Similar bill expected to get bi-partisan introduction in Senate soon. Senator Coverdell will be one of the main sponsors in the Senate. Animal Weights Continue to Impact Meat Tonnage . Low priced feeds combined with expectations of higher livestock prices, and longer-term factors like genetics and technology have pushed animal slaughter weights to higher and higher levels. Cattle, hogs, and chickens all reported some of the highest average dressed slaughter weights on record in recent months.
Higher weights translates into more meat or poultry produced per animal processed.
So, prices are not as responsive to reduced head counts as just a few years ago. Weekly average cattle dressed weights have been above year earlier levels since the week ending June 21, 1997. But steer and heifer average dressed weights also were above year earlier levels consistently from July 1997 through April 1999. Recently, however, average steer dressed weights fell to within 1 pound of a year earlier and average heifer dressed weights were 8 pounds below a year earlier. Moderating steer and heifer weights compared to a year ago reflect improved fed cattle marketing rates.