Collecting Carcass Data
Better manage herd genetics utilizing valuable insights from the end point.
A CHECKLIST FOR CARCASS COLLECTION
- Age at harvest: 320 to 799 days
- Provide calf birth dates
- Commercial herds: calves out of commercial dams but must be sire identified
- Contemporary group: At least five animals from two different sires are recommended for a minimum contemporary group size.
- Data must be collected at a harvest facility by a USDA quality grader.
- Carcass data on bulls will not be included in the National Cattle Evaluation.
- Harvest date
- Harvest plant
- Hot carcass weight
- Marbling score (e.g. MD30)
- Backfat
- Ribeye area
- Quality grade
- Kidney, pelvic, and heart fat
- Harvest weight
- Yield grade
- Non-conform
ENSURE THE CARCASS DATA COUNTS
There are minimum requirements that must be met to ensure carcass data can be used in the National Cattle Evaluation.
A contemporary group is a set of cattle of the same sex that have been raised together and have received equal treatment up to the point of harvest.
- Specific to Carcass Data: Contemporary groups must contain a minimum of 2 calves of the same sex, harvested on the same date, with at least two sires represented to be used in the genetic evaluation procedure.
- How is it Counted: All data will be collected and processed through Angus Herd Improvement Records (AHIR) and then analyzed through the Association's National Cattle Evaluation protocol.
Harvest data on bulls will not be included in the carcass data.
Required data:
- Dam registration number or commercial female identification: dam birth date and Herd ID
- Sire registration number
- Calf Herd ID/tattoo, birth date and sex
Optional data:
Required Data:
- Calf Herd ID/tattoo, EID if available
- Harvest date (animals must be between 320 and 799 days of age)
- Harvest plant and location
- Hot carcass weight
- Marbling score (e.g., MD30)
- Fat thickness
- Ribeye area
Optional Data:
- Quality grade
- Yield grade
- Percent kidney, pelvic, heart and kidney fat
Harvest data on bulls will not be included in the analysis.
Ultrasound data may be collected on fed steers at harvest time. The ultrasound data must be collected by a certified ultrasound tech and interpreted by an American Angus Association® authorized lab.
Required ultrasound data:
- Calf Herd ID/tattoo
- Scan date (age at scanning, heifers 320 to 460 days, steers 320 to 480 days)
- Group, test type, sex, diet concentration level
- Scan weight taken within 7 days of scanning after holding off feed & water for 12 hours
- Rib fat
- Rump fat
- Percent intramuscular fat
- Ribeye area
Weaning weight submission is necessary to process ultrasound data.
CAPITALIZE ON CARCASS
Meet the needs of consumers by emphasizing carcass merit in your herd using sire evaluations.
BRANDED BEEF
Together, seedstock and commercial producers can maximize the carcass traits of the Angus breed to meet the needs of consumers.
Branded beef marketing programs, such as the Certified Angus Beef® program, rely on qualifying cattle meeting carcass specifications to supply those products.
Carcass merit remains an important trait, along with reproduction, maternal and growth, because it keeps Angus cattle in demand with those buying our end product. Together we can work to maintain Angus’ strong carcass quality position.
SIRE EVALUATION
A sire evaluation program can help producers identify Angus bulls who can help elevate carcass traits in their herd.
History
Sire evaluation programs for determining carcass merit in Angus cattle were first established in 1974. Since 1998, ultrasound technology has been used as a nondestructive method to evaluate breeding animals for end-product value. Both phenotypes from harvest data and ultrasound records are used to predict the carcass EPDs.
Recommend Protocol for Sire Evaluation
The following suggested guidelines for carcass data collection allow producers to generate data useful in the evaluation of Angus cattle for carcass merit and will help to improve the selection tools available to the beef industry. The minimum requirements listed above must be met for the data to be eligible for inclusion in National Cattle Evaluation procedures.
The following pre-harvest data is required to be processed through AHIR prior to submission of harvest data.
Reference Sires
- Definition: A reference sire is suggested as any sire previously evaluated for carcass merit with accuracies for all carcass traits of 0.75 or higher.
- Why Are They Used: The use of reference sires serves to tie new information to the existing American Angus Association® data base so more comparative genetic values may be calculated.
- Minimum Requirement: To obtain a fair genetic evaluation of a sire for carcass merit, the test should include progeny from at least two sires represented in a contemporary group. Commercial females should be randomly mated to strive for an unbiased data set.
Contemporary Grouping:
Definition: A contemporary group is a set of cattle of the same sex that have been raised together and have received equal treatment.
Specific to carcass data:
-
Male calves should be castrated prior to 150 days of age.
-
Birth grouping codes would be required if some go on feed as calves and others are started on feed as yearlings.
- Ideally the desired minimum contemporary group size is 25 steer or heifer calves, to include both test and reference sire calves.
- Pre-harvest data listed in the above section applies here
Sex of Calf and Selection
- Sire Progeny: All test and reference sire progeny may be utilized in the evaluation.
- Steers & Heifers: Sex of calf will be used in the definition of the contemporary group, meaning that heifer data will not be adjusted to a steer equivalent.
- Record All Weights: All non-replacement individuals may enter the program, such as non-replacement heifers. However, when herd replacements are removed from contemporary groups it is recommended that the weaning and yearling weights of all progeny in the initial growth contemporary group, not just the carcass contemporary group, be recorded and provided to the American Angus Association®. This is necessary to correct for bias in the data due to selection. If weaning weights are recorded, weights on the entire group should be recorded.
Care
Animals should be treated according to normal industry standards for health, feeding, and harvest practices.
Contemporary Groups
All animals harvested on the same date will be placed in a contemporary group together. Each harvest group should contain both reference and test sire progeny.
Feed
All progeny can go on feed directly after weaning or may be placed as stockers and put on feed after the yearling weight is taken.
Records
It is the responsibility of the owner of the cattle to collect individual carcass records from the packing plant and report to the Association. For assistance in data reporting, contact the office (816) 383-5100.
The objective of all sire evaluation programs is to arrive at unbiased values of genetic merit for each sire tested. However, there are real-world economic constraints that preclude this from being completely possible.
The genetic makeup and identification of the test herd is one area where it is not always possible to have the ideal testing environment. The following is a list of test herd alternatives from the most desired to the least desired:
- Registered Angus cows
- No selection of replacement heifers or bulls is preferable. All bulls must be castrated.
- If selection does take place weaning weights on all calves (selected or unselected) should be reported.
- Commercial Angus cows
- Crossbred cows or cows of another breed
Regardless of the test herd alternative used, cows must be randomly bred, i.e., no selective matings. All test and reference sires should be evenly represented in each contemporary group.
Reference above section for required harvest data collection.
Harvest data on bulls will not be included in the analysis.
Date on feed, time on feed, and feeding program will need to be documented for each feeding test.
All data will be collected, processed through AHIR, and considered for National Cattle Evaluation procedures provided minimum requirements in Section 1 and data edits for the evaluation are met.
The responsibility of obtaining reference sire semen will be between the test herd owner and the test sire owner.
All financial arrangements will be between the test herd owner and the test sire owner.
The test herd owner is responsible for accurately recording complete herd identification, breeding and calving records, and growth data.
If ownership is not retained to slaughter, the test herd owner is responsible for ensuring that the buyer is aware of the testing procedure and that the cattle are finished and slaughtered according to prescribed guidelines.
The American Angus Association® will provide advisory assistance in all phases of the testing procedure.
The producer will be responsible for coordination of the carcass data collection through their selected alliance, marketing group or packing plant.
Collected carcass data may then be submitted to the AHIR department in an electronic format or on forms provided to the producer or entity assisting with carcass data collection.
Any parties interested in working as a test herd for collecting carcass data may contact the Performance Programs Department of the American Angus Association.
YOU’VE PUT IN THE WORK, GET THE ADDED VALUE
Collecting and submitting carcass and other trait data can ensure added value for you and your customers. Learn more about the programs created to help you track and market your cattle.
Targeting the Brand
Look for the Targeting the Brand™ logo to identify cattle that meet the Certified Angus Beef® brand’s baseline genetic recommendations.
Start exploring
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Targeting the Brand
Look for the Targeting the Brand™ logo to identify cattle that meet the Certified Angus Beef® brand’s baseline genetic recommendations.
Start exploring
Powered by Angus
Branding made easy. Sell with the logo and provide customers with confidence.
Power your marketing
