Feeder Cattle Grading

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Feeder Cattle Grading
Warren Beeler, Kentucky Department of
Agriculture Certified USDA Livestock Grader
Edited for Georgia by Frank B. Flanders Georgia
Agriculture Education Curriculum Office March 2002
January 2001
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The information in this presentation is correct
to the
best of our knowledge as of the time this
presentation was
created.
The Kentucky Department of Agriculture does not
discriminate
, or disability
on the basis of race, color, national origin,
sex, religion, age
in employment or the provision of services
necessary to afford
individuals with disabilities an equal
opportunity to participat
e in all
programs and activities.
Feeder Cattle Grading
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The purpose of this presentation is to

• Introduce the concept of feeder calf grading to
  individuals and/or groups that have limited
  or no previous experience with USDA grading of
  feeder cattle.
• Examine the requirements and benefits of feeder
  cattle through graded, co-mingled sales.

Feeder Cattle Grading
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Why Preconditioned and Graded?

• Offers large groups of like kind
• Helps small producers
• Helps large producer with more than one grade
  of cattle
• Improved health and feedlot success
• Improved customer satisfaction

Feeder Cattle Grading
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Successful KY Graded Sales

• CPH Sales -Hopkinsville, Guthrie, and
  Bowling Green
• Paris Central KY Feeders
• Owensboro Area (2,200 head)
• Breckinridge County Sale

The Advantage
Hopkinsville CPH Sale,
December 4, 2000
(787 head)

-
700-790 pound steers
returned an average of
8.34/cwt. over the
average market reported
for the Green River Area
that week.
Feeder Cattle Grading
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GROWTH CURVES
1,400 lbs
Fat
Muscle
Weight of animal
900 lbs
Frame
Age of animal
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What Makes the Grade on Frame?
Steers
Heifers
Frame Size/Finish Weight
Frame Size/Finish Weight

• Large / over 1,250

• Large / over 1,150

• Medium / 1,100-1,250

• Medium / 1,000-1,150

• Small / under 1,100

• Small / under 1,100

(At 0.4" Backfat)
(At 0.4" Backfat)
Feeder Cattle Grading
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What Makes the Grade on Muscle?
1 Thick or Heavy Muscling
2 Average Muscling
3 Thin or Light Muscling
4 Malnourished Dairy Animal
Feeder Cattle Grading
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What Does Not Make the Grade?

• Poor Eyes
• Stags
• Odd Color With No Match
• Double Muscled
• Injuries
• Horns
• Sick or Unthrifty

Feeder Cattle Grading
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Possible Feeder Cattle Grades

• Large Frame 1, 2, 3, or 4
• Medium Frame 1, 2, 3, or 4
• Small Frame 1, 2, 3, or 4
• Outs
• Shorts
• Fats

Feeder Cattle Grading
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Common Breeds Used for Sorting/Grouping

• Blacks - Angus X, Black Baldy
• Charolais - White, Chocolate
• Crossbred - Reds, Red Baldy, Simmental X,
  Big Blacks
• Earred - Brahman X
• Hereford
• Striped - Striped Simmental, Skunk Tail

Feeder Cattle Grading
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GRADING TEST
LARGE, HORNS OUT
350
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MEDIUM, BLACKS
270
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290
SMALL, BLACKS
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MEDIUM, HEREFORD
270
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MEDIUM, EARRED
370
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100
LARGE, CHAROLAIS
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MEDIUM, BLACK, STAGY?
130
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LARGE, NO MATCH
330
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270
SMALL, FAT, CHAROLAIS
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170
LARGE, EXCELLENT CONDITION, BLACKS
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380
SMALL, BLACKS
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LARGE, CROSSBRED, SICK OUT
370
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220
MEDIUM, CROSSBRED, SICK?
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LARGE, CROSSBRED OR BLACK
160
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LARGE, EARRED
360
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280
MEDIUM, CROSSBRED
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110
MEDIUM, BLACKS
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490
MEDIUM, CROSSBRED
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360
MEDIUM, BLACK, OLD
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SMALL, NO MATCH
340
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STAG, OLD, SMALL 2 OUT
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Typical Distribution of Feeder
Cattle in KY Graded Sales
35 Large
50 Large
10 Large
5 Small 1
Medium 1
Medium 2
Medium 3
or 2
Feeder Cattle Grading
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MIXED GROUP
Feeder Cattle Grading
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LOAD LOTS
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UNIFORM FINISHED PRODUCT
Feeder Cattle Grading
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THE REAL BUSINESS!
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Warren Beeler
Kentucky Department of Agriculture
100 Fair Oaks Lane, Suite 252
Frankfort, Kentucky 40601
502
-
564
-
5665 Ext. 223
502
-
843
-
9191
Feeder Cattle Grading