Meat yield calculators

Estimate how much meat you'll take home from a live animal: live weight − what the processor removes = take-home weight. For most animals take-home weight runs somewhere between 50% and 70% of live weight, depending on the species and how it's cut.

Each animal has its own calculator with typical numbers for that species, so pick the one you're sending to the processor.

Beef yield calculator

≈ 60%

Estimate the beef you'll take home from a live steer or heifer — typically about 60% of live weight.

Open the beef calculator

Pork yield calculator

≈ 65%

Estimate the pork a market hog will put in your freezer — typically about 65% of live weight.

Open the pork calculator

Chicken yield calculator

≈ 70%

Estimate dressed weight from live broilers — head, feet, and organs removed, bones kept. Typically about 70% of live weight.

Open the chicken calculator

Deer yield calculator

≈ 50%

Estimate venison from a live deer — field dressing and boning typically leave about 50% of live weight as meat and grind.

Open the deer calculator

Lamb yield calculator

≈ 55%

Estimate the lamb you'll take home from a live lamb — typically about 55% of live weight as roasts, chops, and ground lamb.

Open the lamb calculator

Goat yield calculator

≈ 55%

Estimate the goat meat you'll take home from a live goat — typically about 55% of live weight as roasts, chops, and ground meat.

Open the goat calculator

These are planning estimates

Yield varies with cut style (bone-in vs. boneless), how much fat and trim is kept, moisture loss while aging, and whether you take the organs home. Use a calculator to plan a batch or compare processors, then confirm the expected weight with the plant before you send an animal.

Find a USDA-inspected processing plant near you

Raising animals to sell shares? See custom-exempt processors who can process under your brand.