Relationships among Some Common Live and Carcass Measurements and Beef Carcass Composition

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Abstract
Fifty-one Angus and Hereford cattle were evaluated alive and in the carcass to predict carcass muscle, fat trim and bone. Means and standard deviations were presented to describe the sample which was more uniform than many of the samples from which carcass prediction equations have been developed. The most valuable live measurement presented was the probe taken over the l. dorsi at the 12th rib. Simple correlations indicated that the live measurement of fat thickness was fully as accurate for predicting total carcass fat trim as was the conventional 12th rib fat thickness measurement taken in the carcass. A brief comparison was made between the cutability equations developed by Murphey et al. (1960a, 1960b) and Brungardt and Bray (1963). Multiple correlations were computed between certain combinations of live measurements, and these were compared with the multiple correlations obtained when certain sets of carcass measurements were used to predict carcass composition. Prediction equations are presented for some of these equations. In general, the sets of carcass measurements were more precise than were the live measurements for predicting carcass composition; however, the sacrifice in precision perhaps is not large enough to warrant a progeny or sib test for selection if the heritability of the trait is high. Copyright © 1968. American Society of Animal Science . Copyright 1968 by American Society of Animal Science