Comparing Iowa 4-H Beef Carcass Programs with the 2016 National Beef Quality Audit Carcasses

While the Iowa 4-H & FFA carcass contest cattle are not completely representative of all Iowa cattle, they can indicate trends for the Iowa cattle industry and represent the calves locally available for projects. With nearly 60% of these cattle receiving an $8/cwt premium, cattle feeders have the potential to improve net revenues by marketing cattle into a grid market.