Grading beef

[John999]

Could anyone explain, in simple terms, the way beef is graded, as I know absolutly nothing about the letters and numbers.
Thanks. John.

[Broomcroft]

There's a file on our info site, http://www.broomcroft.info / downloads, first file I think.

[John999]

Thanks Clive
John

[helena]

we have just received a very good booklet from eblex all about grading cattle explains the grades and how it affects price,also looking at cattle live and showing you the difference in carcase .

[Broomcroft]

Thinking about it though, I've never been graded for Dexters, always had just the same price regardless apart from when I've sent the occasional one to a large abattoir. But I only do that where they've gone overage.

Do other people have their Dexters graded?

[Mark Bowles]

I use Sargeants at Uttoxeter, they grade the carcasses, i have stats for my last 14 animals both steers and heifers. I find the information very usefully and now as a result, and with lots of practice, i find i can just about predict the grades from the live animal therefore getting the premium time to kill correct.

[Kativa]

Wonder if anyone can help ?
Have had two beasts back today ...the older one was graded 0+5L and the younger one was graded -04H , I have looked at Broomcroft's website ( very kind of you to post the info) , but in my inexperience I am having trouble deciding whether my beasts were good bad or indifferent. If it helps my abbatoir use the MLC classification service but I have failed to find the info I am looking for.
Hope someone can help me.....Thankyou in anticipation.....

[Mark Bowles]

Your O+5L beast had good dexter confirmation but was too fat, you had taken him on too long.
YourO-4H was a lesser confirmation than the other beast but still a dexter grade, this too had been kept too long but not as long as the first beast.

O+ and O- are the confirmation grades, beefyness really, 4H and 5L are the fat grades.
The ideal dexter grade should be R4, in my experience shorts tend to grade R easier that non-shorts

[Kativa]

Thankyou so much Mark , that has been brilliant....