Lowline Angus cattle are a good choice for retail beef producers due to their smaller carcass size and higher ribeye area per hundredweight compared to full-size Angus. Here are the key advantages:
- Lowlines produce carcasses in the 550-650 lb range, which is an ideal size for selling retail cuts to consumers. Full-size Angus often produce carcasses over 800 lbs, which can be too large for many retail customers.
- Despite their smaller size, Lowlines have an exceptionally large ribeye area relative to their carcass weight. This results in higher yields of premium cuts like ribeyes compared to larger breeds.
- The smaller birth weights of Lowline calves (40-50 lbs) lead to easier calving and lower calf mortality rates, improving production efficiency.
- Lowlines are very feed efficient due to their smaller mature size, requiring less feed inputs to reach finished weights.
So in summary, Lowline's compact size, high cutability, calving ease, and feed efficiency make them well-suited for producing high-quality retail beef while minimizing production costs compared to larger Continental breeds favored by processors.