Slaughter Swine Grades and Standards

Grades of Slaughter Barrows and Gilts
  1. U.S. No. 1. Barrows and gilts in this grade are expected to have an acceptable quality of lean and belly thickness and a high expected yield (60.4 percent and over) of four lean cuts. U.S. No. 1 barrows and gilts must have less than average estimated backfat thickness over the last rib with average muscling, or average estimated backfat over the last rib coupled with thick muscling.  
a. Barrows and gilts with average muscling may be graded U.S. No. 1 if their estimated backfat thickness over the last rib is less than 1.00 inch. Animals with thick muscling may be graded U.S. No. 1 if their estimated backfat thickness over the last rib is less than 1.25 inches. Barrows and gilts with thin muscling may not be graded U.S. No. 1. 
  1. U.S. No. 2. Barrows and gilts in this grade are expected to have an acceptable quality of lean and belly thickness and an average expected yield (57.4 to 60.3 percent) of four lean cuts. Animals with average estimated backfat thickness over the last rib and average muscling, less than average estimated backfat thickness over the last rib and thin muscling, or greater than average estimated backfat thickness over the last rib and thick muscling will qualify for this grade.
a. Barrows and gilts with average muscling will be graded U.S. No. 2 if their estimated backfat thickness over the last rib is 1.00 to 1.24 inches. Barrows and gilts with thick muscling will be graded U.S. No. 2 if their estimated backfat thickness over the last rib is 1.25 to 1.49 inches. Barrows and gilts with thin muscling must have less than 1.00 inch of estimated backfat over the last rib to be graded U.S. No. 2.
  1. U.S. No. 3. Barrows and gilts in this grade are expected to have an acceptable quality of lean and belly thickness and a slightly low expected yield (54.4 to 57.3 percent) of four lean cuts. Barrows and gilts with average muscling and more than average estimated backfat thickness over last rib, thin muscling and average estimated backfat thickness over the last rib, or thick muscling and much greater than average estimated backfat thickness over the last rib will qualify for this grade.
a. Barrows and gilts with average muscling will be graded U.S. No. 3 if their estimated backfat thickness over the last rib is 1.25 to 1.49 inches. Barrows and gilts with thick muscling will be graded U.S. No. 3 if their estimated backfat thickness over the last rib is 1.50 to 1.74 inches. Barrows and gilts with 1.75 inches or more of estimated backfat thickness over the last rib cannot grade U.S. No. 3. Barrows and gilts with thin muscling will be graded U.S. No. 3 if their estimated backfat thickness over the last rib is 1.00 to 1.24 inches.
  1. U.S. No. 4. Barrows and gilts in this grade are expected to have an acceptable quality of lean and belly thickness and a low expected yield (less than 54.4 percent) of four lean cuts. Barrows and gilts in the U.S. No. 4 grade always have more than average estimated backfat over the last rib and thick, average, or thin muscling, depending on the degree to which the estimated backfat thickness over the last rib exceeds the average.
a. Barrows and gilts with average muscling will be graded U.S. No. 4 if their estimated backfat thickness over the last rib is 1.50 inches or greater. Barrows and gilts with thick muscling will be graded U.S. No. 4 with estimated backfat thickness over the last rib of 1.75 inches or greater, and those with thin muscling will be graded U.S. No. 4 with 1.25 inches or greater estimated backfat over the last rib.
  1. U.S. Utility. All barrows and gilts with probable unacceptable quality of lean or belly thickness will be graded U.S. Utility, regardless of their muscling or estimated backfat thickness over the last rib. Also, all barrows and gilts which may produce soft and/or oily fat will be graded U.S. Utility.
 
Grades of Slaughter Sows
  1. U.S. No. 1 grade slaughter sows have an intermediate degree of finish near the minimum required to produce pork cuts of acceptable palatability. Sows with the minimum finish for U.S. No. 1 grade are moderately long and slightly wide in relation to weight. Width of body is rather uniform from top to bottom and from front to rear. The back, from side to side, is moderately full and thick with a well-rounded appearance and blends smoothly into the sides. The sides are moderately long and slightly thick; the flanks are slightly thick and full. Depth at the rear flank may be slightly less than depth at the fore flank. Hams are usually moderately thick and full with a slightly thick covering of fat. Jowls are usually moderately thick and full but appear trim. Sows in this grade produce U.S. No. 1 grade carcasses.
  2. U.S. No. 2 grade slaughter sows have a moderately high degree of finish that is somewhat greater than the minimum required to produce pork cuts of acceptable palatability. Sows with the minimum finish for the U.S. No. 2 grade are slightly short and moderately wide in relation to weight. Width of body is often greater over the top than at the underline and tends to be slightly greater through the shoulders than through the hams. The back, from side to side, is full and thick and appears slightly flat with a noticeable break into the sides. The sides are slightly short and moderately thick; the flanks are moderately thick and full. Depth at the rear flank is nearly equal to depth at the fore flank. Hams are usually thick and full with a moderately thick covering of fat, especially over the lower part. Jowls are usually full and thick, and the neck appears rather short. Sows in this grade produce U.S. No. 2 grade carcasses.
  3. U.S. No. 3 grade slaughter sows have a high degree of finish that is considerably greater than the minimum required to produce pork cuts of acceptable palatability. Sows with the minimum finish for U.S. No. 3 grade are short and wide in relation to weight. Width of body is often somewhat greater over the top than at the underline and tends to be greater through the shoulders than through the hams. The back, from side to side, is very full and thick and appears nearly flat with a pronounced break into the sides. The sides are short and thick; the flanks are thick and full. Depth at the rear flank is equal to depth at the fore flank.  Hams are usually very thick and full with a thick covering of fat especially over the lower part. Jowls are usually very full and thick, and the neck appears short. Sows of this grade produce U.S. No. 3 grade carcasses.
  4. Medium grade slaughter sows have a low degree of finish which is somewhat less than the minimum required to produce pork cuts of acceptable palatability. Sows with the minimum finish for Medium grade are long and moderately narrow in relation to weight. Width of body is often less over the top than at the underline and tends to be slightly less through the shoulders than through the hams. The back, from side to side, is moderately thin and appears rather peaked at the center with a distinct slope toward the sides. The hips are moderately prominent. The sides are long and moderately thin; the flanks are thin. Depth at the rear flank is less than depth at the fore flank. Hams are usually moderately thin and flat and taper toward the shank. Jowls are usually slightly thin and flat, and the neck appears rather long. Sows in this grade produce Medium grade carcasses.
  5. Cull grade slaughter sows have a very low degree of finish which is considerably lower than that required to produce pork cuts of acceptable palatability. Sows with the finish typical of the Cull grade are long and narrow in relation to weight. Width of body is often somewhat less over the top than at the underline and tends to be less through the shoulders than through the hams. The back, from side to side, is thin and lacks fullness and is peaked at the center with a decided slope toward the sides. The hips are prominent. The sides are very long and thin; the flanks are very thin. Depth at the rear flank is considerably less than depth at the fore flank. Hams are usually thin and flat with a definite taper toward the shank. Jowls are usually thin and flat, and the neck appears long. Sows in this grade produce Cull grade carcasses.
 
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