Freezer Meat Yield Calculator
Estimate hot carcass, chilled carcass, packaged meat, share weight, and freezer space before buying a whole, half, or quarter animal.
Planning estimate only. Butcher practices, animal finish, gut fill, cut sheet, and inspection rules change final yield. Follow state or provincial meat-sale law.
How the yield is calculated
Live weight times dressing percentage gives hot carcass weight. Cooler shrink reduces that to chilled carcass weight. Chilled carcass weight times cutting yield gives packaged meat. Canada dressing defaults are lower because the carcass definition excludes kidney, pelvic, and heart fat.
Sources
Dressing and yield ranges: University of Wisconsin Extension beef, hog, and lamb yield guidance, Iowa State Extension PM2076, and Alberta Agriculture dressing-percentage guidance.