How do you get a carcass graded?

[NonTypicalCPA]

I've got my first animal that is going in the freezer that will be butchered in December. I'd like to get some idea how it grades so that I can analyze my feeding program. I'm guessing it has to be butchered at a USDA facility? Do they automatically grade them or do I need to ask for it? What else do I need to know?

 

[circlebllc]

Your butcher can probably give you enough to know if you are on the right track. They see broken leg cows to show steers. Ask them, most will help you.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

What circlebllc said, a good butcher/processor, who's been doing this for a long time, should be able to give you a pretty accurate 'report' as to quality grade and even yield grade. That has been my experience.

 

[NonTypicalCPA]

I talked with a couple usda butchers yesterday. One does grading and the other doesn't. The one that doesn't offered to have me come in and see the hanging carcass and he would give me his opinions and suggestions on it, and a good guess at what it would grade.

 

[NonTypicalCPA]

I'm dropping off this heifer on December 12th in the morning and they will butcher her that same day in the afternoon. It's about an hour ride in the trailer, which will be her first. Any chance the stress of the ride and new location will affect the meat quality?

 

[Txpiney]

I'm dropping off this heifer on December 12th in the morning and they will butcher her that same day in the afternoon. It's about an hour ride in the trailer, which will be her first. Any chance the stress of the ride and new location will affect the meat quality?

Nope, as long as they're not really stressed. I took my latest steer to butcher last Sunday evening. I put him in a pen and left him overnight. Alot of people just bring them there the morning of the kill date. They are just fine.

 

[Son of Butch]

Many sale barn cattle are 2-3 trailer rides 2-3 days from sort to slaughter.

It's a Cell Phone world.
IF asked our butcher will take pictures as cut and send them, so you can observe the quality that way too and have
a photo record of it.

 

[BigBear]

I'm dropping off this heifer on December 12th in the morning and they will butcher her that same day in the afternoon. It's about an hour ride in the trailer, which will be her first. Any chance the stress of the ride and new location will affect the meat quality?

Nope, as long as they're not really stressed. I took my latest steer to butcher last Sunday evening. I put him in a pen and left him overnight. Alot of people just bring them there the morning of the kill date. They are just fine.

The processor I use will hold them overnight and they do all their killing at 6 am the following day. Not sure if that is due to the adrenaline factor or not.

 

[Coosh71]

Interesting question. We feed out a beef every year and I never thought about asking our regular butcher on grade quality. Thanks for posting

 

[Ky hills]

I'm dropping off this heifer on December 12th in the morning and they will butcher her that same day in the afternoon. It's about an hour ride in the trailer, which will be her first. Any chance the stress of the ride and new location will affect the meat quality?

I would suspect that if she is fairly calm to start with and handled easy loading, she will be fine. We have taken 2 in recent years both were at least an hour trip, and turned out fine. The first was almost all interstate. A couple months ago we took a steer on which should have been a little over an hour, but turned out to be at least two hours, by the time the directions got us lost on some narrow county roads with no signs. It was a fiasco had to turn around in a narrow area as a road we were directed down was actually a dead end. Couldn't call for advise on directions as it was an Amish business, and the way they worked was you call and leave a message and they return the call later. I was worried that the calf would be stirred up with all the winding and turning but the meat turned out fine.

 

[BRYANT]

I'm dropping off this heifer on December 12th in the morning and they will butcher her that same day in the afternoon. It's about an hour ride in the trailer, which will be her first. Any chance the stress of the ride and new location will affect the meat quality?

I have killed a few thousand head of beef ( fats, cows & bulls) and seen some get pretty fired up and the meat be fine. I think the worst thing a person can do is to hot shot them to much before killing, seen them not bleed out right when they have been. meat was still good but have checker spots of blood in it . We could not sell it as box beef so people that worked there got it at a cheap discounted rate.