Principles of Livestock/Poultry Evaluation and Showmanship
Competency 19.00 Describe the grading system for various feeder/finish livestock
Objective 19.01 Describe the grading system for various
feeder/finish livestock
Beef Cattle Classes Age classes – Calves • less than one year of age
– Cattle • One year or older
– Veal calves • Less than three months old
Beef Cattle Classes Age classes continued – Slaughter calves • 3 months to one year old
– Feeder calves • 6 months to one year old
Beef Cattle Classes Sex Classes – Steer • Male castrated before sexual maturity
– Heifer • Has not had a calf or matured
– Cow – Bull – Stag • Male castrated after sexual maturity
Beef Cattle Grades Quality Grades – – – – – – – –
Prime Choice Select Standard Commercial Utility Cutter Canner
Beef Cattle Grades Yield Grades – Yield Grade 1 – Yield Grade 2 – Yield Grade 3 – Yield Grade 4 – Yield Grade 5
Beef Cattle Grades Feeder Cattle Grades – Determined by: • Frame size • Muscle thickness • Thriftiness
Slaughter Cattle Grades – Both quality and yield grades
Swine Classes Use Classes – Slaughter • To be killed and sold as meat
– Feeder • To be feed to heavier weights before slaughter
Swine Classes Sex Classes – Barrow • Male castrated before sexual maturity
– Guilt • Young female that has not had pigs
– Sow – Boar – Stag
Swine Grades Slaughter swine – Quality and Yield determine USDA grades • • • • •
U.S. Number 1 U.S. Number 2 U.S. Number 3 U.S. Number 4 U.S. Utility
Feeder pig – Grades determined by slaughter potential and thriftiness
Objective 19.02 Classify grades of feeder/finish livestock
Beef Grades Quality Grade Determined by: – Animal’s age – Muscling – Marbeling
Quality Grade (Beef) 1)Age and Class of Animal Steers and Heifers
Prime, Choice, Good, Standard, Commercial, Utility, Cutter, and Canner
Cows
All except Prime
Bulls and Stags
All except Prime and Choice
Quality Grade (Beef) 2) Muscling – The amount and distribution of the finish – Firmness or fullness covering the animals body
Examples of Quality Grade (Beef)
Quality Grade (Beef) 3) Marbling Intermingling of fat with muscle fibers Observed in the ribeye muscle between the 12th and 13th rib Adequate marbling must be present for tenderness and high quality grades The fat should not be soft and oily
Marbling (Beef)
Very Abundant
Slight
Marbling (Beef)
Slight Marbling
Marbling (Beef)
Small Marbling
Marbling (Beef)
Modest Marbling
Marbling (Beef)
Moderate Marbling
Marbling (Beef)
Slightly Abundant Marbling
Quality Grade (Beef) Maximum age – Standard, Select, Choice, or Prime is 42 months or less – Commercial grade is over 42 months – Utility, Cutter, or Canner have no age limits – No Prime grade for slaughter cows
Yield Grades (Beef) Percentage of the carcass that is boneless,
closely trimmed retail cuts from the round, loin rib, and chuck Numbered 1 to 5 – Yield 1 • Best muscling with least amount of fat
– Yield 5 • Worst grade with the less muscle and more fat waste
Yield Grades (Beef) Relationship of Yield Grades and Cutability Yield Grade- % Boneless, Closely Trimmed Retail Cuts From the Round, Loin, Rib and Chuck
1
52.6 - 54.6
2
50.3 - 52.3
3
48.0 - 50.0
4
45.7 - 47.7
5
43.3 - 45.4
Yield Grades (Beef) The terms "yield" and "yield grade" should not be confused. "Yield" alone means dressing percentage (carcass weight divided by live weight multiplied by 100), and is not directly related to yield grades or cutability.
Yield Grades (Beef) 1.
Adjusted fat thickness- External fat is measured at the 12th rib
Percentage of Kidney, Pelvic and Heart Fat (KPH)- A subjective estimate of fat 3. Rib Eye Area 4. Hot Carcass Weight 2.
Yield Grades (Beef)
USDA yield grades estimate the quantity of edible meat from the major wholesale cuts-round, loin, rib and chuck
Yield Grades (Beef)
Swine Grades Quality Grade – Determined by the percent of carcass weight of the: • • • •
Ham Loin Boston butt Picnic shoulder
Yield – Determined by backfat and degree of muscling
Objective 19.03 Classify grades of feeder/finish livestock
using a given criteria
Feeder Steer and Heifer Grades USDA Number 1, 2 and 3 Each USDA Grade has: – Large Frame – Medium Frame – Small Frame
Slaughter Steer and Heifer Grades USDA Quality grades from Prime down to
Canner – About 80% of grain fed grade choice.
USDA Yield grades from Yield Grade 1
down to Yield Grade 5
Feeder Swine Five U.S Grades (1,2,3,4, and Utility) – U. S. No. 1 • Has thick muscling, large frame, and is trim.
– Utility Grade • Diseased or unthrifty • Has a head that appears too big for the body and has wrinkled skin.
Potential for feeding out to slaughter weight
and grade affects feeder pig grades
Slaughter Barrows and Guilts USDA grades from U.S. No. 1 down to U.S.
No. 4 Muscling – thick – average – thin
Slaughter Barrows and Guilts U.S. No. 1 U.S. No. 2 U.S. No. 3 U.S. No. 4
Less than 1.00 inch. 1.00 to 1.24 inches. 1.25 to 1.49 inches. 1.50 inches and over
U.S. No. 1 must be no less than average
muscling.
Slaughter Barrows and Guilts Backfat – Maximum backfat for U.S. No. 1 is 1.0 inch or 1.25 inch if muscling is thick. – Maximum backfat for U.S. No. 3 is 1.49 or 1.75 if thick muscling – Thick muscling compensates for or effectively subtracts 0.25 inch of backfat, and thin muscling adds 0.25 inch of backfat to the formula.