United States Standards for Grades of Feeder Cattle

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[No. LS-99-09]

United States Standards for Grades of Feeder Cattle

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the Department of

Agriculture (USDA) is soliciting comments on a proposal to revise the

United States Standards for Grades of Feeder Cattle. Specifically, USDA

is proposing to adjust the minimum requirements for the three thickness

grades to accommodate thicker muscled cattle and reflect current

marketing practices. Additionally, the Department is proposing to

adjust the frame size parameters to reflect the genetic changes that

have taken place in the cattle population since 1979 when the current

standards were adopted. Industry and other groups, including States'

Departments of Agriculture that officially grade feeder cattle for

marketing programs, requested that these changes be made. All other

grade aspects of the current standards will remain unchanged.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before November 22, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be submitted to Herbert C. Abraham,

Chief, Standardization Branch, Livestock and Seed Program, Agricultural

Marketing Service, US Department of Agriculture, Room 2603 South

Building, STOP 0254, PO Box 96456, Washington, D.C. 20090-6456; faxed

to (202) 720-1112; or e-mailed to Herbert.A[email protected].

Comments should reference the date and page number of this issue of

the Federal Register. All comments received will be made available for

[[Page 51502]]

public inspection at the above address during regular business hours

(8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.).

The current US grade Standards for feeder cattle, along with the

proposed changes, are available either through the above addresses or

by accessing AMS's Home Page on the Internet at www.ams.usda.gov/

standards/stanls.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Herbert C. Abraham, Chief, on (202)

720-4486.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 203(c) of the Agricultural Marketing

Act of 1946, as amended, directs and authorizes the Secretary of

Agriculture ``to develop and improve standards of quality, condition,

quantity, grade, and packaging and recommend and demonstrate such

standards in order to encourage uniformity and consistency in

commercial practices * * *'' AMS is committed to carrying out this

authority in a manner that facilitates the marketing of agricultural

commodities and makes copies of official standards available upon

request. The United States Standards for Grades of Feeder Cattle do not

appear in the Code of Federal Regulations but are maintained by USDA.

AMS is proposing to change the United States Standards for Grades

of Feeder Cattle using the procedures it published in the August 13,

1997, Federal Register and that appear in part 36 of Title 7 of the

Code of Federal Regulations (7 CFR part 36).

The current United States Standards for Grades of Feeder Cattle

were adopted September 2, 1979. These grade standards were originally

used more extensively in the Eastern United States where marketing

feeder cattle by commingling ownership and packaging by grade and

weight is popular due to the small average cow herd size. Nevertheless,

the feeder cattle standards have become the descriptive standards of

choice by most of the feeder cattle industry nationwide. More

importantly, these standards have served to educate the industry about

the importance of frame size in feeder cattle and how frame size

relates to an animal's predetermined, market ready weight.

Additionally, the standards have emphasized the importance of muscle

thickness as it relates to the beef cattle industry.

Significant changes (genetic and management) have taken place in

the feeder cattle segment of the beef industry since the current grade

standards were adopted. The industry has moved from essentially four

basic breeds in the 1950's to nearly 100 in the 1990's, resulting in a

dramatic effect on the basic genetics of the beef cattle population.

Consequently, feeder cattle type--as it relates to mature size--has

also changed dramatically. This, linked with changes that have occurred

during the same time period in feeder cattle management practices, has

caused a growing concern by USDA that the current feeder cattle

standards have become outdated since their adoption 20 years ago.

The feeder cattle grades are based on differences in frame size and

muscle thickness--two of the most important genetic factors affecting

merit (value) in feeder cattle. Frame size refers to the animal's

skeletal size--its height and body length--in relation to its age.

Frame size relates to the weight at which, under normal feeding and

management practices, an animal will produce a carcass of a given

grade. Large framed animals require a longer time in the feedlot to

reach a given grade and will weigh more than a small framed animal

would weigh at the same grade. Muscle thickness is related to muscle-

to-bone ratio at a given degree of fatness and hence to carcass yield

grade. Thicker muscled animals produce a higher percentage yield of

lean meat. The current grades recognize three frame size grades and

three muscle thickness grades. The three frame sizes are Small Frame,

Medium Frame and Large Frame. The three muscle thickness grades from

the thickest to the thinnest are No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3.

USDA entered into a project with Colorado State University funded

by the USDA, AMS, Federal/State Market Improvement Program to

determine: (1) The live weights at which the current population of

Large, Medium, and Small framed feeder steers and heifers attain a

degree of finish associated with a carcass quality grade of low Choice,

and; (2) an effective approach for stratification of feeder cattle into

muscle thickness categories that reflect eventual differences in

carcass muscularity and ultimate USDA Yield Grade. Results of this

project indicated that the current standards could be improved by

increasing the minimum weights specified for frame size grades to more

accurately reflect today's beef cattle population. Also, the project

indicated that the proposed adjustments in the muscling grades may

distribute feeder cattle numbers more evenly among the No. 1, No. 2,

and No. 3 grades and would more effectively identify carcass USDA Yield

Grade differences among feeder cattle.

Based on these findings, and the feeder cattle industries' request,

AMS proposes the frame size parameters be changed:

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Small frame Medium frame Large frame

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Steers:

From (current)........... 1200 #

To (proposed)............ 1250 #

Heifers:

From (current)........... 1000 #

To (proposed)............ 1150 #

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The Department also proposes to change the muscle grades:

Upper \2/3\ of current #1 muscling grade = proposed #1

Upper \1/3\ of current #2 and lower \1/3\ of current # 1 = proposed #2

Lower \2/3\ of current #2 = proposed #3

Less than current requirements for #2 = proposed #4

AMS is publishing this notice with a 60-day comment period which

will provide a sufficient amount of time for interested persons to

comment on the proposed revision to the standards.

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1621-1627.

Dated: Sepember 17, 1999.

Barry L. Carpenter,

Deputy Administrator, Livestock and Seed Program.

[FR Doc. 99-24771 Filed 9-22-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410-02-P