{
  "slug": "beef-cutout-value",
  "title": "Beef Cutout Value Calculator",
  "heading": "Beef Carcass Cutout Value Calculator",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/beef-cutout-value",
  "summary": "Estimated wholesale value of a beef carcass from primal cut yields and prices.",
  "description": "Cutout value is what a packer or processor uses to figure out what a carcass is really worth before setting the price they'll pay on a live or dressed basis, and it's built by multiplying the yield percentage of each primal (chuck, rib, loin, round, etc.) by that primal's wholesale price and summing across the whole carcass. This calculator simplifies that into major primal groups so a producer selling direct or a small processor can sanity-check whether a quoted carcass price leaves reasonable processing margin, or estimate what a custom beef order is actually worth in cut-out terms before hanging weight is even finalized.",
  "formula": "Cutout value = Σ(primal yield % × carcass weight × primal wholesale price/lb).",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=beef-cutout-value",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "hangingWeight",
      "label": "Hot carcass weight",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 800,
      "unit": "lb",
      "min": 200,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "chuckPct",
      "label": "Chuck yield",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 26,
      "unit": "%",
      "min": 10,
      "max": 35
    },
    {
      "id": "chuckPrice",
      "label": "Chuck price",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 3.2,
      "unit": "$/lb",
      "min": 0.5,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "ribLoinPct",
      "label": "Rib + loin yield",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 19,
      "unit": "%",
      "min": 5,
      "max": 30
    },
    {
      "id": "ribLoinPrice",
      "label": "Rib + loin price",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 9.5,
      "unit": "$/lb",
      "min": 1,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "roundPct",
      "label": "Round yield",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 22,
      "unit": "%",
      "min": 10,
      "max": 35
    },
    {
      "id": "roundPrice",
      "label": "Round price",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 3.6,
      "unit": "$/lb",
      "min": 0.5,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "otherPct",
      "label": "Trim/other yield",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 20,
      "unit": "%",
      "min": 5,
      "max": 40
    },
    {
      "id": "otherPrice",
      "label": "Trim/other price",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 2.8,
      "unit": "$/lb",
      "min": 0.5,
      "max": null
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "totalCutout",
      "label": "Total cutout value",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "cutoutPerLb",
      "label": "Cutout value per lb carcass",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "ribLoinVal",
      "label": "Rib + loin value",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "chuckVal",
      "label": "Chuck value",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Hot carcass weight: 800 lb",
      "Chuck yield: 26 %",
      "Chuck price: 3.2 $/lb",
      "Rib + loin yield: 19 %",
      "Rib + loin price: 9.5 $/lb",
      "Round yield: 22 %",
      "Round price: 3.6 $/lb",
      "Trim/other yield: 20 %",
      "Trim/other price: 2.8 $/lb"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Total cutout value: $3,191",
      "Cutout value per lb carcass: $3.99",
      "Rib + loin value: $1,444",
      "Chuck value: $666"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter hot carcass weight (lb).",
      "Enter chuck yield (%).",
      "Enter chuck price ($/lb).",
      "Enter rib + loin yield (%).",
      "Enter rib + loin price ($/lb).",
      "Enter round yield (%).",
      "Enter round price ($/lb).",
      "Enter trim/other yield (%).",
      "Enter trim/other price ($/lb).",
      "Read your total cutout value on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "hangingWeight": 480,
        "chuckPct": 16,
        "chuckPrice": 1.92,
        "ribLoinPct": 11,
        "ribLoinPrice": 5.7,
        "roundPct": 13,
        "roundPrice": 2.16,
        "otherPct": 12,
        "otherPrice": 1.68
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "hangingWeight": 800,
        "chuckPct": 26,
        "chuckPrice": 3.2,
        "ribLoinPct": 19,
        "ribLoinPrice": 9.5,
        "roundPct": 22,
        "roundPrice": 3.6,
        "otherPct": 20,
        "otherPrice": 2.8
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "hangingWeight": 1280,
        "chuckPct": 35,
        "chuckPrice": 5.120000000000001,
        "ribLoinPct": 30,
        "ribLoinPrice": 15.200000000000001,
        "roundPct": 35,
        "roundPrice": 5.760000000000001,
        "otherPct": 32,
        "otherPrice": 4.4799999999999995
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "Why does rib and loin drive so much of the value despite being a smaller share of weight?",
      "a": "Rib and loin cuts (ribeye, strip, tenderloin) sell for 2-3x the price per pound of chuck or round cuts, so even at roughly 19-20% of carcass weight they often contribute 35-45% of total cutout value. This is why premium middle-meat demand moves cattle prices more than total tonnage alone."
    },
    {
      "q": "How does this relate to what I get paid for a live animal?",
      "a": "Packers work backward from cutout value, subtract processing cost and margin, add byproduct value (hide, offal), and that nets back to the price they can pay on a live or carcass weight basis. This calculator shows roughly where that ceiling comes from."
    },
    {
      "q": "Do yield percentages vary much by cattle type?",
      "a": "Yes, primal yields shift with frame size, finish, and muscling — a well-muscled, properly finished carcass yields more rib/loin and round relative to chuck and trim compared to a lighter-muscled or over-fat carcass, which is part of why USDA yield grade exists as a separate measure from quality grade."
    },
    {
      "q": "Is this useful for pricing a custom/freezer beef sale?",
      "a": "It's a reasonable sanity check on what the whole animal is worth in cut form, but direct freezer beef sales are usually priced per hanging pound flat rather than by individual primal, so use this mainly to confirm your flat rate reasonably reflects the mix of cuts a customer receives."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/cattle-breakeven-price",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/feedlot-cost-of-gain",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/calf-weaning-weight-value"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Beef Cutout Value Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/beef-cutout-value)"
}