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National Beef Quality Audit - 2021: Survey of Transportation, Mobility, Live Cattle, Harvest-floor Assessments, and Carcass Characteristics of Market Cows and Bulls
Abstract
The National Beef Quality Audit-2021 is the fifth survey designed to benchmark shortfalls and gauge industry progress towards improvements in the market cow and bull beef industry. Conducted from September 2021 through May 2022, trailers (n = 113), live animals (n = 3,124), hide-on carcasses (n = 6,662), hide-off hot carcasses (n = 5,746), offal items (n = 6,358), and chilled carcasses (n = 5,417) were surveyed in 20 commercial packing facilities throughout the United States. Cattle were hauled in different types of trailers for a mean distance of 490.6 km for 6.3 hours and had a mean of 2.3 m2 of space allotted per head. Of all truck drivers surveyed, 63.6% reported to be Beef Quality Assurance certified. When assessed on mobility, 77.0% of all cattle were sound. The mean Body Condition Score for beef cows and bulls was 3.8 and 2.6, respectively. The mean BCS for dairy cows and bulls was 2.3 and 2.6, respectively. Of cattle surveyed, 45.1% had no visible live animal defects and 10.6% had horns. Native (unbranded) hides were observed in 88.3% of cattle. Fewer than half (37.8%) of cattle had no visible mud contamination. Carcass bruising was observed on 66.7% of cow carcasses and 46.4% of bull carcasses. Nearly all cattle were free of knots (98.2%) or injection-site lesions (97.1%). Harvest-floor assessments found 45.0% of livers, 22.2% of viscera, 19.3% of kidneys, 46.6% of lungs, 19.9% of hearts, 11.2% of heads, and 6.4% of tongues were condemned. Of the cows surveyed, 25.4% carried a fetus. Mean USDA quality attributes were lean maturity (C^19), skeletal maturity (D^80), overall maturity (D^51), and marbling score (Slight^87). The highest frequency of all cattle surveyed graded as USDA Utility. The mean USDA yield grade attributes for all carcasses surveyed were: adjusted fat thickness 0.4 cm, HCW 318.9 kg, LM area 64.5 cm2, KPH 1.8%, and USDA yield grade 2.6. The NBQA-2021 is compared to previous audits as a way of managing industry progress. In addition, current research identifies areas for continued education and research for improving the quality of beef from market cows and bulls.
Citation
Borders, Sydni Elise (2022). National Beef Quality Audit - 2021: Survey of Transportation, Mobility, Live Cattle, Harvest-floor Assessments, and Carcass Characteristics of Market Cows and Bulls. Master's thesis, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /198741.