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

Very Abundant Slight

Marbling (Beef)

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 CutsFrom 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

2. Percentage of Kidney, Pelvic and Heart Fat (KPH)- A subjective estimate of fat

3. Rib Eye Area

4. Hot Carcass Weight

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 Less than 1.00 inch. U.S. No. 2 1.00 to 1.24 inches. U.S. No. 3 1.25 to 1.49 inches. U.S. No. 4 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.