Flowers Ranch

Sharing a great article about friends breeding and raising Irish Dexters in Northern Ontario, Manitoulin Island.

This is a analysis from another Irish Dexter ranch. We will be processing the first steer in a couple of months. Here's the weight analysis of a properly finished, grassfed/grass-finished Dexter steer that we raised on our ranch: Age at slaughter: 27 months... Body Type: Non-carrier of Chondrodysplasia ADCA Registration #: 20751 Live Weight at slaughter: 800 pounds Hanging Weight: 467 pounds Quality Grade: Choice Yield Grade: 2.2 Ribeye Area (REA at 12th rib): 9.0 sq. inches Marbling Score: Sm30 Carcass Weight Breakdown (Whole Steer): Brisket: 8.55 lb Short Ribs: 12.50 lb Flank Steak: 2.33 lb Sirloin Tip: 12.01 lb Whole Round Primal: 62.70 lb Whole Loin Primal: 60.80 lb Whole Chuck Primal: 47.40 lb Whole Arm Roasts w/Bone-in: 22.45 lb Whole Rib Roast Primals w/Cap & Bones: 23.80 lb Meaty Soup Bones (Neck & Shanks): 24.34 lb Pet Bones (most of meat removed): 19.40 lb Meat Trimmings (will be ground into hamburger): 54.00 lb Fat (internal carcass fat): 29.10 lb Liver: 8.45 lb Tongue: 1.67 lb Heart: 2.25 lb Kidneys: 1.45 lb Sweetbreads: None Kept Oxtail: 1.85 lb Total Retail Product: 395.05 lb (84.6% of hanging weight, 49.4% of live weight). Note that this includes the bones, the fat, and the organs. Hanging weight includes the organ meats and we pay for custom processing based on hanging weight. The difference between the retail product weight and the hanging weight for this steer was 467 lb - 395.05 lb = 71.95 lb, and this loss is due to moisture lost during the dry aging process and to trim losses (sinew, tendons, etc.) removed when the carcass is trimmed and cut.

A snow storm brought a new baby calf...

Surprise new baby calf.