Yield Grade

USDA Yield Grade is a separate grading system from Quality Grade (Prime/Choice/Select). While Quality Grade measures eating quality (marbling), Yield Grade measures how much usable retail meat a carcass will produce.

The Scale: - Yield Grade 1: Highest yield (~52.3%+ of boneless retail cuts). Very lean, light muscled, thin external fat. - Yield Grade 2: Above average yield (~50–52.3%). - Yield Grade 3: Average yield (~47.7–50%). Most common. - Yield Grade 4: Below average yield (~45.4–47.7%). - Yield Grade 5: Lowest yield (~45.4% or less). Heavy external fat, large body cavity fat deposits.

How It's Calculated: Four measurements determine Yield Grade: 1. External fat thickness (measured at the 12th rib, ¾ of the way across the ribeye) 2. Kidney, pelvic, and heart fat (estimated as % of carcass weight) 3. Ribeye area (measured in square inches at the 12th rib) 4. Hot carcass weight

Why It Matters to Buyers: If you're buying whole primals or sub-primals, Yield Grade affects how much usable meat you'll get after trimming. A Yield Grade 1 sub-primal will have less external fat to trim than a Yield Grade 5.

The Tension with Quality Grade: Here's the trade-off: cattle with heavy marbling (Prime quality) often have more overall fat, which can push them toward higher (worse) Yield Grades. A Prime, Yield Grade 4 animal is fantastic eating quality but requires more trimming. A Select, Yield Grade 1 animal is very lean and high-yielding but may be less flavorful.

Most consumers never see Yield Grade — it's primarily used by processors and institutional buyers to determine value.