Carcass gradings for cattle

[//gougakhoi]

After weighing the six at a local weighing bridge,I took them to the abatior.Manager told me that there were eighteen grades for cattle carcasses.Grade can only be determined after slaughtering.As a novice at this,can someone please explain the different grades and abbreviations for each in layman's terms.

 

[sim.-ang.king]

Well there is quality grade, which is the measuring of fat marbling, call it prime, choice, select, cutter, canner... Prime being the best of course.

Then your yield grade, which is basically the amount of meat you get after you remove hide, bone, guts, and trim fat from the carcass. The lower the number, means you get more of a % of meat from your live weight. Usually the higher the quality grade, the higher the yield grade number, because of more fat.

 

[//gougakhoi]

Do I have it correct:the higher the quality grade,the higher yield number?For instance A3 will more carcass meat than A0?

 

[sim.-ang.king]

Fat, higher yield number steer will cut out less meat then compared to a lean steer with a low yield number, (of course if they both weigh the same on the rail), and this is just talking in general, some won't go with the flow. You kind of have to think in reverse with yield numbers.