Yield From Butcher

[SteveCNJ]

Apologies in advance as this has probably been posted on but I couldn't find a thread. My deer was 155 lbs dressed and I got 42 lbs of ground and the loins and backstraps. Is this consistent with your experiences? Considering there was 10% fat added I got less venison.

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[16Bore]

#44 off a doe once. The only people allowed to touch mine have a fork in their hand and are prepared to eat.

 

[Poser]

That’s definitely a little on the lean side if there was 10% fat added, but not by more than 10 lbs or so. You can push 40% yield if you use the tongue, rib meat etc and even a little more if you make stock with the bones (you can even throw the hooves and silverskin in the pot), but your typical deer processor is a amateur butcher at best, so I’d say you came out about average, maybe slightly below.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Feels a light. I would have thought it would yield +50-60 pounds as a rule of thumb.

I switched to processing my own after seeing how my butcher was handling things. Not really an issue of cleanliness or anything, but just a strong suspicion that he was comingling certain aspect of the process like grinding and then just portioning it out etc.

I shot a big doe last year that weighed close to150, processed it myself, took all the meat off neck, ribs, etc. and it was over 60 pounds with no additions.

If you have the time and desire, I would recommend giving it a try. After a bit of trial and error, I have a kit with about $100 in gear (knives, cutting boards, wraps, folding table, etc.) plus a $70 LEM grinder that fits into a tote in my truck. I can process 1 or 2 deer in the field, if I want, or do it back home after they hang a bit. I can even do the grinding right there with an invertor or access to an outlet, although I usually do that at home.

Doing it yourself also let's you play with organ preparations, caul fat, neck roasts, braising shanks, etc.

 

[Trial153]

Sounds right for sure

 

[16Bore]

I bought a stainless biscuit table from a KFC that was being remodeled. Big help to have space. 5” Vic boning knife is THE knife.

I’ve already got the recipes planned as I’m butchering and labeling accordingly. Bone in shoulder was the shizza....

 

[Michael54]

And this is the reason we now do our own.

 

[Jacob_Outdoors]

Try to remember a butcher or processor is paid by how much work they complete, not how satisfied each person is. There’s a fulcrum of a customer being happy and being efficient, this isn’t to say some aren’t better than others.

When a butcher works they’re trying to get a job done with a reasonable amount of satisfaction for repeat business that allows them to keep the lights on. When we process our own meat we’ve usually got nothing but time as a factor.

I agree with others, processing your own is a great way to get exactly what you want and how you want it. After the initial investment(s) for equipment you’ll probably come out ahead depending on how often you take meat to a processor.

Also, I’ve always heard it’s the rule of 1/3.
1/3 bones
1/3 guts and hide
1/3 meat

There is no scientific data backing this theory and I’m sure certain methods yield more than others.


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[camping1601]

I would expect 50 to 55 pounds total depending. Some butchers trim a little more careless than others.

 

[16Bore]

Finally found the damn pic...

 

[EastMT]

I ran a wild game shop and there are a lot of variables.

Did you age the game for a long time where it got a dry rind on the outside? Some game shops then trim all that off losing some weight.

How clean was it? Lots of loss there as it will be trimmed

Was it shot through both front shoulders? Lots of loss there

Any other errant shots? Easy to start dropping lbs.

Any bone sour in the hind quarters around the ball joint?



50-60 does sound about tight if none of the above variables were involved. Most of these shops try to do a good job but sometimes there is nothing they can do about it.

We had an antelope come in one time that was shot through the shoulders, hind quarters, back straps. When he showed up for his meat he was pissed and we lost a customer over his piss poor shooting and I’m sure told all his buddies how we screwed him over.


I have yet to be begin to procrastinate.

 

[EastMT]

Finally found the damn pic...

View attachment 130264

No better bang for your buck than a Vicky for that job.


I have yet to be begin to procrastinate.

 

[HookUp]

Do yourself a favor and process your own meat. Butches will fast cut everything and the end result for you is a rushed product with a smaller amount and you are paying premium price.

 

[Michael54]

I ran a wild game shop and there are a lot of variables.

Did you age the game for a long time where it got a dry rind on the outside? Some game shops then trim all that off losing some weight.

How clean was it? Lots of loss there as it will be trimmed

Was it shot through both front shoulders? Lots of loss there

Any other errant shots? Easy to start dropping lbs.

Any bone sour in the hind quarters around the ball joint?



50-60 does sound about tight if none of the above variables were involved. Most of these shops try to do a good job but sometimes there is nothing they can do about it.

We had an antelope come in one time that was shot through the shoulders, hind quarters, back straps. When he showed up for his meat he was pissed and we lost a customer over his piss poor shooting and I’m sure told all his buddies how we screwed him over.


I have yet to be begin to procrastinate.

What do you mean? Swiss cheese doesn't yield a meat return? You can't make everyone happy all of the time.

 

[cnelk]

42lbs + backstraps & loins = ~52- 55lbs +/-
Thats not too unreasonable after you knock off the legs, hide, neck, head....

Whats your time worth? Got the stuff to do your own?

 

[Fastflight]

I would have guessed upper 40s for trim and maybe 52 lbs of burger with the 10 percent if I did it myself. Buthchers wont make money if they spend that extra hour it takes to get the last 10 lbs of meat. You got about the right amount for taking it in.

 

[WV Mountaineer]

You did fine. As long as you take it to a processor, you can't expect any higher percentage then that. And, reality says you won't get that much from a lot of them.

 

[16Bore]

No better bang for your buck than a Vicky for that job.


I have yet to be begin to procrastinate.

My butcher buddy said there’s no other. I figured after 20+ years in the business he probably knew what he was talking about.

 

[Trial153]

I always get a kick out of the home butchering experts. A good butcher breaking hangers will cut more meat in week then a hunter will in his life. Yet according to these threads all the butchers suck and hunters know best. Funny stuff.

 

[JG358]

Its ballpark of where it should be. Easy answer is to just butcher your own and you wont have to question if the butcher is cheating your yield.