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Sex and Weight Adjustments for Beef Carcass Characteristics¹

University of Wisconsin, Madison^,3

Abstract

In general, these data suggested only small adjustments in percent cutability for the 386 kg. heifers. The adjustment of the 386 kg. heifers for carcass grade, marbling and fat thickness was also very small. Actual weight yield of the wholesale or retail product and percent kidney and pelvic fat, daily gain and live weight per day of age were the traits in which adjustment of the 386 kg. heifers were obviously warranted. The data suggested that the 386 kg. heifers were of comparable chronological ages to the 455 kg. steers. If the steers and heifers would have been the same initial liveweight with the heifers gaining about 0.1 kg. per day less on test, the heifers at 386 kg. would be chronologically younger than the steers at 455 kilograms.

The 420 kg. heifer adjustments depicted increased fatness and a resultant decreased cutability relative to the same adjustment for the 386 kg. heifer. Similarly, the 455 kg. heifer adjustments showed the same trend of increased fatness and decreased cutability. Furthermore, the 455 kg. heifers required an additional 57 days to reach the same liveweight as the 455 kg. steers. As anticipated, adjustments for the 386 and 420 kg. steers indicated a steady decline in percent cutability and increased fatness. The adjustments for cutability and fatness were large enough to be used to advantage in both the 386 and 420 kg. steers. Since the 386 and 420 kg. steers were 77 and 43 days younger, respectively, than the 455 kg. steers, the use of adjustments for carcass cutability characteristics from these lighter weight steers would result in a considerable saving of time in progeny test comparisons.

¹ Published with the approval of the Director of the Wisconsin Agricultural Experiment Station.

² The authors acknowledge support by a research grant from the American Angus Association. The authors also express their appreciation to Oscar Mayer and Company for taste panel evaluations.

³ Department of Meat and Animal Science Paper No. 524.