CHARACTERISTICS OF YOUTHFUL BEEF CARCASSES IN RELATION TO WEIGHT, AGE AND SEX: II. CARCASS MEASUREMENTS AND YIELD OF RETAIL PRODUCT

Abstract

In a study of 574 carcasses comprising 168 steers, 147 heifers and 259 bulls, weight was found to be the only factor influencing carcass length, leg length, depth at flank and rib, and thickness and width of round. All of these increased with increasing weight. Weight had a negligible influence on carcass proportions, although there was a tendency for percent hind quarter to decrease and percent plate and flank to increase with increasing weight. Sexes, compared on an equal weight basis, were similar in carcass proportions, the main differences being in percent chuck and fore quarter (bulls highest) and percent shank (heifers lowest). Sex and source were the main contributors to differences in carcass composition. At equal weight heifers averaged approximately 20% greater in fat cover over the rib. This extra fat was largely offset by less bone (1.0%), with the result that heifers were virtually equivalent to steers in the proportion of boneless-defatted product. Bulls were superior to steers in lean content, averaging approximately 10% greater in longissimus dorsi area, 30% less in fat cover over the rib, and 3% greater in proportion of deboned-defatted product. For all sex-source groups, percent bone decreased with increasing weight.