This study was based on the data collected on 157 Milking Shorthorn steers bred and fattened at the Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, Maryland. These steers were all fed individually in a record of performance test to a final weight of 900 pounds. Body measurements were taken just before slaughter. Slaughter grade, carcass grade and dressing percentage were taken under comparable conditions on all the animals. In addition to the total group, which varied somewhat in their treatment, a subgroup of the 157 steers consisting of 62 animals which received more uniform treatment was studied. A considerable number of the correlations between the five body measurements dealt with in this paper and slaughter grade, carcass grade, and dressing percentage were high enough to be statistically significant and of some value for selection in a long-time breeding program. Conclusions based on results from the group of 157 steers were: Steers of shorter height both at the withers and at the floor of chest, and steers that were shorter in length of body, tended to have slightly higher slaughter and carcass grades and a higher dressing percentage than more rangy steers.
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Cook et al. (1951) studied this question.