The weights of eight muscles or muscle groups, excised from the left side of the carcasses of 43 mature Hereford cows, were used to derive an estimate of total carcass lean. The standard deviation for the individual muscles ranged from 0.41 to 1.64 lb. of lean as compared to 18.63 lb. for total carcass lean. Sixty-four to 92% of the variation in total separable carcass lean of mature cattle was associated with the weight of certain entire muscles. With slaughter weight held constant, the standard partial regression coefficients obtained between the weight of the total carcass lean and the weight of certain muscles or muscle groups were: Biceps femoris, 0.97; sirloin tip muscle group, 0.82; Longissimus dorsi, 0.79 and inside round group, 0.72. The regressions of total carcass lean on the weight of the Biceps jemoris, Longissimus dorsi and the major muscles in the sirloin tip or inside round were 12.36, 10.24, 16.27 and 14.31 lb. of lean, respectively. High interrelationships were found among the weights of all muscles studied. The results indicate the validity of using the weight of certain entire muscles to estimate the degree of muscling in a particular mature beef carcass.
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Orme et al. (1960) studied this question.