The U.S. beef industry continues to rely on a yield grading system developed in the 1960s, despite significant changes in cattle genetics and size. Dale Woerner, meat scientist at Texas Tech University, told the more than 100 producers in attendance at yesterday’s KLA/Kansas State University Ranch Management Field Day near Leoti that the outdated equation only accounts for about 40% of the saleable red meat yield variation seen between carcasses, limiting its usefulness as an economic signal.
“It doesn’t account for trim, thin meats or other parts of a carcass that contribute to the cutout value,” he said.
To address this, Woerner and a team of researchers are exploring technologies such as CT scanning, 3D imaging and artificial intelligence (AI) to create a more accurate system. While CT scanning does an exceptional job of measuring the muscle, fat and bone percentage in an animal, Woerner said it’s not fast enough to operate at the speed of production in processing plants. However, by combining CT accuracy with 3D imaging to train AI models, Woerner hopes to deliver real-time predictions of red meat yield, sending clearer market signals that reward lean muscle over fat, thereby improving overall resource efficiency and industry profitability.
Another educational session focused on the genetic factors contributing to bovine congestive heart failure (BCHF), a fatal condition affecting cattle in the western Great Plains. Researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) and the USDA Meat Animal Research Center identified two significant genetic risk factors through a study comparing 102 BCHF-affected cattle to their healthy pen mates. Lead researcher Brian Vander Ley, DVM, from UNL said the data showed cattle with both genetic markers had substantially higher rates of BCHF. Conversely, those without the markers had just a 1% chance of developing the condition. He said those who would benefit most from testing their cattle using the two-gene genetic test are operators of affected feedlots in the Western Plains and ranchers impacted by BCHF, as it would be beneficial in their breeding selection process.
Field day attendees also heard from ranch owners Brady and Kyla Larson about the history of their operation and the ranch facilities, including the bull development lots and calving barn.
The proceedings from the field day can be found here. The Farm Credit Associations of Kansas and Huvepharma sponsored the event.
Brady Larson gives field day attendees a tour of ranch facilities.
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