New App To Help Calculate Livestock Carcass Grade and Cutability

Washington State University Extension has created a new phone app that provides a simple way to calculate carcass yield grade, dressing percentages, and cutability of beef, pork and lamb carcasses. WSU Regional Extension Animal Science Specialist Sarah Smith explains what this free app provides livestock producers

Smith: "This simply serves as a calculator with those formulas already plugged in there so individuals don't need to remember the exact formula to calculate a yield grade on a beef carcass they can rather just enter the data points for the hot carcass weight, the rib eye, the back fat and it will calculate it for them. So they have a reference of what their yield grade is. We also put pictures of marbling scores. So if they are in the cooler and they want to see about what grade they think their cattle are going to be — this is not official USDA grading it — but it gives them a relative ballpark to know where they are at when looking at their carcasses."

As county fair season is quickly approaching — this app can provide livestock judges, 4-H and FFA participants the formula to quickly determine approximate yield grade for livestock. It also allows producers to determine what happens with changes to back fat or rib eye sizes might affect the yield grade.

This app is available for both android and Apple phones — it is called WSU Livestock Carcass Grade and Cutability Calculator app.