01/19/2026
This is some good information on meat processing and what to expect. Even though in this instance they are talking about beef, the same principles apply to all species.
Butcher Shop Course 101... "Definitions of Hanging Weight/Carcass Weight and Determining the Actual Take Home Weight"
🥓🥩The number of people calling our meat market to order freezer beef & hogs is increasing, and this is very encouraging for farmers and of course the local butcher shop. When interests rise about buying a quarter, half, or whole beef it is always good to provide a little educational information to help all new customers understand what they are buying and how the process works.
A common misconception is the carcass weight versus actual meat taken home.
ℹ️ A carcass weight or "Hanging weight" is the total weight of the slaughtered animal after the head, hide, feet, blood, and most internal organs have been discarded. Everything remaining, including fat, bone, liver, heart, tongue, and muscle(meat) is weighed, determining the hot carcass weight.
⚖️ The hanging weight of the carcass is taken prior to moving the carcass into the cooler. This weight is the metric in which the industry can determine the value of the animal. It is what the meat industry uses as the measurement to know how to charge for the animal. 💰In Most cases, the farmer selling the animal, will charge the customer the current market value for carcass beef/hogs in relation to the carcass weight.
For example, if the beef carcass weighed 800 lbs and the farmer was charging $3.70/lb, then that customer would pay the farmer $2960.00 for the animal.
💵 The locker also charges for processing the animal based on the hanging carcass weight. In our case, at the current price point and example used above, we would charge the customer 85 cents per pound (hanging weight) or $680.00 to process an 800 lb beef carcass.
🥩🍖The actual amount of meat taken home depends on many factors.
✅️1st, as the carcass hangs, it loses the water weight and it will shrink some in size, weighing less than it did the day it was slaughtered.
✅️2nd, the fat cover will make a difference. If the customer does not keep the fat, it will be discarded into the waste barrel along with the bones. The fattier the beef, the more fat waste there is. (But remember, Fat = Flavor)
✅️3rd, if the customer does NOT want to keep their liver, heart, or tongue that is also part of the total weight at our facility. So, essentially, throwing it away will lessen the meat take home weight.
✅️4th on average, the take home meat is approximately 55% to 60% of the hanging carcass weight for a beef. So, most likely if your hanging weight was 800 lbs, you will take home approximately 440lbs of meat.
✅️5th, if you request that your hamburger be as close to 90% lean, then your weight will be less than the normal take home amount because you are asking for more fat (which adds to the weight) to be discarded.
✅️ 6th, if you purchase a beef or hog and choose to grind everything up for hamburger or sausage, this will effect your weight also. The meat take home percentage that everyone seems to find on Google is assuming you are getting roasts and steaks with some bone left in them (pork chops, chicken roasts, t bones, etc...) This is factored into the weight and the dressing percentage. So if you get ONLY ground meat, you are getting No Bone, which means a little less weight.
By far, buying freezer beef as a qtr, half or whole is much cheaper than buying each cut from the grocery store or even the butcher shop, BUT not everyone can do this. The up front cost is larger and freezer space is definitely required, but overall, the quality is better and the total price is cheaper.
If you would like to buy a qtr, half, or whole beef we can help with that. Call us at 641-437-9043 and we will talk you through the process and help you find exactly what you are looking for.
