Standards of Performance for Livestock Projects Market Beef

Livestock Update, May 1998

Mark L. Wahlberg, Extension Animal Scientist, Virginia Tech

Background - The beef industry is moving towards integration and retained ownership through contracts, alliances, and certified beef programs. Breed associations are beginning to obtain carcass information and calculate EPD's for traits such as ribeye area, marbling score, and fat thickness. However, the practice of determining value of cattle based upon carcass weight and grade is not used widely. The transfer of information about carcass traits back to the cow-calf owner who controls the genetics happens infrequently. Consumers report up to 1 out of 4 steaks eaten are unsatisfactory, primarily due to toughness. The industry has a long ways to go in measuring carcass traits and using that information to make selection and management decisions.

Producers profit from selling high quality steers and heifers that gain weight quickly and convert feed to gain efficiently. Carcass characteristics define quality. Rapid growth to the degree of finish where carcass traits are optimized is another extremely important aspect of the right kind of market steer or heifer.

The Standards - There are many different markets for beef, and each prefers a different type of beef. The export and white tablecloth restaurant markets prefer highly marbled beef that grades high Choice or Prime. Chain stores sell a higher quality beef that grades at least low Choice, and a leaner product which grades in the upper half of Select. Two types of standards are shown below. One is for an acceptable carcass today, and the other is a target to strive to achieve to maxi mize value.

Standards of Performance for Market Steers and Heifers
Item	Acceptable Ranges	Ideal Target
Live Weight	1000-1450 lb	1100-1350 lb
Carcass Weight	600-900 lb	700-800 lb
Live ADG	at least 2.5 lb / day	at least 3.0 lb / day
Age at Marketing	less than 30 months (A Maturity)	less than 24 months (max A 70)
Fat Thickness	0.2 - 0.6 inch	0.25 to 0.5 inch
Ribeye Area	11 to 16 square inches	12 to 15 square inches
Marbling	at least Slight 50	at least Small
Yield Grade	less than 3.99	Less than 2.99
Quality Grade	at least Select +	At least Choice -

On the back of this sheet are tables that show the relationship between various carcass characteristics and carcass price. Values shown are percentages, with 100 being 100% of a base price, a value above 100 is a premium price, and one less than 100 is a discount.

A market steer cannot be adequately evaluated without carcass information. Certainly some important traits can be measured in the live animal. However, measurements of backfat depth, ribeye area, and product characteristics such as marbling score cannot be done in the live animal without very sophisticated equipment.

The traits mentioned above are expressed as a result of both genetics and environment. Genetics is the biological plan that describes what an animal can be. Environment, which includes feed, health, animal comfort, and other similar factors, must be good enough to allow an animal to express its genetic potential for a trait. As long as the calf is healthy, fed properly, and in a comfortable pen the majority of the differences seen are due to genetics. Therefore, market cattle that hit the target are those with the right genetics that are managed in the right way.

EXAMPLE BEEF VALUE CHART - RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CARCASS GRADE, FAT, WEIGHT, AND VALUE (Values expressed as percent of base price)
QUALITY	RANGE	AVERAGE
Prime	103 - 110	106
Choice	100	100
Select	96 - 99	98
Standard	77 - 89	84
Certified (Avg Choice or more)	100 - 102	101
Bullock or Stag	60 - 79	70
B Maturity or older	60 - 84	75
Dark Cutter	62 - 78	70
YIELD GRADE OR FAT THICKNESS	RANGE	AVERAGE
1.0 - 2.0 or < 0.1"	100 - 103	102
2.0 - 2.5 or < 0.2"	100 - 102	101
2.5 - 3.0 or < 0.4"	100 - 102	101
3.0 - 3.5 or < 0.6"	99 - 100	99
3.5 - 4.0 or < 0.8"	99 - 100	99
4.0 - 5.0 or < 1.2"	89 - 90	85
> 5.0 or > 1.2"	75 - 85	79
CARCASS WEIGHT	RANGE	AVERAGE
400 -500 lb	70 - 86	79
500 - 550 lb	75 - 88	83
550 - 900 lb	100	100
900 - 950 lb	100	100
950 - 1000 lb	75 - 90	83
Over 1000 lb	70 - 90	78

Visit Virginia Cooperative Extension