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G82-590 Feeder Cattle Grades, Keith E. Gilster, H. Dwight Loveday

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide describes the ten USDA feeder cattle grades.

The purpose of the USDA Feeder Cattle Grades is to sort feeder cattle into similar groups that will facilitate their selling and buying. These grades can also be used for sorting feeder cattle into similar outcome groups in a feedlot. Differences in frame size and muscle thickness score are the basis for the USDA Feeder Cattle Grades.

Feeder cattle are given a grade score that is coded for both frame size (large, medium and small) and thickness (1, 2 and 3). For example, a large frame, thick feeder steer would have …