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F30 Beef Cattle Evaluation
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Lesson Outline Slaughter Cattle Evaluation
Evaluating Degree of Muscling
Evaluating Degree of Finish
Evaluating Top Line
Evaluating From the side
Soundness and Structural Correctness
Frame Size
Quality Grades
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 3
Slaughter Cattle Evaluation
Livestock evaluation starts with a visual observation from three views
Front Side Rear
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 4
Slaughter Cattle Evaluation
In each of these views you are going to look for specific traits. Market animals are evaluated on four main traits listed in order of
importance:1. Muscle2. Finish3. Structural Correctness4. Balance & Growth Capacity
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 5
Slaughter Cattle EvaluationTerms for Understanding
Muscle - red meat for human consumption Finish (quality) – amount of fat covering the carcass of a market
animal *ANIMALS ALL FINISH FROM FRONT TO BACK**ANIMALS ALL FINISH FROM FRONT TO BACK* Structural Correctness – Applies to the structural correctness of an
animal and its ability to carry muscle Balance & Growth Capacity - Having the correct portions of
width, depth, and length
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 6
Where to Start
We have established the degree of muscle as the most important trait on a market animal. The greatest amount of muscle on the animal will be in the hind quarters.
The hind quarter view is one of the most important views when judging market animals.
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 7
Slaughter Cattle EvaluationRear View - Muscle
1. Width through the center portion of the rear (stifle)
2. Width between rear feet when steer stands, and (or) walks
3. Length of muscle-especially in the lower quarter
4. Width of top (butterfly shape desired)
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 8
Thin Muscle
Very narrow width
Average Muscle
Averagewidth
Thick Muscle
Goodwidth
Super Thick
Very goodwidth
Evaluating Degree of Muscling
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 9
Slaughter Cattle EvaluationRear View - Finish
Overall Appearance Squareness: A blocky shape means there is too much fat. An angled appearance means the animal is not finished. A smooth, round shape is correct.
Specific areas of fat deposits from the rear view: Tail head Udder or Cod
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 10
Cod fat
Near ideal Too Fat
Tailhead fat
Evaluating Degree of Finish
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 11
Slaughter Cattle EvaluationRear View - Correctness
Does the animal stand on it’s feet correctly with the toes pointed forward, or does it severely toe in or toe out?
Pay close attention to the distance between the hocks. It should be about the same as the distance between the pasterns.
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 12
Slaughter Cattle Evaluation - Side View
1. Evaluate the top line for muscle and finish
2. Evaluate structural correctness
3. Evaluate the degree of balance
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 13
Poor
Weak topShort, steep
rump
GoodLong, straight top line
Long, level rump
Evaluating Top Line
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 14
Remember the Rule
Overall Appearance Squareness: A blocky shape means there is too much fat. An angled appearance means the animal is not finished. A smooth, round shape is correct.
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 15
950 lbs0.8 inches backfatChoice 504.0 yield grade
Smooth over top
Loose underlineFull brisket
Fat tailhead
Udder fat
Evaluating From the Side
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 16
$ 1,250 lbs$ 0.2 inches backfat$ 1.6 yield grade$ Standard quality grade
Clean over ribs
Emptybrisket
Indentationbehind
shoulder
Tight, clean underline
Shallow rear flankEmpty cod
Trim tailhead
Evaluating From the Side
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 17
Slaughter Cattle EvaluationSide View - Finish
Amount of fat covering the last two ribs Excess fat through the flank
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 18
Slaughter Cattle EvaluationSide View - Correctness
Straightness of the lines; back, hips, & underline It is undesirable for the legs to be too far under the steer or to be too “post” legged
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 19
Sound and structurally
correct
Big, square feet
Strong pastern Strong pastern
Good setto hock Good set
to knee
Evaluating Soundness andStructural Correctness
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 20
Evaluating Balance
Balance refers to market steers having the correct portions of width, depth, and length.
Width, depth, and length should be in equal proportions that blend together.
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 21
NO BALANCE
Heavy fronted
Too short
Too light in hind-quarters
Too shallow in rear flank
Evaluating Balance
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 22
Divide the animal into thirds. Front 1/3, middle 1/3 and rear 1/3. Are they all the same length?All the parts (width, depth, and length) fit together nicely.
Evaluating Balance
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 23
Good growth capacity
Widechested
Wide walking
Uniform body depth
Open rib shape
Long bodied
Evaluating Growth Capacity
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 24
Evaluating Frame Size
The optimum steer for today’s market should be medium framed and finish at about 1,200 lbs
Large framed steers will get too big before developing adequate finish
Small framed steers will be early maturing and get too fat before they reach optimum weight.
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 25
1,400 lb large framed steer with no finish
Evaluating Frame Size
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 26
900 lb small framed steer with too much fat
Evaluating Frame Size
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 27
1,250 lb medium framed steer with proper finish
0.4 backfat $ 13.5 in2 ribeye $ Low choice quality grade $ 2.8 Yield grade
Evaluating Frame Size
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 28
Width in the chest floor Substance of bone Muscle in forearm
Slaughter Cattle EvaluationFront View - Muscle
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 29
Fullness in the brisket Excess fat through the neck
Slaughter Cattle EvaluationFront View - Finish
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 30
Nice brisket
Full brisket (near ideal)
Too trim
Empty brisket (lacks finish)
Evaluating Finish From the Front
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 31
Slaughter Cattle EvaluationFront View - Correctness
Width in the chest floor Standing straight and solid on front legs Do the feet toe out or toe in?
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 32
Slaughter Cattle Evaluation
Lets judge a class of 4 steers. Place them in order from best to worst; For example, 2-1-3-4 or 4-1-2-3.
Eliminate any easy placings in the class.
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 33
Slaughter Cattle Evaluation
It’s probably best to place them from all views, considering all traits, then put a final placing on the animals.
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 34
Slaughter Cattle EvaluationAngus Steers – Front View
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 35
Slaughter Cattle EvaluationAngus Steers – Side View
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 36
Slaughter Cattle EvaluationAngus Steers – Side View
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 37
Slaughter Cattle EvaluationAngus Steers – Side View
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 38
Slaughter Cattle EvaluationAngus Steers – Side View
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 39
Slaughter Cattle EvaluationAngus Steers – Composite Side View
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 40
Slaughter Cattle EvaluationAngus Steers – Rear View
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 41
3-1-4-2
Slaughter Cattle EvaluationAngus Steers – Teachers Placings
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 43
Muscle: 2-4-3-1 Finish: 2-1-4-3 Capacity: 2-4-3-1 Structure: 4-3-2-1 Balance: 4-2-3-1 Frame: 2-4-1-3 Official Placing: 2 - 4 - 3 - 1 Cuts: 3 - 5 - 6
Market Steer Class IIPlacings By Traits
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 45
Muscle: 2-4-1-3 Finish: 1-4-2-3 Capacity: 4-1-2-3 Structure: 4-1-2-3 Balance: 2-4-1-3 Official Placing: 4 - 1 - 2 - 3 Cuts: 4 - 3 - 6
Market Steer Class IIIPlacings By Traits
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 46
Prime Choice Select Standard
These grades are in order from highest quality to lowest quality
Slaughter Cattle EvaluationQuality Grades of Slaughter Cattle
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 47
Prime:
Choice:
Slaughter Cattle EvaluationQuality Grades of Slaughter Cattle
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 48
Select:
Standard:
Slaughter Cattle Quality Grades
Infovets Educational Resources – www.infovets.com – Slide 49
The more marbling in the red meat, the higher the quality grade The amount of marbling is in direct relationship to the amount of
fat covering the steer. Generally the fatter the animal the more marbling it has.
Prime Choice Select Standard
Slaughter Cattle Quality Grades