Relationship between body size traits and carcass traits with primal cuts yields in Hanwoo steers

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to evaluate the correlation between body size traits, carcass traits, and primal cuts in Hanwoo steers. METHODS: Sixty-one beef carcasses were classified for conformation and primal cut weight. Additionally, carcass weight, fat thickness, carcass dimensions, and longissimus muscle area were determined to complement the grading. RESULTS: The average live weight and cold carcass weight were 759 and 469 kg, respectively. The mean carcass meat, fat, and bone proportions were 551, 298, and 151 g/kg, respectively. Primal cuts weights showed significant positive correlations (p<0.001) of 0.42 to 0.82 with live weight, carcass weight, and longissimus muscle area and a significant negative correlation with carcass fat (without shank, −0.38 to −0.10). Primal cut weights were positively correlated (p<0.01) with carcass length (0.41 to 0.77), forequarter length (0.33 to 0.57), 6th lumbar vertebrae–heel length (0.33 to 0.59), 7th cervical vertebrae carcass breadth (0.35 to 0.58), 5th to 6th thoracic vertebrae breadth (0.36 to 0.65), 7th to 8th thoracic vertebrae girth (0.38 to 0.63), and coxae girth (0.34 to 0.56) and non-significantly related to cervical vertebrae length and coxae thickness. CONCLUSION: There was a high correlation among live weight, carcass weight, longissimus muscle area, carcass length, 7th cervical vertebrae carcass breadth, 5th to 6th thoracic vertebrae breadth, and 7th to 8th thoracic vertebrae girth of the primal cuts yield. The correlation between fat and primal cut yields was highly significant and negative. Carcass length and 7th to 8th thoracic vertebrae girth, appear to be the most important traits affecting primal cut yields.