Cattle

Parts

RibHooks Loin

PollCrest

Tail head

Fore-ribRibsThroat/Dewlap

Muzzle

Chest Floor/Brisket

Point of Shoulder

Neck

Shoulder

Sheath Heart

Pastern

Cannon

Knee

Lower ¼ or Round

Switch

Hock

Bone

Hoof

Flank/Cod

Pins

Stifle

Breeding Cattle Selection Criteria

•Functionality• Structural correctness•Volume

•Production Efficiency•Moderation• Fleshing ability

•Optimal Performance (gender specific)•Width & Dimension (Muscle) •Balance

Market Cattle Selection Criteria

•End-Product Value•Muscle• Optimal Fat Thickness

•Practicality • Rib Design and Feed Ability• Skeletal Correctness

•Balance•Weight Gain and Performance

Functionality

•What is it??

•Also referred to as “practical” and “useful”

•Define Functionality in livestock:• The ability of an animal to combine feet and leg

soundness with total body volume to provide a practical look and efficiency in a production setting

Soundness

•Remember “45°”•Spine flexibility •Correct lines is good for balance, but too much strength of top can result in an elevated spine in motion

•Very important:•Uniform foot design• Breed specific problems•Curled-toe in bulls

Front Structure

Structure from the Profile and Behind

Structure from the Front

This steer is straight hocked, short hipped while also being straighter shouldered and knee as well.

This calf has a functional set to his hock, while also having a correct angle about his shoulder and knee.

Volume

¾ ViewDefined as the outward

turn to an animal’s rib cage

Should come out of their spine with arc and curvature throughout their entire rib cage

Facilitates performance and do-ability

• Profile View• Defined as how much

depth of body an animal has from their heart to their flank

• Should be deep hearted, soft in their mid-rib, and as equally deep flanked if not deeper than their heart

• Facilitates fleshing ability and aids in balance

Rib Shape Body Depth

Functional

Non-Functional

Practical

Not Practical

“Feed Ability”

• In order for market steers to optimally put weight, muscle and finish on in an appropriate time frame, they must have:

•Natural skeletal width• Width of chest• Genuine base width

• Productive rib cage• “Loose” body depth

Hard ribbed, shallow bodied and tight flanked. Poor feed ability.

Deep and bold through his fore-rib and center body, then cuts up (tucked up) through his flank

Very soft and deep, big ribbed and yet is still tight and neat chested

Fleshing Ability

•The ability to naturally maintain body condition without supplemental feed during various climates and seasons.

•Body Condition Scores (BCS)•Range from 1 to 9• Ideal is 5-6 (cows grazing pasture)

Areas to study Fleshing

BCS 5-6

BCS 1BCS 9

Areas of Finish Evaluation

•Brisket•Rib Cage•Topline•Tailhead/Pones•Depth of Flank•Cod/Udder

Areas to Evaluate FinishRibs

Flank/Cod

Pones

Topline

Fore-Rib

Brisket

Performance

•Beef is still sold by the pound! Meaning….

•Higher performing cattle tend to produce/sire heavier weighing calves, which will generate more total revenue when weighed up

•Cattle need to acquire weight at optimum levels of muscle and condition

Performance

•Number one mistake committed by evaluators•Mistaking frame size for weight•Moderate cattle that have more volume, width, and

substance will weigh more than large framed cattle that are one-dimensional•We will select for moderate cattle that do not

compromise practical performance

Moderate framedProductive Performance

Large framedLess Performance

Muscle

Power and muscle dimension is very important in breeding bulls

They're responsible for supplying the power to their offspring.

Don’t mistake fat for muscle or width

Not as important in females

Females still need to be wide-pinned, wide based and have natural dimension

Terminal shape, round and a short muscle design typically is coincided with smaller vulvas and lower reproductive efficiency

Bulls Females

Indicators for Muscle Shape

• Topside of Skeleton• Behind the shoulder• Over the 12th and 13th rib• Loin• Shape to top• Flat and wide and

contains shape

• View from behind• Width between their

pins• Center round• Lower Quarter• Stifle• Natural base width

Areas to Evaluate Muscle

Hip/Pin width

Round

Lower quarter

Width between their hocks

Base width

Arial Viewpoints for MuscleLoin Rib

Behind Shoulder

Stifle

Carcass Terminology

•There are two main components of the animal’s carcass that need to be discussed in oral reasons of a steer class

•Potential Yield Grade

•Potential Quality Grade

Yield Grade/Cutability

•Yield grade pertains to the relationship of fat and muscle

•The term “cutability” is commonly used in place of “yield grade”

•Low numerical yield grades are synonymous with high cutability. This is found on animals that have large amounts of muscle in relation to a small amount of fat thickness

Quality Grade

•Quality grade refers to the amount of marbling in a steer’s carcass•Marbling: the intermixture of fat with lean in a cut of

meat, which contributes to flavor and tenderness.

•Although we can’t see marbling on a live animal, we can use the amount of fat the animal has in combination with other factors to determine potential quality grade.•Animals of British breed type and with a high degree of fat will typically have a more desirable quality grade.

Balance

•Meaning of “balance”• Stability produced by even distribution of weight on each side

of the verticle axis• Physical equalibrium

•Typically, nicer balanced livestock are more correct in their structure:• Shoulder angle is related to length of neck to an extent• Hip construction will affect the travel of an animal’s rear

skeleton• Heavier structured livestock typically move with more

stability

•DO NOT confuse balance and eye appeal!!

Balance vs. Eye Appeal

• Balance• Proportion of the

animal

• Skeletal strength

•Depth of flank in relation to chest depth

• Bone mass in relation to shape and amount of muscle content

• Eye Appeal• Neck design; length,

cleanliness and overall shape

• Altitude the neck is jointed to the shoulder

• Length of body and hip

• Hip construction

• Tail head placement

Brahman Influenced

• Brahman• Brangus• Santa Gertrudis• Simbrah

British/English

•Angus•Hereford• Polled Hereford• Shorthorn•Red Angus

Continentals/Exotics/European

•Charolais• Limousin• Simmental•Maine-Anjou•Chianina •Gelbvieh