National Beef Quality Audit-2005: Survey of targeted cattle and carcass characteristics related to quality, quantity, and value of fed steers and heifers

• Published in: Journal of animal science Vol. 86; no. 12; pp. 3533 - 3543
• Main Authors: Garcia, L.G, Nicholson, K.L, Hoffman, T.W, Lawrence, T.E, Hale, D.S, Griffin, D.B, Savell, J.W, VanOverbeke, D.L, Morgan, J.B, Belk, K.E, Field, T.G, Scanga, J.A, Tatum, J.D, Smith, G.C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Champaign, IL American Society of Animal Science 01-12-2008; Am Soc Animal Sci
• Subjects: Adipose Tissue; animal age; animal identification; Animal Identification Systems; animal injuries; Animal productions; Animals; backfat; beef cattle; beef quality; Biological and medical sciences; Body Composition; Breeding; carcass condemnation; carcass quality; Cattle - anatomy & histology; Cattle - physiology; cattle breeds; cattle manure; color; Dentition; Female; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; heifers; hides and skins; Horns; hygiene; incidence; Least-Squares Analysis; length; Male; Manure; marbling; Meat - standards; Meat and meat product industries; meat quality; Meat-Packing Industry - standards; Pigmentation; Sex Factors; steers; teeth; Terrestrial animal productions; Vertebrates; Farming animal; Bovine; meat grade; Meat product; market survey; Ox; Markets; Quantity; Carcass; Audit; Vertebrata; Survey; Meat animals; Mammalia; beef quality; Surveillance; Quality; Livestock; Heifer; Artiodactyla; Beef; Ungulata
• ISSN: 0021-8812; 1525-3163
• DOI: 10.2527/jas.2007-0782

The National Beef Quality Audit-2005 assessed the current status of quality and consistency of US fed steers and heifers. Hide colors or breed type were black (56.3%), red (18.6%), Holstein (7.9%), gray (6.0%), yellow (4.9%), brown (3.0%), white (2.3%), and brindle (1.0%). Identification method and frequency were lot visual tags (63.2%), individual visual tags (38.7%), metal-clip tags (11.8%), electronic tags (3.5%), bar-coded tags (0.3%), by other means (2.5%), and without identification (9.7%). Brand frequencies were no (61.3%), 1 (35.1%), and 2 or more (3.6%), and brands were located on the butt (26.5%), side (7.4%), and shoulder (1.2%). There were 22.3% of cattle without horns, and the majority of those with horns (52.2%) were between 2.54 and 12.7 cm in length. Percentages of animals with mud or manure on specific body locations were none (25.8%), legs (61.4%), belly (55.9%), side (22.6%), and top-line (10.0%). Permanent incisor number and occurrence were zero (82.2%), 1 (5.2%), 2 (9.9%), 3 (0.4%), 4 (1.2%), 5 (0.1%), 6 (0.3%), 7 (0.0%), and 8 (0.7%). Most carcasses (64.8%) were not bruised, 25.8% had one bruise, and 9.4% had multiple bruises. Bruise location and incidence were round (10.6%), loin (32.6%), rib (19.5%), chuck (27.0%), and brisket, flank, and plate (10.3%). Condemnation item and incidence were liver (24.7%), lungs (11.5%), tripe (11.6%), heads (6.0%), tongues (9.7%), and carcasses (0.0%). Carcass evaluation revealed these traits and frequencies: steer (63.7%), heifer (36.2%), bullock (0.05%), and cow (0.04%) sex classes; dark-cutters (1.9%); A (97.1%), B (1.7%), and C or older (1.2%) overall maturities; and native (90.9%), dairy-type (8.3%), and Bos indicus (0.8%) estimated breed types. Mean USDA yield grade (YG) traits were USDA YG (2.9), HCW (359.9 kg), adjusted fat thickness (1.3 cm), LM area (86.4 cm²), and KPH (2.3%). The USDA YG were YG 1 (16.5%), YG 2 (36.3%), YG 3 (33.1%), YG 4 (11.8%), and YG 5 (2.3%). Mean USDA quality grade traits were USDA quality grade (Select⁹⁰), marbling score (Small³²), overall maturity (A⁶⁴), lean maturity (A⁵⁷), and skeletal maturity (A⁶⁸). Marbling score distribution was Slightly Abundant or greater (2.7%), Moderate (4.3%), Modest (14.4%), Small (34.5%), Slight (41.2%), and Traces or less (2.9%). This information helps the beef industry measure progress and provides a benchmark for future educational and research activities.