1. Poultry Carcass Grading Study Guide

2. The Grades:
A -- Great
B – Okay
C – Poor
NG (non gradable)- inedible

3. NG Non Gradable Chunks of the meat removed! Half of the back Missing.
Missing any of the main parts (thigh etc.)

4. Grade C Back missing over half way to hip jopints.
Two disjointed bones with one broken bone.
More than 1/3 of flesh showing on any 1 part.
Protruding Broken Bones.
Total wing missing.
Tear in flesh.

5. Causes of Grade B Missing wingette/ wingettes.
1. The back removed, up to the halfway point between hip joints and tail base.
Two disjoints and no broken bones, or one of each.
One non-protruding broken bone.
Flesh visable, but less than 1/3 of part.

6. Grade A Lil bit of flesh exposed. Wing tips may be missing.
Tail may be missing.
One disjointed bone.

7. Baby got back? Grade B Grade A Grade C Tail may be present.
Back removed less than half way to the hip joints.
Back removed more than half way to hip joints.
Tail may be removed.
Grade B
Grade A
Grade C

8. Wings Missing? Grade A Grade B Grade C
Wing tips may be missing. (okay)
Entire wings removed.
Wingette portion or portions removed.
Grade A
Grade B
Grade C

9. Breaks and disjoints? Grade C Grade A Grade B Wing Dislocation
One or more protruding bone breaks.
More than 1 nonprotruding.
More than two dislocations .
More than two total nonprotruding and dislocations.
Non protruding broken bone.
Leg Dislocation
Two Dislocations.
One dislocation.
Grade C
Grade A
Grade B

10. Flesh exposed? Grade B Grade A Grade C
More than 1/3 of any given part!
A Tear in the meat!
Smal areas okay.
< 1/3 of any part
<¼ inch on breast
< 1 ½ inches on other
parts.
Grade B
Grade A
Grade C
Part- Thigh, drumstick, whole breast, back

11. Whats nongradable?
Missing chunks of meat or big parts of the bird!

12. Grade: C
Why:
More than 1/3 of the breast’s flesh exposed

13. Grade: C
Why:
Whole Wing Is removed

14. Grade: B
Hip Joints
Base of Tail
Back is cut half way or less between hip joints and the base of the tail
Why:

15. Grade: B
Why:
Wingette Portion of wing missing.

16. Grade: A
Why:
No Defects

17. Grade: C
Why:
Over 1/3 of drumstick flesh is exposed

18. Grade: C
Why:
Back removed over halfway to the hip joints.

19. Grade: C
Why:
Protruding Broken Bone

20. Grade: NG
Why:
Chunk of breast meat missing

21. Grade: A
Why:
1 dislocation is Okay

22. Grade: A
Why:
No Defects

23. Grade: C Why: Over 1/3 removed!
What if the carcass is completely skinless?
Why:
Over 1/3 removed!

24. Grade: B
Why:
Wingette portions missing

25. Grade: NG
Why:
Chunk of breast meat missing

26. Grade: B
Why:
Flesh exposed, over ½ inch on breast.

27. Grade: A
Why:
1 dislocation okay, wing tip missing okay

28. Grade: A
Why:
No Defects

29. Grade: NG
Why:
Huge chunk of breast meat missing!

30. Grade: C
Why:
Whole Wing Missing

31. Grade: B
Why:
Over ½ inch flesh exposed, but less than 1/3 of part.

32. Grade: C
Why:
Back cut out over half way to the hip joints.

33. Grade: B
Why:
1 non protruding broken bone.

34. Grade: A
Why:
One dislocation – okay.
Missing wing tip okay.

35. Grade: B
Why:
One Non-protruding Broken Bone

36. Grade: B
Why:
Plenty of exposed flesh on the thigh, but not more than 1/3 of part.

37. Grade: C
Why:
Protruding Broken Bone.
Over 1/3 of back exposed.

38. Grade: A
Why:
No Defect

39. Grade: A
Why:
Only one dislocation.

40. Grade: B
Why:
Wingette portion missing.

41. Grade: B Why: More than 1 ½ inch on thigh!
More than 1/4 inch on breast!

42. Grade: C
Why:
Over 1/3 of flesh on back is exposed.

43. Grade: B Why: Wingette Portion is missing.
Broken bone, non-protruding.

44. Grade: B
Why:
More than 1/4 inch flesh exposed on Breast, but not more than 1/3 of part.

45. Grade: B
Why:
More than ¼ inch flesh exposed on Whole Breast, but not more than 1/3 of part.

46. Grade: A
Why:
No Defect

47. Grade: B
Why:
One Broken Bone.
Missing wingette portion.

48. Grade: B Why: Missing Wingette Portion.
More than ¼ inch flesh exposed on Breast, but not more than 1/3 of part.
One broken bone.

49. Grade: B
Why:
More than ¼ inch!

50. Grade: NG
Chunk of meat missing in thigh

51. Grade:
No Defects A

52. Grade:
Drumstick missing. NG

53. Grade:
Less than 1 ½ inch exposed. A

54. Grade: C 1. More than 1/3 of back and thigh flesh exposed.
2. Whole wing missing.
3. Protruding broken bone. C

55. Grade:
Wingette portions missing. B

56. Grade:
No defects. A

57. Grade:
More than 1/3 flesh exposed on the thigh. C

58. Grade:
1. More than ¼ inch flesh exposed on Breast, but not more than 1/3 of part.
2. Wingette portion missing. B

59. Grade:
No Defects. A

60. Grade: C 1. Protruding broken bone. 2. Whole wings missing.
3. More than 1/3 flesh exposed on thigh. C

61. Grade:
Back remove, but not more than ½ way to the hip joints. B

62. Grade:
Whole wing removed. C

63. Grade: B 1. Wingette portion missing.
2. Flesh exposed more than 1 ½ inch on back and thigh, but not more than 1/3 of the part. B

64. Grade:
One dislocation okay. A

65. Grade:
No Defects. A

66. Grade: C 1. Whole wing missing.
2. Flesh exposed more than 1/3 any one part.
3. Back removed more than half the way to the hip joints.
Grade: C

67. Grade: C 1. More than 1/3 flesh exposed on back, drumstick, and thigh.
2. Back removed more than half way to the hip joints.
3. Whole wing missing. C

68. Grade:
Flesh exposed on breast (1/4 inch) and drumstick (1 ½ inch), but not more than 1/3. B

69. Grade:
Whole wings missing. C

70. Grade:
< 1 ½ inches – okay
1 dislocation okay A

71. Grade:
No Defects. A

72. Grade:
1. Wingette Portion removed. B

73. Grade:
Two dislocations. B

74. Grade:
1. More than 1/3 flesh exposed on thigh. C

75. Grade:
No Defects. A

76. Grade:
One dislocation okay. A

77. Grade:
More than 1/3 flesh exposed on the thigh. B

78. Grade:
WIngette portion missing. B

79. Grade:
Less than 1 ½ inches A