Table 11.
Carcass characteristics of heifers fed diets containing steam-flaked CON or steam-flaked EFC1
| Item | CON | EFC | SEM | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HCW, kg | 366 | 372 | 6.41 | <0.01 |
| Longissimus muscle area, cm2 | 94.7 | 94.6 | 1.02 | 0.89 |
| 12th-rib fat thickness, cm | 1.16 | 1.19 | 0.045 | 0.21 |
| Marbling score2 | 605 | 589 | 10 | 0.04 |
| USDA Prime, % | 6.6 | 4.9 | 1.68 | 0.33 |
| USDA Choice, % | 68.7 | 70.4 | 4.44 | 0.62 |
| USDA Select, % | 10.7 | 11.4 | 2.58 | 0.79 |
| USDA sub-Select, %3 | 9.0 | 9.3 | 2.61 | 0.68 |
| USDA yield grade | ||||
| Yield grade 1, % | 23.2 | 19.5 | 3.77 | 0.22 |
| Yield grade 2, % | 49.4 | 47.7 | 3.01 | 0.64 |
| Yield grade 3, % | 25.1 | 30.9 | 3.07 | 0.09 |
| Yield grade 4, % | 2.0 | 2.0 | 0.76 | 1.00 |
| Yield grade 5, % | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.20 | 0.32 |
1Trial utilized 700 beef heifers in a randomized complete block design, with 25 animals per pen, 14 pens per treatment, and fed 136 d prior to transport to a commercial abattoir, wherein carcass data were collected.
2500 to 599 = small degree of marbling; 600 to 699 = modest degree of marbling.
3Carcasses graded as USDA Standard, Commercial, Utility, or Cutter.