Which factor is used to determine beef yield grade?

• A. Ribeye area
• B. Calf birth weight
• C. Ear length
• D. Coat color

Answer: (A)

Beef yield grade is a measure of how much edible, boneless, closely trimmed retail meat a carcass is expected to yield. The ribeye area is used because it reflects how much muscle is present in the loin; a larger ribeye area indicates more lean meat and thus higher cutability, which corresponds to a more favorable yield grade. The other traits listed—calf birth weight, ear length, and coat color—do not inform how much meat can be produced from the carcass and aren’t used to determine yield grade. In practice, yield grade also considers fat thickness and other carcass measurements, but among these options, ribeye area is the relevant factor for estimating yield grade.