Different animals will yield varying amounts of usable meat. The yield of these different animals all start from the ‘hanging weight’ of the carcass which is headless, hoofless, and skinned. From this total weight, you will usually lose 35% to de-boning, unusable fat, shot areas, and old wounds and injuries (especially game meat), 40% will be trim for burger or sausage, and the rest will be steaks, chops, and roasts. Beef and pork, will yield higher amounts of meat, while game animals, will yield less.
Starting with the live animal, dressed and hung fresh, yield with be just a bit above 60%. This will then, after hanging and aging, usually shrink another 20%, for a final hanging weight of roughly 50%. This chart will give a general breakdown and listing of the various cuts thus derived from the hanging carcass.