YIELD GRADE PREDICTS CUTABILITY/YIELD OF BONELESS, CLOSELY TRIMMED RETAIL CUTS Fat cover is the major factor taken into consideration to determine yield grade. YIELD GRADE = 0.4 + (10 X ADJUST FAT THICKNESS, IN.)
1
2
3
4
5
0-0.15 INCHES
0.16-0.25 INCHES
0.26-0.35 INCHES
0.36-0.46 INCHES
0.46+ INCHES
LEANEST • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •FATTEST MINIMAL FAT COVER, LITTLE TO NO INTERNAL FAT, WIDEST PART OF THE CARCASS IS ACROSS THE LEGS EXTENSIVE FAT COVER, CONTENT AND INTERNAL FAT , MORE BOAT-LIKE SHAPE (WIDEST PART OF THE CARCASS IS ACROSS THE 12/13TH RIB)
EVALUATION OF A RIBBED CARCASS
YG 1 carcass has the least trimmable fat but may not have sufficient to keep the carcass from drying out while it hangs in the cooler for any length of time. YG 5 carcass has the most trimmable fat (waste) which lowers the value of the carcass in terms of total red meat yield. “Bluing” can be used to interpret the amount of fat over muscle on the carcass – the more bluing, the less fat. The percentage of fat increases as the yield grade increases. In most instances, the industry prefers yield grade 2 and yield grade 3 carcasses as the carcass has adequate fat cover but minimal trimmable fat. YG 4 & YG 5 carcasses have less value due to waste (fat that must be trimmed). It also costs the producer more when sheep are overfed. Body composition impacts both the cost of feeding and reproductive efficiency. Muscles are curved, not square. Some excessively thick sheep with a “squared off appearance” are therefore carrying more body condition. When this accumulates between the muscles it adds more shape but it is not muscle shape.
• USE A GRID TO MEASURE THE RIB EYE MUSCLE (IN2) • FAT DEPTH IS MEASURED (MM) ABOUT 2/3 OF THE WAY DOWN THE RIB EYE
• BODY WALL FAT CAN ALSO BE MEASURED
*Source: Lamb Carcass Evaluation, B. O’Rourke et. al.
Photos courtesy of Superior Farms
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