Liveweight to processed ratios - Ask Extension
Can you give an estimate for live weight chicken to whole processed carcass (no giblets) ratio? Also, live weight chicken to quartered or whole-cut-up...
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Liveweight to processed ratios #190648
Asked June 12, 2014, 1:16 PM EDT
Can you give an estimate for live weight chicken to whole processed carcass (no giblets) ratio? Also, live weight chicken to quartered or whole-cut-up ratios? Just trying to calculate how much I need to adjust my selling price to account for loss of mass when my chickens are further cut up. Thanks!
Windham County Vermont
Expert Response
The term you are looking for is Dressing Percentage or % Carcass Yield. For Broilers =70%
Roasters=75%
Cornish Game Hens=65%
The breast meat is the most expensive part of the bird when cut up and should be priced higher for the labor involved.
Commercial broilers yield 23-25% of their live weight as breast meat.
Commercial broilers have 34% of their their wog (whole bird without giblets) weight attributed to the breast meat.
Since further processed poultry can be cut up a number of different ways, the informaiton on the percentage varies. For example, if you wanted leg vs leg quarters, the percentage would differ. Or breast quarter or carcass halves, it would again differ. Therefore I gave you the information on the breast meat since it is the most valuable. If you have heritage breed birds, have broilers grown in a non-commercial setting, or have broilers that have slower growing genetics, then the informaton I gave you would just be a guideline. Good luck with your business.
Roasters=75%
Cornish Game Hens=65%
The breast meat is the most expensive part of the bird when cut up and should be priced higher for the labor involved.
Commercial broilers yield 23-25% of their live weight as breast meat.
Commercial broilers have 34% of their their wog (whole bird without giblets) weight attributed to the breast meat.
Since further processed poultry can be cut up a number of different ways, the informaiton on the percentage varies. For example, if you wanted leg vs leg quarters, the percentage would differ. Or breast quarter or carcass halves, it would again differ. Therefore I gave you the information on the breast meat since it is the most valuable. If you have heritage breed birds, have broilers grown in a non-commercial setting, or have broilers that have slower growing genetics, then the informaton I gave you would just be a guideline. Good luck with your business.
