Research & White Papers

CAB's guiding principles have always been backed by sound science. It started with the development of our 10 carcass specifications that help ensure consumers enjoy a consistent, high-quality eating experience. We deliver the same science-based messages to Angus cattle producers.

To that end, our Supply Development Division regularly commissions research papers and literature reviews from the nation's leading Land Grant Universities. Please read these research papers and summaries.

If there is a question our research hasn't addressed, contact us. We would be glad to talk to you about the topic and address your concerns.

• Lance Zimmerman, Kansas State University and Ted Schroeder, Kansas State University
  Defining and Quantifying Certified Angus Beef ^® Brand Consumer Demand
  

• Demand for Choice beef follows a similar trend as that for the CAB brand, but it's not identical. This index, updated in 2013 with new discussion and data, is the first of its kind to break out the Certified Angus Beef brand demand for comparison, and it shows positive signs for cattle producers and the greater beef industry. Demand has risen over time and that translates back to higher prices paid to those who hit the CAB target.

• Gary Fike
  GeneMax™ Field Study Summary
  

• A field study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of GeneMax™ in a practical feedlot situation. This abstract details the materials, methods and results of that Kansas feedlot data.

• Shawn Walter and Ron Hale, Professional Cattle Consultants
  Factors Driving Cattle Feeding Profitability
  

• Within a given month, the profitability of cattle ranges more than $200 per head. This analysis looks at which traits sort cattle into the top money getting group versus those that finish in the red. Contrary to popular belief, those with the highest performance numbers are also the highest quality

• Tom Brink, J&F Oklahoma Holdings
  Southern Carcass Improvement Project Review
  

• Southern cow-calf producers who incorporate high-value Angus genetics into their herds can help themselves and the entire beef supply chain, according to two years of results from the Southern Carcass Improvement Project demonstration. High-grading, high-value cattle can be created in one generation from a Bos Indicus-based cowherd with average or lower carcass genetics, and producers can earn higher prices at weaning or as yearlings as the U.S. beef supply becomes more aligned with consumer demand.

• Clint Krehbiel, Oklahoma State University
  Effects of Nutrition and Management During the Stocker Phase
  Supporting files: Summary

• An estimated 76% of calves spend some time as stockers, and since marbling is a lifetime event, what happens then plays a key role in subsequent beef quality grade after finishing. This white paper for Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) evaluates the body of research in the area and finds pathways to profit that maintain consumer satisfaction.

• Pete Anderson, Ag Knowledge Services
  Understanding Grid Marketing: How Quality Grades and Grid Conditions Affect Carcass Value
  

• Know your cattle, grid conditions Commodity cattle are priced by weight class, sex or average carcass grade, but some are worth a lot more or less. Indeed, some producers carve out a reputation, a kind of brand for their consistently high-quality cattle akin to that of Mercedes-Benz®, Apple® or Rolex®.

• Nevil C. Speer, PhD, MBA, Western Kentucky University
  Crossbreeding: Considerations and Alternatives in an Evolving Market
  Supporting files: Executive Summary

• Some of the most profitable beef cattle ranches operate well-managed cowherds that systematically implement crossbreeding. Conversely, some of the least profitable try to practice crossbreeding, but without sufficient management and marketing focus often fail to beat simpler, straightbred alternatives. Despite decades of educational efforts that positioned crossbreeding in beef cattle as "a free lunch," surveys show many producers are in effect leaving it on the table. This warrants a detailed examination of the reasons for the "disconnect" between a research-proven concept and acceptance as a commercial cowherd application.

• Gary Fike and Larry Corah and Darrell Busby, Iowa Tri-County Steer Carcass Futurity and Mike King
  Effect of Birth Within the Spring Calving Season on Performance and Carcass Traits of Beef Calves
  Supporting files: Powerpoint

• Early-born calves have a better chance than the later born of making a profit for their owners. That's what a 2010 study of Iowa Tri-County Steer Carcass Futurity (TCSCF) data helped confirm. The analysis looked at birth date and age of Angus-Simmental rotational crossbred calves, compared to their feedlot performance and carcass traits.

• Bradley J. Johnson, Texas Tech University and Ki Yong Chung, Texas Tech University and Rebecca J. Tokach, Texas Tech University
  Factors affecting intramuscular adipose tissue development in beef cattle
  

• It's well-known that implants increase profit, but generally hinder beef quality. This paper highlights the process of intramuscular adipose tissue (marbling) deposition in beef cattle and how different growth promoting compounds can affect that development in feedlot cattle.

• Gary Fike and Larry Corah and Darrell Busby, Iowa Tri-County Steer Carcass Futurity and Mike King
  Effect of Health Treatments on Feedlot Performance, Carcass Traits and Profitability
  Supporting files: Abstract #2 | Summary | PowerPoint #1 | PowerPoint #2

• Research continues to prove the benefits of avoiding illness in the feeding phase. The latest report on nearly 50,000 head of cattle shows $190 net difference between cattle treated twice and those never treated. That's due to major differences in feedlot and carcass performance and affected by health protocols at the ranch.

• Gary Fike and Larry Corah and Darrell Busby, Iowa Tri-County Steer Carcass Futurity and Mike King
  Effect of Disposition Score on Feedlot Performance, Carcass Traits and Profitability
  Supporting files: Summary | PowerPoint

• Docility in the feedlot pays off with better performance, improved carcass merit and reduced morbidity and treatment costs. Taking those factors into account, new research shows docile calves brought in an average profit of $46.63 per head, while calves considered nervous and aggressive made only $7.62.

• Gary Fike and Larry Corah and Darrell Busby, Iowa Tri-County Steer Carcass Futurity and Mike King
  Effect of Hide Color and Percentage Angus on Feedlot Performance and Carcass Traits
  Supporting files: PowerPoint

• A black hide isn't always enough to see a black and white bonus. Research from an expansive database indicates cattle with a higher percentage Angus genetic influence were associated with improved feedlot performance, improved health, higher quality grade and higher Certified Angus Beef ^® brand acceptance.

• Mark McCully
  Trends in the Choice-Select Spread and Implications to Cattle Producers
  Supporting files: News Release

• Cattle are sold by the pound, but the price per pound can make as much difference as total weight, when it comes to the bottom line. That's why producers who aim for profit weigh everything that goes into that price. The Choice-Select spread has been a leading indicator for decades, but a current analysis suggests it can mislead if taken at face value. Producers today must lift their gaze to the relative values of premium Choice and Prime beef if they want to monitor the market, says Mark McCully, assistant vice president of supply for Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB).

• Gary Fike and D. Strohbehn, Iowa State University and Darrell Busby, Iowa Tri-County Steer Carcass Futurity and Mike King
  Feedlot Perfromance and Carcass Traits for Southeast or Midwest Calves
  Supporting files: PowerPoint | Summary

• For decades, cattle from the southeastern U.S. have sold at a discount compared to cattle from the Midwest. Data says they deserve better, according to a beef cattle specialist with Certified Angus Beef LLC. An eight-year study shows that a higher percentage of Angus-type calves from the Southeast qualified for the Certified Angus Beef ^® brand. That could be due to an age difference, but the study shows a distinct and widening health advantage over Midwestern calves, too.

• John Lawrence, Iowa State University
  Assessing the Cost of Beef Quality Revisited
  Supporting files: Summary

• Cattle are sold by the pound, but the price per pound can make as much difference as total weight, when it comes to the bottom line. That's why producers who aim for profit weigh everything that goes into that price. The Choice-Select spread has been a leading indicator for decades, but a current analysis suggests it can mislead if taken at face value. Producers today must lift their gaze to the relative values of premium Choice and Prime beef if they want to monitor the market, says Mark McCully, assistant vice president of supply for Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB).

• Julian Leopold, Leopold Foods
  Demand for CAB outstrips Choice
  Supporting files: PowerPoint

• When times are lean, sales of luxury items are typically the first to fall off. However, when it comes to beef, it appears that consumer demand for the higher quality and pricier Certified Angus Beef ^® (CAB^®) brand held up better than that for USDA Choice or lower grade beef.

• Larry Corah and Mark McCully
  Quality Grades: What is Driving the Recent Upswing?
  Supporting files: Summary

• How quickly the beef quality quandary changed. Just three years ago, we pondered a 30-year decline in quality grades. Then, shaking off the depression, grades headed higher in late 2007, and by July 2009, 60.1% of federally graded cattle for the year had graded Choice. This paper explores the reasons for that unprecedented 7.5-percentage-point shift. Distillers grain byproducts and genetics play major roles.

• Andy Herring, Texas A & M University
  Genetic Aspects of Marbling in Beef Carcasses
  Supporting files: Summary

• This literature review encompasses 52 studies spanning several decades, addressing the genetics of marbling, including breed comparisons that show the innate Angus ability to marble. It also points out the issue of broad ranges of marbling in U.S. cattle, where a typical pen may vary in final grade from Standard to Prime grade although typically fed together to a common end point

• Gary Fike
  Effect of trenbolone acetate on lot feedlot performance and Certified Angus Beef ^® acceptance rate of beef steers and heifers
  Supporting files: PowerPoint

• Maximizing quality and efficiency calls for different implanting strategies on steers versus heifers. A Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) seven-year study characterized the effect of trenbolone acetate (TBA) growth implants on both sexes.

• Larry Corah
  The value of marbling in consumer acceptance of beef
  Supporting files: PowerPoint | PowerPoint

• In 1925, the USDA implemented the quality grading system to address consumer confusion related to meat quality. Since that original role, marbling has become an important component of meat quality in both the domestic and the global marketplace.

• John Stika
  Graduate student career opportunities in the animal science industry
  Supporting files: PowerPoint | Abstract

• Globalization, consolidation, technological advancement and a more vocal consumer have each contributed to dramatic changes within animal agriculture during the past decade.

• Larry Corah
  Development of a corn-based beef industry a historical perspective
  Supporting files: Abstract | Summary

• The development of a beef industry, heavily dependent on corn utilization, began to occur in the 1940's. It started as a means to add value to grain while improving consumer acceptance of beef.

• Darrell Busby, Iowa Tri-County Steer Carcass Futurity
  Effect of health on feedlot performance and carcass traits in beef calves
  Supporting files: Abstract | Summary

• When cattle get sick, it hurts performance and quality. But it's not always easy to tell those cattle from the healthy ones. Cattle with chronic pneumonia can cost producers nearly $80 per head, without showing signs of illness.

• Gary Fike and Darrell Busby, Iowa Tri-County Steer Carcass Futurity and Mike King
  Factors Affecting Lot CAB Acceptance Rate of Beef Calves in the Iowa Tri-County Steer carcass Futurity
  Supporting files: Abstract | Summary

• Most beef producers own at least some Angus cattle. They may have wondered what it takes for their calves to qualify for the Certified Angus Beef ^®(CAB^®) brand.

• Larry Corah
  Effect of Percentage Angus on feedlot performance and carcass traits in beef calves
  Supporting files: Abstract | Summary

• Successful producers have always tried to raise high-quality, high-performing cattle, but may have felt compelled to choose one ideal over the other. That's not necessary, according to a recent analysis of data from the Iowa Tri-County Steer Carcass Futurity (TCSCF).

• Darrell Busby, Iowa Tri-County Steer Carcass Futurity
  Effects of region of origin, southeast versus Midwest, on feedlot performance and carcass traits in beef calves
  Supporting files: Summary

• Calves from 15 states fed at ten Iowa feedlots through the Iowa Tri-County Steer Carcass Futurity over six years were used to evaluate the effect of origin of calves on feedlot performance and carcass traits. A common diet was fed and similar implant and health programs were administered to all calves.

• Daryl Tatum, Colorado State University
  Producing Flavorful Beef
  Supporting files: Summary

• Great taste is the primary reason consumers make beef their food of choice for a great dining experience. Research conducted on consumer preferences for various protein sources has shown a pleasurable eating experience is the number one driver of protein selection, whether dining at home or in a restaurant.

• Twig Marston, Kansas State University
  The Relationship Between Marbling and Other EPDs with Implications When Making Beef Cow Herd Breeding and Management Decisions
  Supporting files: Summary

• Marbling should be part of balanced selection. This scientific review shows there is actually a positive correlation between marbling and cowherd-friendly traits, like birth and weaning weight.

• Cattle-Fax
  Certified Angus Beef Value of Quality Analysis
  

• What would happen to beef prices if all premium quality categories, brands and classifications, went away? Cattle-Fax prepared an analysis showing the value added by these categories, illustrating the value of quality improvement in the beef industry.

• Larry Corah and Mark McCully
  Declining Quality Grades: A Review of Factors Reducing Marbling Deposition in Beef Cattle
  

• Quality grades are on a continual decline, despite greater price incentives and availability of selection tools for carcass traits. Management, health, and feeding trends all contribute to the challenge.

• Gary Fike
  Traits of cattle that hit a quality target
  Supporting files: Summary

• Detailed carcass and production data from 12,000 head of slaughter steers and heifers representing 134 lots of cattle harvested throughout 2005 were analyzed in this study. Implant use and effect on quality were evaluated across acceptance rate groups. Also, the feedlot performance and carcass traits of cattle were evaluated based onCertified Angus Beef ^®acceptance rates among lot-sized groups of cattle.

• Susan Duckett, University of Georgia
  Effect of Nutrition and Management Practices on Marbling Deposition and Composition
  Supporting files: Summary

• Want to increase carcass value? It's not all about genetics. From nutrition to days on feed, many management practices can positively contribute to marbling in cattle.

• Robbie Pritchard, South Dakota State University
  Implant Strategies for High Quality Grade Beef Production
  Supporting files: Summary

• Potency and current diet determine what effect an implant will have on carcass quality. Research shows that certain implants only fit certain situations. With careful management, implants can have a positive impact on growth without affecting marbling.

• Robert Larson, DVM, University of Missouri
  The Effect of Cattle Disease on Carcass Traits
  Supporting files: Summary

• Cattle that get sick don't perform or grade as well as healthy cattle. The longer it takes to get over illness and the more times they have it, the ability to marble continues to drop. Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) and other post-weaning illnesses may be infecting your bottom line.

• Larry Berger, University of Illinois
  Nutritional and Management Factors Affecting Marbling Deposition
  Supporting files: Summary

• Start early, with a whole-system approach to manage cattle for quality. This research addresses creep feeding, high-grain diets, and interactions with vitamins A and D.

• Jacob Nelson, Oklahoma State University
  Characterization of Certified Angus Beef ^® Steaks from the Round, Loin and Chuck
  Supporting files: Summary

• Certified Angus Beef ^® steaks are more consistently tender than commodity Choice and Select. This was proven using both sensory panels and the Warner-Bratzler Shear Force Test for tenderness.

• Gary Smith, Colorado State University
  Why People Eat Beef
  

• People's diets are affected by everything from religion and history to personal preference. Here's a look at the many nutritional reasons to eat beef and the variables that affect the beef eating experience.

• Harlan Ritchie, Michigan State University
  Strategies for Managing Marbling in Beef Cattle
  

• After choosing a breed and genetics, management plays a large role in determining marbling in beef cattle. From creep feeding and implanting to calf health and age of harvest, this paper reviews the many options producers can implement.

• Twig Marston, Kansas State University
  The Relationship Between Marbling and Other EPDs with Implications When Making Beef Cow Herd Breeding and Management Decisions
  Supporting files: Summary

• Marston revisits his original research on the influence of selecting for marbling in a beef herd. Many beef producers struggle with priorities when it comes to genetic selection. When it comes to marbling, producers don't have to sacrifice other traits to gain market rewards for carcass quality.

• Gary Fike and Larry Corah and Darrell Busby, Iowa Tri-County Steer Carcass Futurity
  Effect on Health Treatments
  Supporting files: Effect of Lung Adhesions on Feedlot Performance, Carcass Traits and Profitability | Powerpoint: Health | Powerpoint: Lung Adhesions

• Research continues to prove the benefits of avoiding illness in the feeding phase. The latest report on nearly 50,000 head of cattle shows $190 net difference between cattle treated twice and those never treated. That's due to major differences in feedlot and carcass performance and affected by health protocols at the ranch.