USDA grader collecting beef carcass data (photo by Davey Griffin)
Data sheets/pictorial references
Final NBQA Combined Plant List. Combined plant list.
Fed steers and heifers
References
Data sheets
- Fed Book sizes. This is a reference for suggested number of data sheets per book should you need to print additional copies.
- Cooler Book
- Transportation and Mobility Book
- Hide, Mud, Brands Book
- Knots, Horns, Warts Book
- Bruise and Injection Site Book
- Head, Tongue, and Dentition Book
- Liver, Lungs, Viscera and Heart Book
Ashley Corona and Clay Eastwood collecting carcass data (photo by Davey Griffin)
Market cows and bulls
References
- Cow PYG. This is for the estimated fat covering for the cow/bull carcasses.
- Fat Color. This is for the fat color for the cow/bull carcasses.
- Lung Reference
- Mud Reference
- Liver Reference
Data sheets
- Cow Book sizes. This is a reference for suggested number of data sheets per book should you need to print additional copies.
- Transportation, Mobility, Antemortem
- Live Animal Booklet
- Hide, Brand, Mud Booklet
- Bruise, Injection Site Booklet
- 2016 Head, Tongue, Dentition Booklet
- Liver, Viscera, Kidney, Fetus Booklet
- Pluck Condemnation Booklet
- Cooler, Postmortem, Fabrication Booklet
Mobility
Mobility Scoring for Cattle. YouTube video from the North American Meat Institute Animal Welfare Committee.
Dentition
Using Dentition to Age Cattle. USDA-FSIS guidelines for using dentition.
Appendix A: Cattle Dentition. Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
Carcass assessments
United States Standards for Grades of Carcass Beef. PDF of USDA beef quality and yield grades.
Scientific and technical articles
Market steer and heifer
Lorenzen, C. L., D. S. Hale, D. B. Griffin, J. W. Savell, K. E. Belk, T. L. Frederick, M. F. Miller, T. H. Montgomery, and G. C. Smith. 1993. National Beef Quality Audit: Survey of producer-related defects and carcass quality and quantity attributes. J. Anim. Sci. 71: 1495-1502. [Journal of Animal Science link] [PubMed link]
National Cattlemen’s Association. 1992. Executive Summary: National Beef Quality Audit. National Cattlemen’s Association in coordination with Colorado State University and Texas A&M University, Englewood, Colorado. http://meat.tamu.edu/files/2015/11/NBQA-1992.pdf (Accessed Nov. 10, 2015).
Boleman, S. L., S. J. Boleman, W. W. Morgan, D. S. Hale, D. B. Griffin, J. W. Savell, R. P. Ames, M. T. Smith, J. D. Tatum, T. G. Field, G. C. Smith, B. A. Gardner, J. B. Morgan, S. L. Northcutt, H. G. Dolezal, D. R. Gill, and F. K. Ray. 1998. National Beef Quality Audit-1995: Survey of producer-related defects and carcass quality and quantity attributes. J. Anim. Sci. 76: 96-103. [Journal of Animal Science link] [PubMed link]
McKenna, D. R., D. L. Roeber, P. K. Bates, T. B. Schmidt, D. S. Hale, D. B. Griffin, J. W. Savell, J. C. Brooks, J. B. Morgan, T. H. Montgomery, K. E. Belk, and G. C. Smith. 2002. National Beef Quality Audit-2000: Survey of targeted cattle and carcass characteristics related to quality, quantity, and value of fed steers and heifers. J. Anim. Sci. 80: 1212-1222. [Journal of Animal Science link] [PubMed link]
Roeber, D. L., D. K. McKenna, P. K. Bates, T. B. Schmidt, K. E. Belk, T. G. Field, J. A. Scanga, J. W. Savell, J. B. Morgan, T. H. Montgomery, and G. C. Smith. 2002. The 2000 National Beef Quality Audits: Views of producers, packers, and merchandisers on current quality characteristics of beef. Prof. Anim. Sci. 18: 112-119. [Professional Animal Scientist link]
Garcia, L. G., K. L. Nicholson, T. W. Hoffman, T. E. Lawrence, D. S. Hale, D. B. Griffin, J. W. Savell, D. L. VanOverbeke, J. B. Morgan, K. E. Belk, T. G. Field, J. A. Scanga, J. D. Tatum, and G. C. Smith. 2008. National Beef Quality Audit-2005: Survey of targeted cattle and carcass characteristics related to quality, quantity, and value of fed steers and heifers. J. Anim. Sci. 86: 3533-3543. [Journal of Animal Science link] [PubMed link]
Shook, J. N., D. L. VanOverbeke, J. A. Scanga, K. E. Belk, J. W. Savell, T. E. Lawrence, J. B. Morgan, D. B. Griffin, D. S. Hale, and G. C. Smith. 2008. The National Beef Quality Audit–2005, Phase I: Views of producers, packers, and merchandisers on current quality characteristics of the beef industry. Prof. Anim. Sci. 24: 189-197. [Professional Animal Scientist link]
McKeith, R. O., G. D. Gray, D. S. Hale, C. R. Kerth, D. B. Griffin, J. W. Savell, C. R. Raines, K. E. Belk, D. R. Woerner, J. D. Tatum, J. L. Igo, D. L. VanOverbeke, G. G. Mafi, T. E. Lawrence, R. J. Delmore, Jr., L. M. Christensen, S. D. Shackelford, D. A. King, T. L. Wheeler, L. R. Meadows, and M. E. O’Connor. 2012. National Beef Quality Audit – 2011: Harvest-floor assessments of targeted characteristics that impact quality and value of cattle, carcasses, and by-products. J. Anim. Sci. 90: 5135-5142. [Journal of Animal Science link] [PubMed link]
Moore, M. C., G. D. Gray, D. S. Hale, C. R. Kerth, D. B. Griffin, J. W. Savell, C. R. Raines, K. E. Belk, D. R. Woerner, J. D. Tatum, J. L. Igo, D. L. VanOverbeke, G. G. Mafi, T. E. Lawrence, R. J. Delmore, Jr., L. M. Christensen, S. D. Shackelford, D. A. King, T. L. Wheeler, L. R. Meadows, and M. E. O’Connor. 2012. National Beef Quality Audit–2011: In-plant survey of targeted carcass characteristics related to quality, quantity, value, and marketing of fed steers and heifers. J. Anim. Sci. 90: 5143-5151. [Journal of Animal Science link] [PubMed link]
Gray, G. D., M. C. Moore, D. S. Hale, C. R. Kerth, D. B. Griffin, J. W. Savell, C. R. Raines, T. E. Lawrence, K. E. Belk, D. R. Woerner, J. D. Tatum, D. L. VanOverbeke, G. G. Mafi, R. J. Delmore, Jr., S. D. Shackelford, D. A. King, T. L. Wheeler, L. R. Meadows, and M. E. O’Connor. 2012. National Beef Quality Audit – 2011: Survey of instrument grading assessments of beef carcass characteristics. J. Anim. Sci. 90: 5152-5158. [Journal of Animal Science link] [PubMed link]
Igo, J. L., D. L. VanOverbeke, D. R. Woerner, J. D. Tatum, D. L. Pendell, L. L. Vedral, G. G. Mafi, M. C. Moore, R. O. McKeith, G. D. Gray, D. B. Griffin, D. S. Hale, J. W. Savell, and K. E. Belk. 2013. Phase I of The National Beef Quality Audit – 2011: Quantifying willingness-to-pay, best worst scaling, and current status of quality characteristics in different beef industry marketing sectors. J. Anim. Sci. 91: 1907-1919. [Journal of Animal Science link] [PubMed link]
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. 2012. Pillars of Beef Chain Success — Executive Summary: The 2011 National Beef Quality Audit. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Centennial, CO. http://www.bqa.org/Media/BQA/Docs/2011_nbqa_audit.pdf. (Accessed Nov. 10, 2015).
Market cow and bull
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. 1994. The National Non-Fed Beef Quality Audit. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Centennial, CO. http://meat.tamu.edu/files/2015/11/NCBA-1994-Non-fed-audit.pdf. (Accessed Nov. 10, 2015).
Roeber, D. L., P. D. Mies, C. D. Smith, K. E. Belk, T. G. Field, J. D. Tatum, J. A. Scanga, and G. C. Smith. 2001. National market cow and bull beef quality audit-1999: a survey of producer-related defects in market cows and bulls. J. Anim. Sci. 79: 658-665. [Journal of Animal Science link] [PubMed link]
Nicholson, J. D. W., K. L. Nicholson, L. L. Frenzel, R. J. Maddock, R. J. Delmore, Jr., T. E. Lawrence, W. R. Henning, T. D. Pringle, D. D. Johnson, J. C. Paschal, R. J. Gill, J. J. Cleere, B. B. Carpenter, R. V. Machen, J. P. Banta, D. S. Hale, D. B. Griffin, and J. W. Savell. 2013. Survey of transportation procedures, management practices, and health assessment related to quality, quantity, and value for market beef and dairy cows and bulls. J. Anim. Sci. 91: 5026-5036. [Journal of Animal Science link] [PubMed link]
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. 2007. Executive Summary of the 2007 National Market Cow and Bull Beef Quality Audit. Centennial, Colorado. http://www.bqa.org/Media/BQA/Docs/2007auditbeef.pdf. (Accessed Nov. 6, 2015).