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

2. 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

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

4. Beef Cattle Grades

5. 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

6. 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

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

8. 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

9. Swine

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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 inch of backfat to the formula.
Backfat- maximum backfat for U.S. No. 3 is 1.49 or 1.75 if thick muscling