Short answer: a properly finished 1,200 lb steer comes back as about 430 lb of packaged beef. That's about 36% of its live weight.
Here's where the rest of the weight goes, and what moves your number up or down.
Three weights to know
Live weight
What the animal weighs on the hoof when it arrives.
Hanging weight
The weight of the carcass after harvest, before it's cut. Hanging weight usually runs 50 to 62% of live weight.
Take-home weight
The packaged, frozen beef you load into your truck. Take-home weight usually runs 50 to 62% of hanging weight.
Put those two steps together and a properly finished steer lands around 36% of live weight. The longer comparison is hanging weight vs. take-home weight.
The example: a 1,200 lb steer
| Weight | How it's figured | About |
|---|---|---|
| Live | On the scale at drop-off | 1,200 lb |
| Hanging | 50 to 62% of live | 600 to 744 lb |
| Take-home | About 36% of live, for a properly finished steer | 430 lb |
Setting expectations with buyers
If you sell halves or wholes, share this example with your buyers before they commit. A buyer who expects the box to weigh what the live animal weighed will be surprised at pickup. A buyer who knows the 1,200 lb to about 430 lb example knows what to plan freezer space for.
Why the box weighs less than the carcass
The carcass still has bone and fat trim when it's weighed. As it's cut to your cut sheet, bone and excess fat come off, and what's left gets packaged. That's normal, and it's why take-home weight is always lower than hanging weight.
What moves your number
How well the animal is finished
The about 36% figure is for a properly finished steer. Older cows, cattle that aren't fully finished, and show steers usually yield less than that. We'll add real customer case studies to this guide later so you can see actual numbers. Until then, see show steer processing.
Boneless or bone-in
Boneless cuts weigh less in the box than bone-in cuts, because the bone comes out. For example, on our cut sheet you choose boneless or bone-in ribeye steaks, and whole brisket or ground brisket. Those choices change what goes in the box.
The rest of your cut sheet
Cuts you don't keep as steaks or roasts, like flank, skirt, ribs, or chuck, can be added to ground beef instead. That changes the mix of cuts in your order. See how to fill out a beef cut sheet.
How aging fits in
After a 72-hour chill, seven subprimals (brisket, ribeye, strip loin, tenderloin, sirloin, picanha, and tri tip) are vacuum sealed and wet aged for 14 days. We wet age because it gives higher yields without giving up tenderness or flavor. The full sequence is beef processing, step by step.
Whole or half
A half is cut from one side of the animal, so plan on roughly half of the whole's take-home weight. Each half has its own cut sheet, and its take-home weight depends on that sheet.
Does the price change with weight?
No. Our price is flat: $850 for a whole on one cut sheet, $450for a half, or $900 for two halves on separate cut sheets. There's no hanging-weight fee, so a heavier animal doesn't cost more to process. Patties and chili meat are included. See flat beef processing prices or flat fee vs. per-pound processing.