National Market Cow and Bull Beef Quality Audit - Dairy Cattle Edition

Point ofImprovementFollow theguidelines for animalcare and handling.Harvest Floor AuditKey points:Fewer cows had bruises than in 1994 and 1999.Overall 94% of the cattle had no evidence ofinjection sites.Dairy cattle had more visible injection-siteblemishes than beef cows (11% versus 2%).Fewer arthritic joints than in 1999.No buckshot/bird shot was observed during the2007 audit, an improvement over 1999.More heads and livers were condemned than in1999.Fewer cows were pregnant at harvest than in1999.Dentition – 11.2% of allcattle and 5.7% of dairy cows had8 extremely worn adult incisors(classified as gummers). 58% ofall bulls and cows had 8 adultincisors. Dairy cattle came in at63% with 8 adult incisors.Bruises – The 2007 auditfound fewer carcasses withbruises than in the 1994 and1999 audits. The highest incidence of bruisingin dairy cow carcasses was in the round at 14%,followed by 10% FPB, 6% loin, 3% rib, and 2% chuck.Dairy bull carcass bruising figures were 19% round,7% FPB, 8% loin, 0% rib and 3% chuck.Injection-site lesions – Overall, 94% ofcarcasses showed no evidence of injection sitelesions. 89% of dairy cow carcasses had no lesionsand 99% of dairy bulls had no lesions, but dairycows had more injection-site lesions than any othergender/cattle types. 2% of all carcasses had minorinjection site lesions that resulted in trims of lessthan one pound per bruise site. 3% of dairy cowsand 1% of dairy bulls had minor lesions. 4% of dairycows had medium injections site lesions, (betweenthe size of a golf ball and a softball), 3% hadmajor lesions (larger than a softball and requiringsubstantial trim per bruise site), and 2% had extremelesions (resulting in a trim area nearly the size of anentire primal).Arthritic joints – 89% of all carcasses in 1999had no arthritic joints removed. This figure wasimproved to 94% of carcasses in 2007. 93% of dairycow carcasses and 92% of dairy bull carcasses hadno arthritic joints removed. 2% of dairy cows and 3%of dairy bulls had 2 arthritic joints removed.Buckshot/grubs -- 100% of carcasses auditedin 2007 were buckshot-free. 99.95% of carcasseswere free of grubs.Offal condemnation -- More offal wascondemned in 2007 than in 1999. 31% of liverswere condemned in 1994, 24% in 1999, and 45%in 2007. Of the 45% of rejected livers, 14% wereabscessed, 7% were contaminated, 6% had flukes,5% had T-lang, and 14% were rejected for “other”reasons.Whole carcass condemnations -- In 2007,when carcasses/animals were condemned, 0.3%were condemned antemortem and 0.8% werecondemned postmortem. No carcasses werecondemned due to bruises in 2007.Pregnancy - 11% of all cows were pregnant atharvest in 2007, down from 12% in 1999, and 28%in 1994. Dairy cows had an 11% pregnancy rate.Bruising Severity Frequency Distribution%All Cattle1999 - 11.8% No Bruises2007 - 36.6% No Bruises80706050403020100Cows207754524237 373112122 5None Minor Medium Major Extreme311994199922 200780706050403020100Bulls6447472544322017 207127199419992007None Minor Medium Major Extreme188 National Market Cow and Bull Beef Quality Audit