Carcass data from more than 38,000 cattle was used to compare the called and measured yield grade in two different periods: before and after the slaughter plant incorporated another grader in the line to improve grading accuracy. The study shows that the graders accuracy significantly increased....

USDA grader called yield grade was compared to a calculated yield grade based on ribeye area and fat thickness measured by trained technicians. The predicted yield grade from the measurement was contrasted with the called yield grade distribution for two different time periods (January 2000-...

Effects of Stocking Rate and Corn Gluten Feed Supplementation of Performance of Two-year Cows Grazing Stockpiled Forage during Winter.

(with Daryl Strohbehn and Dan Loy). "Buy-Sell Strategies for Profitable Stocker Programs." Proceedings, Management Intensive Grazing Symposium, Newton, Iowa, January 22-23, 1997.

The declining share of beef in total U.S. meat consumption has motivated industry-wide efforts to improve average beef quality through more effective coordination among the various market participants. Increased use of explicit "grid" pricing mechanisms over the last decade represent initial...

Ultrasound technology is available for accurately measuring intramuscular fat (IMF) in live pigs. This report provides information on the costs for pig producers and processors to implement this technology and what consumers are willing to pay for pork with improved levels of intramuscular fat....

Participants in U.S. markets for live cattle increasingly rely on federal grading standards to price slaughtered animals. This change is due to the growing prominence of "grid" pricing mechanisms that specify explicit premiums and discounts contingent on an animal's graded quality class....

Commingling cattle in the feedlot increases the odds of cattle getting sick. However, backgrounded cattle are less susceptible to diseases which allow the generalizing statements like "backgrounding is just like single source". Using data from over 15,000 cattle fed in 12 Iowa feedlots, we show...