LIVE AND DRESSED WEIGHTS 253. 



The National Provisioner in an interesting article, says:— 

 ' ' The census of the United States has provided average live and 

 dressed weights of meat animals killed in the wholesale slaughter- 

 ing and meat packing industry, and these averages, of course, 

 are derived from an immense number of animals. Information 

 is provided for 1899, 1904, and 1909. 



"The average live weight of beeves, not including calves, was 

 1069 lbs. in 1899, 1047 lbs. in 1904, and 1019 lbs. in 1909. This 

 declining average may be due to the tendency to slaughter steers 

 at younger ages in recent years than formerly. 



''The dressed weight of beeves also declined, the average being 

 583 lbs. for 1899, 569 lbs. for 1904, and 543 lbs. for 1909. 



"With diminishing live weight the percentage represented by 

 the dressed weight has declined, the percentage for 1899 was 

 54.5, for 1904 it was 54.3, and for 1909 it was 53.3 per cent. 



"On the other hand, the live and dressed weights of calves 

 have increased. For the three years in order the average live 

 weight was 141, 167, and 168 lbs., and the average dressed 

 w^eight was 90, 103 and 105 lbs. But the dressed weight as a 

 j)ercentage of live weight has declined since 1899. The ratios 

 for the three years are 63.8 61.7, and 62.5 per cent, respectively. 



"Sheep and lambs are combined in the census statement, and 

 their average live weight for the three years was 84, 86, and 

 81 lbs., while their average dressed weight was 43, 43, and 41 

 lbs., constituting a fraction of live weight represented by 51.2, 

 50, and 50.6 per cent, respectively. 



"In the export frozen and chilled beef trade of Argentina 

 the average weights of two forequarters and two hindquarters 

 are regarded as making the dressed weight of a beef animal. 

 Since these are mostly well-grown steers, the averages are high 

 compared with the average dressed weight of all cattle slaugh- 

 tered in the wholesale slaughtering industr3\ The Argentine 

 export dressed weights of beef animals increased from 689 lbs. 

 in 1906 to 767 lbs. in 1913. 



"A slaughter record in Queensland (Australia) provides 

 average dressed weights of beef animals from 1903 to 1912 which 

 ranged from 577 to 662 lbs. Since 1904 the averages have, on 

 the whole, declined. 



