ANIMAL SELECTION CRITERIA (MARKET)
what is Conformation
the physical arrangement of bone and body tissue. It includes the skeletal structure, muscling, fat balance, straightness of the animal’s lines and structural soundness
Market hogs weight?
Average weight: 270 pounds
pedigree
ancestry of an animal
USDA Quality Grades for beef cattle:
Prime, Choice , Select, Standard
What is breed character?
traits that are usually visible in the head and general appearance of the animal
Beef cattle weight
Average weight: 1300 pounds
Culling animals
removing animals that display poor traits or characteristics
Beef Quality grades are determined by
Age or maturity of the animal.
Muscling or firmness of meat tissue.
Amount of marbling or fat distribution in the lean meat.
TENDERNESS
What is Finish
The amount of fat the animal has
Lamb weight
Average weight: 125 pounds
Marbling
the dispersal or intermingling of fat among the muscle fiber in the ribeye
Pork Quality grades
Acceptable and Utility
An animal ready for processing is classified as a:
Slaughter animal
what are Market animals graded by
selection is based on muscle, frame size, body capacity, finish and structural soundness.
degree of muscling
amount of muscle overall, as well as more muscle in a particular section of the anima
what is Utility grade pork used for?
used for processed products like sausage, hot dogs, canned meat, etc
On the USDA Yield Grade scale for beef, which number represents the least amount of waste fat?
1
Which of the following is a factor in determining the USDA Quality Grade of a beef carcass:
a. Backfat b. Marbling c. Loin eye area d. Frame size
marbling
what are Market animals
Animals raised for their meat/food and fiber production
pork grades based on
Typical meat color of reddish-pink
Lean meat that is firm
Small amount of marbling for flavor and juiciness