# Presentation: 414358

## Slide 1

- USDA/MRP/AMS

## Feeder Cattle Grading

- USDA/MRP/AMS

## Slide 3

- USDA/MRP/AMS

## North American Beef Breeds 70-80 (World Wide >200)

- Amerifax
- Angus
- Ankina
- Barzona
- Beef Friesian
- Beefmaster
- Belgian Blue
- Belted Galloway
- Blonde d’ Aquitaine
- Braford
- Brahman
- Bramousin
- Brangus
- Brown Swiss

- Charbray
- Charolais
- Chianina
- Devon
- Dexter
- Galloway
- Gascon
- Gelbvieh
- Hays Converter
- Hereford
- Illamarra
- Limousin
- Lincoln Red
- Longhorn

- Romagnola
- Salers
- Santa Gertrudis
- Scotch Highlander
- Senepol
- Shorthorn
- Simbrah
- Simmental
- South Devon
- Tarentaise
- Watusi
- Welsh Black
- White Park
- Zebu

- Luing
- Maine-Anjou
- Marchigiana
- Milking Shorthorn
- Murray Grey
- Normande
- Norwegian Red
- Parthenais
- Piedmontese
- Pinzgauer
- Polled Hereford
- Red Angus
- Red Brangus
- Red Poll

- USDA/MRP/AMS

## Feeder Cattle Standards are –

- Common trade language between buyers and sellers

- USDA/MRP/AMS

## Feeder Cattle Standards are – 

- A tool for penning cattle @ officially graded sales (commingled ownership)
- Used to certify feeder cattle grades for futures contracts

- USDA/MRP/AMS

## Feeder Cattle Standards are –

**Basis for federal-state livestock market news reporting**

- USDA/MRP/AMS

## U.S. Standards for Feeder Cattle

** **_**OCTOBER 1, 2000**_
-  Previous Standards September, 1979 & 1964
-  www.ams.usda.gov/lsg/stand/st-pub (Select Official US Standards for Grades)

- USDA/MRP/AMS

## Feeder CattleValue Determining Factors

- Background
- Color
- Fill
- Horns
- Personal Preference
- Vaccinations

- Breed
- Condition/Flesh
- Frame
- Muscling
- Sex
- Weight

- USDA/MRP/AMS

## Feeder CattleValue Determining Factors

- Condition/Flesh
- Thriftiness
- Weight

- Change!
- Therefore, are not a sound basis for grade standards

- USDA/MRP/AMS

## Feeder CattleValue Determining Factors

- Sex
- 	An inappropriate factor since most feeder cattle are sorted by sex BEFORE the sale

- USDA/MRP/AMS

## USDA Feeder Cattle Grades

- Frame
- Muscling

- USDA/MRP/AMS

## USDA Feeder Cattle GradesFrame Size

|  | Steer (lbs.) | Heifer (lbs.) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Large | > 1250 | > 1150 |
| Medium | 1100 – 1250 | 1000 - 1150 |
| Small | < 1100 | < 1000 |

**Relates to finished weight – **
**	****given degree of fatness to grade Choice**
**Skeletal size (height & length) in relation to age**

- USDA/MRP/AMS

## USDA Feeder Cattle GradesMuscle Thickness Score October 2000

**US No. 1**
- (moderately thick)

**US No. 3**
- (Thin)

**US No. 2**
- (TTB slightly thick)

**US No. 4**

**Relates to muscle to bone ratio at a given **
**degree of fatness and hence yield grade**

- USDA Feeder Cattle GradesMuscle Thickness Score October 2000

- USDA/MRP/AMS

## USDA Feeder Cattle GradesFrame Size

- Large

- Medium

- Small

- USDA/MRP/AMS

## USDA Feeder Cattle GradesFrame Size - Large

**Tall and long bodied**
**1⁄2 inch fat **
**Steers over 1250 lbs.**
**Heifers over 1150 lbs.**

- USDA/MRP/AMS

## USDA Feeder Cattle GradesFrame Size - Medium

**Slightly tall**
**Slightly long bodied**
**1⁄2 inch fat **
**Steers 1100 to 1250 lbs.**
**Heifers 1000 to 1150 lbs.**

- USDA/MRP/AMS

## USDA Feeder Cattle GradesFrame Size - Small

**Not as tall as Medium**
**Short bodied**
**1⁄2 inch fat **
**Steers less than 1100 lbs.**
**Heifers less than 1000 lbs.**

- USDA/MRP/AMS

## Slide 19

- USDA/MRP/AMS

## Slide 20

- USDA/MRP/AMS

## Slide 21

- USDA/MRP/AMS

## Slide 22

- USDA/MRP/AMS

## USDA Feeder Cattle GradesFrame Size – Relative to maturity

**Length of tail**
**Coarseness of hair in switch**
**Width of muzzle**
**Coarseness of hair on poll**
**Size of feet, ears, base of horns, etc.**

- USDA/MRP/AMS

## Jorgenson’s Muscling Theory

- USDA/MRP/AMS

## USDA Feeder Cattle GradesMuscle Thickness Scores

- No. 1

- No. 2

- No. 3

- No. 4

- USDA/MRP/AMS

## USDA Feeder Cattle GradesMuscle Thickness Scores – No. 1

**Moderately thick throughout**
**Predominate beef breeding**

- USDA/MRP/AMS

## USDA Feeder Cattle GradesMuscle Thickness Scores – No. 2

**Slightly thick throughout**
**High proportion beef breeding/Slight dairy breeding**

- USDA/MRP/AMS

## USDA Feeder Cattle GradesMuscle Thickness Scores – No. 3

**Thin throughout**
**Legs are set close together**

- USDA/MRP/AMS

## USDA Feeder Cattle GradesMuscle Thickness Scores – No. 4

**Less thickness than No. 3**

- USDA/MRP/AMS

## Slide 30

- USDA/MRP/AMS

## USDA Feeder Cattle GradesInferior

**Mismanagement**
**Disease**
**Parasitism**
**Any condition that must be corrected before the animal can perform normally!**
**Double muscled animals**

- USDA/MRP/AMS

## Slide 32

- USDA/MRP/AMS

## Slide 33

- USDA/MRP/AMS

## Slide 34

- USDA/MRP/AMS

## USDA Feeder Cattle GradesA Communication Tool

**Weight & Sex**
**Comments **
**Condition/Flesh**
**Breed characteristics**
**Special sales**
**Pre-Vac, Weaned, Conditioned**

**USDA Grade PLUS**

- USDA/MRP/AMS

## Slide 36

- USDA/MRP/AMS