ACTIVITY 3063A:
CARCASS EVALUATION
Take the students on a field trip to a local slaughter plant or to the meat lab at MSU to
look at carcasses hanging on the rail. Ask the speaker to talk about how to evaluate
carcasses and point out the main points on the carcass. Such as 12th rib fat thickness, rib
eye area, marbling/flank streaking, degree of muscling, color of muscle, age indicators.
Ask them to discuss quality grades and yield grades also.
After the students receive a description on one set of carcasses, have them evaluate a
second set of carcasses on their own before you describe them. Have them place the
carcasses and answer the following questions:
Placings: (Place the number of the carcass in the space the corresponds with the placing.)
_____ _____ _____ _____
1st 2nd 3rd 4th
Place the number in the blank which is the answer to each question:
Which carcass is the fattest? __________
Which carcass is the leanest? __________
Which carcass has the most marbling/flank streaking? __________
Which carcass has the biggest ribeye? __________
Which carcass has the most muscle? __________
Which carcass has the least muscle? __________
Which carcass is the youngest? __________
Which carcass is the oldest? __________
Are any of the carcasses a female? If so, which one(s) ? __________