Marketing Livestock

One purpose of Quality Counts

• Reveal impact of 76,000 market projects

• Terms & Calculations:• Live weight – Total weight of livestock at slaughter• Carcass weight – Total weight of livestock after slaughter • Dressing percentage – Percentage of the live animal that ends

up as carcass (Carcass weight ÷ Live weight) x 100• Total number of livestock – Total number of live

animals being slaughtered

Carcass weight x Total number of livestock = Total pounds of carcass

How many pounds of carcass are there?

Market swine: 32,751

Meat goats: 23,817

Market lambs: 11,323

Market steers: 8,435

TOTAL:TOTAL: 76,32676,326

Total Entry Numbers

Avg. wt. – 269 D. P. – 74.7%6,580,985.9 lb

PORK

•Ham – 24%•Side (Belly) – 19%•Loins – 18%•Picnic – 9%•Boston butt – 8%•Miscellaneous - 22%

Pork Carcass

Dressing percentage = Carcass weight as a percentage ofLive weight

Pork Carcass Dressing Percentage

Carcass weight ÷ Live weight x 100

Factors affecting dressing percentagegut fill degree of muscling weight of hide weight of headweight of feet fat thickness

• Livestock are processed different ways.Ex. Pork is harvested with the skin on, thus yielding higher dressing percentages.

• Livestock are fed different diets. This can increase or decrease gut fill, which can in turn affect dressing percentage.

Ex. Grain fed vs. natural fed (forage)

• Weight of skin or pelt varies with livestock species.– Ex. Sheep or goats that are shorn vs. unshorn – Ex. Different breeds have thicker skins (Continental vs. Zebu)

• Livestock have different types of stomachs. – Ex. Swine have monogastric (single-compartment) stomachs

Reasons for Variations in Dressing Percentage

Avg. wt. – 130 D. P. - 54%794,874.6 lb

SHEEP

•Leg – 39%•Shoulder – 26%•Breast – 10%•Rack – 9%•Loin – 7%•Flank & kidney – 4%

Lamb Carcass

Dressing percentage = Carcass weight as a percentage of Live weight

Carcass weight ÷ Live weight x 100

Factors affecting dressing percentagegut fill musclingfatness mudwool

Lamb Carcass Dressing Percentage

Avg. wt. – 90 D. P. - 50%1,071,765 lb

GOATS

•Leg – 39%•Shoulder – 26%•Breast – 10%•Rack – 9%•Loin – 7%•Flank & kidney – 4%

Goat Carcass

• Goat meat or cabrito is being purchased primarily by immigrants from Mexico, the Middle East and the Caribbean.

Ethnic groups within metropolitan areas (New York, Chicago, California) want to return to foods of their cultures.

• People of different religions purchase different parts of the goat.

• Three most consumed portions are rack, loin and legs.

What do consumers want?

Dressing percentage = Carcass weight as a percentage of Live weight

Carcass weight ÷ Live weight x 100

Factors Affecting Dressing Percentage

Goat Carcass Dressing Percentage

gut fill lactationhay and straw feeding matingweaning carcass weight variationlarge horns & testicles dry pasturesfatness heavy fleecebreed gender

Avg. wt. – 1256 D. P. – 61.2%6,483,731.5 lb

BEEF

Where does our beef come from?

Beef Carcass Breakdown %

• Processors are extracting single muscles from different portions of primals.

Improving taste and quality of individual cuts of meat

• Consumers want improved taste and color.Palatability and appearance are crucial when consumers purchase meat products.

• Leaner meatsDone by extracting single muscles, processing methods, or emphasizing better quality grades by producers

• Country of origin labelingOrganic and natural meatsTelling the story of the products

What do consumers want?

Dressing percentage = Carcass weight as a percentage of Live weight

Carcass weight ÷ Live weight x 100

Factors Affecting Dressing Percentage

Beef Carcass Dressing Percentage

gut fill pregnant cowsfeed type bruising class of country carcass weight variationtransit loss sale method fatness weather conditionsbreed

Grand Total:

14,931,357.0

pounds of carcass!

Project 2000 2006 % Change

Beef cattle 7,582 8,435 11.25%

Swine 34,126 32,751 -4.03%

Sheep 11,837 11,323 -4.34%

Goats 17,651 23,817 34.93%TOTAL 71,19671,196 76,326 7.21%7.21%

Results – Entry Number Trends

Project typeProject type MarketMarket BreedingBreeding TotalTotal

Beef cattleBeef cattle 8,435 7,055 15,490

SwineSwine 32,751 2,882 35,633

SheepSheep 11,323 1,338 12,661

GoatsGoats 23,817 2,331 26,148

TOTALTOTAL 76,326 13,606 89,932

2006 Results

• Your project can affect thousands of people!

• Think about the CONSUMERS!

• You never know who they might be.

What does this mean?