Q: When are your cows mature?
A: Scottish Highlands are slow growing breed and reach maturity at 2 years old.
Q: What is hanging weight for beef?
A: Once the animal is slaughtered however, the skin, head, non usable organs, and hooves are removed and the carcass is split down the middle and weighed, giving the butcher the “hanging” or “carcass weight”, which is usually around 60% of the live weight.
Q: What is Hot weight?
A: Hot weight is the weight of the animal immediately after slaughter.
Q: What do the different terms mean for type of cattle?
A: An intact (i,e., not castrated) adult male is called a bull.
-An adult female that has had a calf is called a cow.
-A young female before she has had a calf is called a heifer.
-Young cattle of both sexes are called calves until they are weaned. After that, they are referred to as yearlings between one and two years of age.
-A castrated male is called a steer.