Livestock & Poultry Evaluation & Showmanship Obj: Describe the grading system for various feeder/finish livestock.

Beef Cattle Classes Age Classes Sex Classes Calves: <1 year old Cattle: 1 year + Veal Calves: <3 months old Feeder Calves: 6 months-1 year old Sex Classes Steer Heifer Cow Bull Stag

Beef Cattle Grades Quality Grades Yield Grades Prime Choice Select Standard Commercial Utility Cutter Canner Yield Grades Yield Grade 1-5

Beef Cattle Grades

Beef Cattle Grades Quality grades for slaughter cattle are determined by the animal’s age, muscling, and the amount of marbling or fat distribution on lean meat Max. age of Standard, Select, Choice or Prime grades is 42 months Commercial grade is over 42 months Utility, Cutter or Canner grades have no age limit There is no Prime grade for slaughter cows Adequate marbling must be present for tenderness in the higher quality grades Prime grades have maximum marbling

Beef Cattle Grades Yeild grades are affected by muscling and amount of fat Yeild 1- Best muscling with least fat waste Yield 2,3,4 Yield 5- Worst grade, less muscle and more fat waste

Grading Feeder cattle grades are determined by frame size, muscle thickness and thriftiness Slaughter cattle have both quality and yield grades

BEEF! It’s what’s for dinner! Help educate consumers about grades of beef Create an advertisement about Beef Quality Grades Define each quality grade Provide pictures and helpful facts for consumers

Swine

Swine Classes Use Classes Sex Classes Slaughter: to be killed and sold as meat Feeder: to be fed to heavier weights before slaughter Sex Classes Barrow Gilt Sow Boar Stag

Swine Grades Quality & Yield determine USDA grades for slaughter swine U.S. No. 1 U.S. No. 2 U.S. No. 3 U.S. No. 4 U.S. Utility Logical slaughter potential and thriftiness are the basis for feeder pig grades

Swine Grades Grade is determine by the percent of carcass weight made up of ham, loin, Boston butt and picnic shoulder Backfat and degree of muscling are used to evaluate live hogs for yield

Slaughter Barrows & Gilts Swine Grades Feeder Swine Slaughter Barrows & Gilts USDA Grades from U.S. No. 1-U.S. Utility, which is diseased or unthrifty, has a head that appears too big for the body and has wrinkled skin. U.S. No. 1 has thick muscling, large frame, and is trim Potential for feeding out to slaughter weight and grade affects feeder pig grades USDA grades from U.S. No. 1 down to U.S. No. 4 Muscling from thick, average, and thin is last. U.S. No. 1 must be no less than average muscling. Thick muscling compensates for or effectively subtract 0.25 inch of backfat, and thin muscling adds 0.25 inch of backfat to the formula. Backfat- maximum backfat for U.S. No. 3 is 1.49 or 1.75 if thick muscling