The experimentevaluated total and individual yield of commercial cuts, bones, and trimmingsof carcasses from 38 Braford steers at 22 months of age finished in a feedlot.Carcasses were ranked according to three conformation classes (good minus =score 10; good = score 11; good plus = score 12), and three weight classes (heavy= 229.4 kg, intermediate = 205.0 kg, and light = 184.0 kg, ranging from 222.9to 250.4, 201.5 to 209.0, and 170.0 to 190.3 kg, respectively). Carcass coldshrinkage was not affected by conformation, but it was significantly lower inheavy (1.83%) than in intermediate (2.53%) and in light carcasses (2.30%), whichwere not different among each other. Carcass flank percentage was not affectedby conformation, but it was significantly higher in heavy (13.93%) and intermediatecarcasses (13.87%) as compared to light carcasses (13.07%). Deboned beef cuts(78.08%) of carcasses of steers, bone (16.57%), and trimmings (5.23%) yieldsand losses due to deboning (0.12%) were not significantly affected by carcassweight. However, when they were evaluated according to conformation classes,those with better conformation showed higher meat cut yield (78.75 vs 77.92and 77.29%). Conformation affects meat cut yield of carcasses of young steerswhile carcass weight does not show this characteristic.
