USDA ARS
Animal scientist Jim Neel uses ultrasound on finishing steers to estimate back fat, rib eye area, and intramuscular marbling, all indicators of meat quality. Direct-to-consumer meat sales require producers to evaluate livestock’s harvest readiness and set profitable meat prices.
Direct-to-consumer meat sales boomed in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is expected for them to remain higher than pre-COVID levels. With these expanded market opportunities for beef and lamb, many producers now finish meat livestock to sell directly to consumers.
When finishing livestock there are certain evaluation criteria that mark when the meat animals are ready for harvest. Once you select which livestock to harvest, the marketing to sell your beef and lamb meat begins.