Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
DRESSED WEIGHTS AND YIELDS
Dressing percentage represents the comparison of carcass weight
to live weight, with carcass weight being taken from an animal with
hide, internal organs, and head removed. Locker lambs are often
sold based on the dressed weight. Yield, or the amount of pack-
aged meat that you receive after the carcass is cut and wrapped,
typically represents 50 to 60 percent of the dressed weight. The
actual percentage for both dressed weight and yield varies based
on the condition of the animal, its breed, its bone structure,
and the amount of fat it is carrying. For example, if you take in
a 100-pound lamb for butcher, typical dressed weight is around
50 pounds and typical yield is 25 to 30 pounds.
Market lambs (live weight, 90 to 120 pounds): Average dressing
percentage, 50
Hot house lambs (live weight, 40 to 60 pounds; popular for the
Christmas and Easter lamb markets): Average dressing percentage,
55 to 70
Cull sheep (live weight varies widely based on age and condi-
tion): Average dressing percentage, 37 to 52
Taking orders in advance is a good idea. This way, you can plan to deliver
lambs about the time the summer pasture starts to dry up. Fast growth of your
lambs on good pasture ensures that they will be ready for marketing by then,
and fast growth is associated with tenderness.
Young lamb is naturally expected to be tender, but several factors, one at
a time or combined, can reduce this tenderness:
Stress imposed on animals prior to slaughter, such as rough handling
when catching and loading.
Slow growth rate; this is a good reason to feed your lambs grain in a
creep feeder if pastures aren't in top form.
Drying out in slow freezing; most cut-and-wrap facilities do the freezing
faster than it could be done in your home freezer.
Length of time in freezer storage; 1 year is the maximum that lamb
should be stored.
 
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