The spring fed cattle market brings on the spring born, calf-fed cattle in larger proportions, and that means differences in yield. That’s not to say “yield grade” but rather “carcass yield,” meaning a measure of hanging carcass weight as a percent of live weight. The earliest spring marketing groups of the finished calf-fed cattle typically present a lower carcass yield as a result of fewer days on feed compared to their contemporaries sold weeks later. As cattle mature toward the end of the feeding period each pound of gain contributes more to what will remain on the carcass and less to what ends up in offal. The head, hide and organs grow at a slower pace than muscle and fat. Thus, each pound gained at the end of the feeding period increases carcass weight in relation to live weight. Calf-feds marketed in April are advantageous in that they often capture the high in the spring cash fed cattle
market. However, when sold on a grid, the April finished cattle often fall short of carcass yield targets (i.e. dressing percentage), giving up some carcass profitability to fewer pounds sold on the rail. Depending on genetics and management, these cattle can certainly add premiums on a grid, but some risk to carcass yield does exist.
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