Live Weight vs Hanging Weight

These are fancy cattle with good carcass genetics from registered Angus cows, bred by the top Angus and Wagyu bulls available, animals that we have raised with care and kindness. Pigs too.

Let’s assume an average sized 20 to 24-month-old animal weighs approximately 1,200-1400 lbs.; that weight is called the “live weight.” Once the animal is slaughtered, the skin, head, non-usable organs, and hooves are removed, and the carcass is split down the middle. This part of the process is done at the farm. The two sides are then tagged and transported to the butcher shop. At the butcher shop, the two halves are weighed, giving the butcher the “hanging” or “carcass weight,” which is usually around 60% of the live weight. This weight is then used to determine the cost of the portion purchased, and the store automatically charges the customer’s credit card this amount (minus the reservation deposit). The carcass is then hung in a cooler for 10-15 days to dry age (we do 3 weeks for beef). This improves tenderness, enhances flavor, and further reduces weight due to evaporation.

You are paying for the "usable" parts of the animal, although we like to offer parts of the animal that not everyone is familiar with, if you like, just ask (includes bones, hide for curing, organs, and so forth).