This week we sent two home raised calves to the butcher. Both calves weighed close to 1,500 pounds live. Today I received the hot carcass weights on both calves, a solid black calf at 935 and a black-nosed smoke at 951 pounds. I looked at my calving book from the spring of 2025 and reviewed mature cow weight records taken at pregnancy check in the fall of 2024. The results are interesting. Since many Cow-Calf Corner articles have covered this topic (The Tug-of-War between Mature Cow Size, Carcass Weights and Cow Efficiency/Environmental Fit/Profitability) over the past couple of years, I thought it appropriate to share the data on the two calves, their sire and their dams.
The Butcher Calves
Both calves were born during the last week of March, 2025. They were vaccinated twice before weaning. When receiving their second round of vaccinations, the calves were castrated, given a Zeranol growth implant and dewormed. Calves were weaned in early August and spent several months grazing Bermudagrass which had been overseeded with sorghum-Sudan grass. In February, 2026 calves started on feed receiving a 14% Crude Protein growing ration at a rate of 15 – 20 pounds of feed “as is” per day. In mid-March calves were transitioned to a finishing ration. The finishing ration was 2 parts of the 14% growing ration to 1 part cracked corn. Over the final 120 days of feeding ad lib the calves average consumption of the finishing ration “as is” was 35 pounds per day. The calves were harvested on July 21, 2026 at just under 16 months of age.
The Sire
Both calves were sired by an Angus bull with a Weaning Weight EPD in the top 20%, a Yearling Weight EPD in the top 15%, a Residual Average Daily Gain EPD in the top 3% and a Dry Matter Intake EPD in the top 40% of current Angus Sires.
The Cows
The black calf was produced by a black commercial cow with a mature weight of 1180 pounds. The black-nosed smoke calf was produced by a black-nosed smoke commercial cow with a mature weight of 1280 pounds. Both cows are approximately 8 years old, of unknown genetic background and were purchased as bred cows in March, 2022. Both have bred back promptly and calved on-time each year since.
Points of Interest
The carcass weights (935 and 951) are a little under the current industry average of 963 on steer carcasses. The steers were on feed for 170 days, well under the current industry average. Neither of the cows (1180 and 1280) would be considered very large. The articles referenced below detail the consequences of mature cow size and why fed cattle are being taken to heavier weights than ever before, (particularly Dr. Beck’s article from the April 13, 2026 edition of this newsletter).
References:
The Cowboy Math of Mature Cow Size and Calf Revenue Generated. Mark Z. Johnson, Oklahoma State University Extension Beef Cattle Breeding Specialist. June 17, 2024 Edition of the Cow-Calf Corner Newsletter.
Tug-of-War in the Cattle Industry: Balancing Cow Size, Carcass Weights, and Total System Efficiency.Paul Beck, Oklahoma State University Extension Beef Cattle Nutrition Specialist. April 13, 2026 Edition of the Cow-Calf Corner Newsletter.
Extended Days on Feed Increasing Carcass Weight, Carcass Quality, and Fat. Paul Beck, Oklahoma State University Extension Beef Cattle Nutrition Specialist. May 18, 2026 Edition of the Cow-Calf Corner Newsletter.
Bull Selection, Growth, Feed Efficiency, and Carcass Outcomes. Paul Beck, Oklahoma State University Extension Beef Cattle Nutrition Specialist. May 25, 2026 Edition of the Cow-Calf Corner Newsletter.
2026 Beef Improvement Federation Meetings – Take Home Points. Mark Z. Johnson, Oklahoma State University Extension Beef Cattle Breeding Specialist. June 22, 2026 Edition of the Cow-Calf Corner Newsletter.
