Heavy Cattle, Hard Limit: The Cost of Overshooting 1,100

There is a point on every steer where the next pound costs more than it earns. Feeders know it in theory and ignore it in practice, because heavy cattle look like money. Then the carcass sheets come back and a good share of the pen is over the weight limit for the brand. Here is how that cap works, why it keeps climbing, and how to keep your cattle under it.

The cap

Certified Angus Beef sets the limit at 1,100 pounds hot carcass weight, which is the carcass weight right after harvest and before chilling. The Oklahoma Farm Report carried the brand's announcement that the maximum moved to 1,100 effective October 31, 2022. The brand said carcass weights had been climbing about 5 pounds a year and that the change would bring in 3 to 4 percent more carcasses. Drovers reported it as a 50-pound increase, so the old cap was 1,050.

Why the cattle keep getting bigger

• Genetics. Years of selection for growth and frame.
• Feeding. Better rations and longer days on feed.
• Money. The Angus Beef Bulletin says heavier carcasses help packers spread their fixed costs. When fed cattle bring a lot per hundredweight, feeders want every pound they can get.

That Bulletin article reports steer carcass weights rising by at least 5 pounds a year, with CattleFax forecasting average steer carcass weights near 950 pounds. A former packer executive in the piece recalls an average of about 750 pounds in 1999. If the average is near 950, plenty of cattle sit close to the 1,100 line.

What the misses look like

The Angus Journal's Behind the Brand column reports that of the carcasses that missed the brand, 14.5 percent were over 1,100 pounds. Marbling was the big one at 81.8 percent. Carcass can miss on two counts, so those add to more than 100. The brand-qualifying carcasses averaged 923 pounds and the misses averaged 949. So the cattle that make it are well under the cap, and the ones that fail run heavier.

What overshooting costs

1. The brand premium. Go over and it is gone, along with whatever your grid pays for it.
2. Packer discounts. Many plants discount heavy carcasses on their own terms. Read your contract for the number.
3. Feed. The last 50 pounds on a steer is the most expensive 50 he puts on.
4. Health. The Bulletin mentions lameness, heat stress and heart problems in heavier finished cattle. Those hit your death loss and your trucking.

How to stay under

• Sort by finish. Pull the heavy ones first. They do not all finish together.
• Know your grid before you ship. The cap, the discounts and the ribeye and fat limits.
• Track the cost of gain. Our rate of gain guide shows how to keep a running tally, and farm.fm's page on marketing your Angus beef covers selling.
• Quit chasing frame in the bulls. If your pens keep pressing the limit, look at mature size. Farm.fm's page on understanding bulls covers what you are buying.

Cow-calf man's view

If you sell calves at weaning, you may never see a carcass. The buyer does. Big-framed calves can bring a premium at the scale and then a discount at the rail. If you retain ownership or can get feedback from the feedyard, use it. A moderate cow that raises a calf on your grass and breeds back is worth more than a big one that needs extra feed. Our cost per cow guide shows where the money goes.

A simple way to see your own risk

Line up your last few sets of carcass sheets and mark every carcass over 1,000 pounds. That is the group sitting within a hundred pounds of the cap. If that group is a big share of your pens, a heavy year, a warm fall or an extra few weeks on feed could push a lot of them over. If it is a small share, you have room and your attention belongs elsewhere. Do the same for the heifers and steers separately, since they do not finish at the same weight. A few minutes with a calculator will tell you whether the cap is a real problem for your cattle or just something the neighbors talk about, and that is worth knowing before you set next year's marketing plan.

Do not breed to the line

The cap has moved before, and it can move again. A herd built to sit right at the edge is in trouble when rules change or a steer runs heavy. Aim well under it. Check the current limit at certifiedangusbeef.com, an independent brand and not part of this site. The USDA beef grading page and the Beef Research site have more background. For packers, haulers and other help, try the agriculture directory.

The scale is a good servant and a poor master. Feed to a target, sell on time and let the other fellow chase 1,200.