Feeder Calf Grades

Mike,

The feeder calf grading info you posted is great. Just wondering if someone could explain it a bit further to confirm what I think I am learning or I am completely wrong -

Page 8 there are 3 columns for the muscle grade changes.

I assume the left column are th large frames, middle column middle frames and the 3 column short frames?
Sure seems like you had better know which numbers are in each column because they do not seem to follow any particular pattern.

Mark Day wrote:

Mike,

The feeder calf grading info you posted is great. Just wondering if someone could explain it a bit further to confirm what I think I am learning or I am completely wrong -

Page 8 there are 3 columns for the muscle grade changes.

I assume the left column are th large frames, middle column middle frames and the 3 column short frames?
Sure seems like you had better know which numbers are in each column because they do not seem to follow any particular pattern.

post that link if handy

MKeeney wrote:

Mark Day wrote:

Mike,

The feeder calf grading info you posted is great. Just wondering if someone could explain it a bit further to confirm what I think I am learning or I am completely wrong -

Page 8 there are 3 columns for the muscle grade changes.

I assume the left column are th large frames, middle column middle frames and the 3 column short frames?
Sure seems like you had better know which numbers are in each column because they do not seem to follow any particular pattern.

post that link if handy

I don`t think so; terminology of muscle changes...i kind of forget; but we used to grade in percentages at the grading school refreshers...a M 90 for example was 90 percentile of the grade; a M10 top 10% of the grade...yes, it was subjective...but at days end, 2000 calves sold in well matched pens...but order buyers do the same everyday; some better than others..

Does anyone on here that sells freezer beef privately price it differently if a small or medium or large frame score or a heifer verses steer?

Mark Day wrote:

Does anyone on here that sells freezer beef privately price it differently if a small or medium or large frame score or a heifer verses steer?

I don`t sell enough to know, but I believe the smaller frames{1000-1100}
might be very useful for direct sales...just don`t get stuck with them...but people doing direct marketing have also told me there isn`t enough product to keep down fixed cost per lb produced in the little fat fellows...

The smaller frames are fine for direct sales, I just don't want to be inadvertently over charging someone. My price this year $2.55/pd hanging weight plus processing and kill.

I just regisered on this site ans butting in on this topic.
Cattle grading contests are held for the youth in Missouri for a long time . The new grades have been out for awhile (muscle scores)
1 ,2 3,4 . What they did was split the number one muscle score in half.
a USDA grade would expect a 1 ten would be real close to a 2 90 than a 1 90 and so on. Once we stirved for Large 1 but according to USDA graders that made the grade changes one would want to breed for a medium 2 calf. However. the graders will tell you that a 3 muscle can be a 2 pretty fast in a West Texas feedlot in only a few days. They call it compsiary gain (sp) (cattle that have been with out quality feed and management for most of their life) Frame scores have alot to do how old the animal is a 750 pound two year old is a small vs a 400 pound nursing calf that CAN be a large

In normal terms a 1 90 is one tenth from a double muscle calf which then is graded inferior.