It is estimated that 70 percent of a cow is used for meat. This figure comes from The U.S. Department of Agriculture, however, those in the industry would estimate this figure to be closer to 60 percent.
To put this into context, a 1200 pound cow with average muscle mass and ½ inch fat, yields a 750 pound carcass. This carcass can be broken down into 490 pounds boneless, trimmed beef, 150 pounds fat trim and 110 pounds bone.
The 490 pounds of boneless, trimmed beef can be broken down into cuts that any meat-eater would be familiar with. It is made up of roughly 185 pounds ground beef, 85 pounds round roasts, 95 pounds chuck steaks or roasts, 80 pounds rib or loin steaks and 50 pounds other cuts such as ribs.
A 1000 pound cow will lose approximately 39% of its weight during the dressing procedure. The remaining 61% is often referred to as the ‘hanging weight’ and this weight may decrease further as a result of moisture loss.
Other parts of the cow are used for byproducts, for example, one cowhide can produce 12 basketballs or up to 144 baseballs or 18 soccer balls. Gelatin is another byproduct of beef and is used in gum and Jello, it comes from the connective tissue of the animal. The bones can be used to produce bone china, the intestines can be used for tennis racket or instrument strings and the hooves are used to make protein foams used by firefighters. The list of cow byproducts is long and varying.
If you have any more questions about how to buy either a full or half a cow, or any queries relating to pricing, please do not hesitate to contact us on (530) 949-4241 or via our contact form where we would be happy to answer any queries you may have.
