ratio.

Thank u!

[LizMO]

The Missouri Dexter Breeders Association will be collecting carcass data on Dexters that are processed. Look for a "tab" with information on supplying that data coming soon on the MDBA web site.



LizMO

[kohen]

"Coming soon" doesn't help me now LOL

[karenp]

Very nice, are they grass fed?

[LizMO]

Re: Carcass data, I should have made it more clear that MDBA is wanting information from those of you who have processed your own Dexters. They are compiling carcass data so our future beef buyers will have more information.  The "tab" will explain more on the MDBA web site when they get it ready.

Thanks


LizMo

[kohen]

Just to clarify; is it a federal requirement to discard that abomasum? Or just what most folks do?

[kansasdexters]

kohen,

Here is a helpful link that discusses edible and inedible offal:
www.ers.usda.gov/media/147867/ldpm20901.pdf

The USDA has rules and facility requirements that processors must comply with in the handling, inspection, storage, and processing of edible and inedible offal. Not all processors can meet the facility requirements for the proper handling of certain types of offal for human consumption.

So the question of whether or not a custom processor can save the abomasum (or other specific edible offal) for a particular customer's use or must discard it (where it goes into a barrel that is picked up and processed at another location by another business), is a question that you need to ask the processor that you intend to use for the processing of your beef animals.

Patti