1. Feeder Cattle Grading January 2001 Warren Beeler, Kentucky Department of Agriculture Certified USDA Livestock Grader Edited for Georgia by Frank B. Flanders Georgia Agriculture Education Curriculum Office March 2002

2. Feeder Cattle Grading The information in this presentation is correct to the best of our knowledge as of the time this presentation was created. The Kentucky Department of Agriculture does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, or disability in employment or the provision of services necessary to afford individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate in all programs and activities.

3. The purpose of this presentation is to: P Introduce the concept of feeder calf grading to individuals and/or groups that have limited or no previous experience with USDA grading of feeder cattle. P Examine the requirements and benefits of feeder cattle through graded, co-mingled sales. Feeder Cattle Grading

4. Why Preconditioned and Graded? P Offers large groups of like kind P Helps small producers P Helps large producer with more than one grade of cattle P Improved health and feedlot success P Improved customer satisfaction Feeder Cattle Grading

5. Successful KY Graded Sales P CPH Sales -Hopkinsville, Guthrie, and Bowling Green P Paris Central KY Feeders P Owensboro Area (2,200 head) P Breckinridge County Sale Feeder Cattle Grading The Advantage Hopkinsville CPH Sale, December 4, 2000 (787 head) $ 700-790 pound steers returned an average of $8.34/cwt. over the average market reported for the Green River Area that week. -

6. GROWTH CURVES Frame Age of animal Weight of animal Muscle Fat 900 lbs 1,400 lbs

7. Steers Frame Size/Finish Weight Feeder Cattle Grading What Makes the Grade on Frame? # Large / over 1,250 # Medium / 1,100-1,250 # Small / under 1,100 (At 0.4" Backfat) Heifers Frame Size/Finish Weight # Large / over 1,150 # Medium / 1,000-1,150 # Small / under 1,100 (At 0.4" Backfat)

8. Feeder Cattle Grading What Makes the Grade on Muscle? #1 = Thick or Heavy Muscling #2 = Average Muscling #3 = Thin or Light Muscling #4 = Malnourished Dairy Animal

9. What Does Not Make the Grade? P Poor Eyes P Stags P Odd Color With No Match P Double Muscled P Injuries P Horns P Sick or Unthrifty Feeder Cattle Grading

10. Possible Feeder Cattle Grades P Large Frame 1, 2, 3, or 4 P Medium Frame 1, 2, 3, or 4 P Small Frame 1, 2, 3, or 4 P Outs P Shorts P Fats Feeder Cattle Grading

11. Common Breeds Used for Sorting/Grouping P Blacks - Angus X, Black Baldy P Charolais - White, Chocolate Crossbred - Red = s, Red Baldy, Simmental X, Big Blacks P Earred - Brahman X P Hereford P Striped - Striped Simmental, Skunk Tail Feeder Cattle Grading

12. GRADING TEST:LARGE, HORNS = OUT 350

13. MEDIUM, BLACKS 270

14. SMALL, BLACKS 290

15. MEDIUM, HEREFORD 270

16. MEDIUM, EARRED 370

17. LARGE, CHAROLAIS 100

18. MEDIUM, BLACK, STAGY? 130

19. LARGE, NO MATCH 330

20. SMALL, FAT, CHAROLAIS 270

21. LARGE, EXCELLENT CONDITION, BLACKS 170

22. SMALL, BLACKS 380

23. LARGE, CROSSBRED, SICK = OUT 370

24. MEDIUM, CROSSBRED, SICK? 220

25. LARGE, CROSSBRED OR BLACK 160

26. LARGE, EARRED 360

27. MEDIUM, CROSSBRED 280

28. MEDIUM, BLACKS 110

29. MEDIUM, CROSSBRED 490

30. MEDIUM, BLACK, OLD 360

31. SMALL, NO MATCH 340

32. STAG, OLD, SMALL #2 = OUT

33. Medium # 1 35% Large &50% Large & Medium # 2Medium # 3 10% Large &5% Small #1 or #2 Typical Distribution of Feeder Cattle in KY Graded Sales Feeder Cattle Grading

34. MIXED GROUP

35. LOAD LOTS

36. Feeder Cattle Grading UNIFORM FINISHED PRODUCT

37. THE REAL BUSINESS!

38. Feeder Cattle Grading Warren Beeler Kentucky Department of Agriculture 100 Fair Oaks Lane, Suite 252 Frankfort, Kentucky 40601 502-564-5665 Ext. 223 502-843-9191