Asked by: Khady Artel
food and drink barbecues and grilling

At what weight do you slaughter a cow?

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By dividing the cows' average carcass weight — 475 lbs. in 1975 and 621 lbs. in 2005 — by 47%, we approximate the live weights at slaughter, which is 1,010 lbs. and 1,321 lbs., respectively.


In this regard, how long does it take for a cow to reach slaughter weight?

At the end of this phase the young cattle is sold or passed to the “Finishing Operation”; this is generally a penned facility, the cattle is fed rich grain ration and will reach a weight of 1300 to 1500 lbs. at approximately 18 months age. At the end of this phase the cattle is sent to a slaughter facility.

Furthermore, how much meat do you get from a 1200 pound cow? So, in other words, you start with a 1200 pound steer, which has a dressing percent of 63%, so that you have a 750 pound carcass. From that you will get about 65% of the carcass weight, or roughly 490 pounds, as boneless, trimmed beef.

Also, what is the best age to slaughter a cow?

The highest quality beef comes from animals that are under 36 months of age. Old cows produce highly acceptable beef if properly fattened and processed. Depending on the calf and the feeding regime, calves are best slaughtered between three and 16 weeks of age.

How much meat do you get from a 500 pound cow?

A 1200-pound beef animal will yield a hot carcass weight of approximately 750 pounds. Once cooled, the carcass weight will be approximately 730 pounds. When de-boned and trimmed, there will be approximately 500 pounds of trimmed and de- boned meat for wrapping and freezing.

Related Question Answers

Rehan Raaff

Professional

Is it worth raising your own beef?

There is a cost for hay, grain, fencing, barns, vet bills and all things necessary to raise your own meat. I do think it is often cheaper to raise your own animals. This is especially true when you let your cow raise your beef and feed your chickens mostly from scraps and free-ranging. Save a cow — eat free range!

Hristinka Villari

Professional

How much does it cost to buy a cow for slaughter?

The cost to have the animal slaughtered is $95 for a half or $190 for a whole, payable to the rancher. The cost to have the meat aged, cut, wrapped and frozen so it's ready to take home is $1.25 per pound hanging weight. Hanging weight is usually 59% to 62% of the live weight. This is payable to the butcher.

Pavla Mintz

Professional

What is the best feed for fattening cattle?

Barley is the best grain for lotfeeding cattle, but wheat, triticale, sorghum, maize, lupins and oats can be used. Oats is not an ideal grain on its own for fattening cattle, but can be used with any of the other grains. Hay or silage can be used as the roughage source.

Junhao Ybarguren

Explainer

How much is a full grown cow worth?

Full-grown cows can cost as much as $4,000 to $5,000 per cow. A full-grown cow can weigh as much as 2,200 pounds and go for as much as $1.85 cwt.

Anaraida Coucenas

Explainer

How long does it take a cow to reach 1000 pounds?

These are called “finishing” cattle, and they are fed and taken care of until they reach around 1000-1200 pounds, which is usually around 18 months old. Once they reach their target weight, they are considered “finished.” Grass-fed cattle are also considered “finishing” cattle until they reach 1000-1200 pounds.

Brandi Nebra

Pundit

How much does it cost to feed a beef cow for a year?

Total feed cost per cow was $279 in 2007, $289 in 2008 and $303 in 2009, or a three-year average of $290. Total feed cost per cow was $355 in 2015, $349 in 2016 and $367 in 2017, or a three-year average for the recent years of $357.

Khatima Egen

Pundit

How many cows are slaughtered each year?

First we consider cows slaughtered in the year 2016 and then we'll look at trends over time (1961-2016). In total, more than 300 million cows were slaughtered for food in 2016 according to United Nations data.

Taanant Fockel

Pundit

Can you eat a cow that died of old age?

There is no reason why it would be less cruel to eat the meat from a cow that died of old age (or "natural causes") when the causes may be what would cause illness in humans, and that old cow eventually died of a chronic illness that made her suffering more prolonged than a cap-bolt to the head.

Itxiar Kuborn

Pundit

Can you butcher a bull for meat?

Bulls grow faster and more efficiently than steers, but the meat from older bulls can suffer quality problems. However our studies show that if slaughtered at 12 to 14 months of age the eating quality of Yearling Bulls compares well with steers.

Hongyu Quijorna

Pundit

How long does it take to raise a cow for meat?

The amount of time on feed can vary from 60-150 days. For a backyard steer, 90 days on grain should be sufficient. The grain component will help him gain faster and change the flavor of the beef to more closely match what is purchased in the grocery store.

Thurman Halip

Teacher

How much does it cost to raise a cow for meat?

Processing costs vary around the country, but in general, figure about $150 per steer. A calf purchased at 300 pounds costs around $300. If you want to play the proper accountant, you have to add costs for labor, land and hauling. A 1,000-pound steer will make about 600 pounds of meat.

Piotr Waqas

Teacher

How long does it take to raise a steer for slaughter?

It will take over a year (367 days) to grow a 500-pound calf to 1,000 pounds if its average daily weight gain is 1.5 pounds per day. Some exten sive forage-finishing systems may require a longer duration for calves to reach slaughter weight if forage quality and quantity restrict growth to no more than 1 pound per day.

Dragana Ponnekanti

Teacher

How much can a cow make?

Based on $550 annual cow cost, 88 percent calf crop and $180 per hundredweight average price for a 525-pound calf over seven production years, a $2,150 cow/calf pair purchased in the spring of 2014 would have a 10 percent return on investment.

Yaakoub Elgorriaga

Teacher

How do you tell if a steer is finished?

I don't go by weight or age to determine if a steer is finishing and ready for butcher. I feel the area on it's side of the 13th rib area to feel for fat cover. As well, a tell sign is to look in the area of the scrotum and see if the remaining sack after castration is beginning to fill up.

Hocine Balasoiu

Reviewer

Do animals feel pain when slaughtered?

The slaughter process has two stages: Stunning, when performed correctly, causes an animal to lose consciousness, so the animal can't feel pain. The law states that, with few exemptions, all animals must be stunned before 'sticking' (neck cutting) is carried out.

Nawal Jelezov

Reviewer

How much grain do you feed a cow for slaughter?

10-15 lbs. per day of corn, oats or barley fed to grazing cattle is a good finishing ration. This fed to a 900-1000 pound steer for 3-4 months should will you a nicely finished animal.

Queen Virekhovsky

Reviewer

How much meat do you get from a 1000 pound cow?

In summary, a steer weighing 1,000 pounds on the hoof will average around 430 pounds of retail cuts (steaks, roasts, ground beef, stew beef, etc.).

Reyad Keys

Reviewer

Can you make a living raising cattle?

Making money with cattle is hard, but it's possible and it's possible to do it consistently. The last Census reports that only 4% of beef cattle operations had 200 or more cows; and they accounted for just over 37% of all beef cows.

Luigina Fenech

Supporter

How many steaks can you get from one cow?

In a half of a beef, there are approximately 12 roasts, 14 t-bone steaks, 5 sirloin steaks, 5 sirloin tip steaks, 14 rib-eye steaks, 4 filet mignon and 6 round steaks. There are also short ribs, flank steak, stew meat, brisket and approximately 75# of ground beef.