Poultry Carcass Grading Study Guide

The Grades: A -- Great B – Okay C – Poor NG (non gradable)- inedible

NG Non Gradable Chunks of the meat removed! Half of the back Missing. Missing any of the main parts (thigh etc.)

Grade C Back missing over half way to hip jopints. Two disjointed bones with one broken bone. More than 1/3 of flesh showing on any 1 part. Protruding Broken Bones. Total wing missing. Tear in flesh.

Causes of Grade B Missing wingette/ wingettes. 1. The back removed, up to the halfway point between hip joints and tail base. Two disjoints and no broken bones, or one of each. One non-protruding broken bone. Flesh visable, but less than 1/3 of part.

Grade A Lil bit of flesh exposed. Wing tips may be missing. Tail may be missing. One disjointed bone.

Baby got back? Grade B Grade A Grade C Tail may be present. Back removed less than half way to the hip joints. Back removed more than half way to hip joints. Tail may be removed. Grade B Grade A Grade C

Wings Missing? Grade A Grade B Grade C Wing tips may be missing. (okay) Entire wings removed. Wingette portion or portions removed. Grade A Grade B Grade C

Breaks and disjoints? Grade C Grade A Grade B Wing Dislocation One or more protruding bone breaks. More than 1 nonprotruding. More than two dislocations . More than two total nonprotruding and dislocations. Non protruding broken bone. Leg Dislocation Two Dislocations. One dislocation. Grade C Grade A Grade B

Flesh exposed? Grade B Grade A Grade C More than 1/3 of any given part! A Tear in the meat! Smal areas okay. < 1/3 of any part <¼ inch on breast < 1 ½ inches on other parts. Grade B Grade A Grade C Part- Thigh, drumstick, whole breast, back

Whats nongradable? Missing chunks of meat or big parts of the bird!

Grade: C Why: More than 1/3 of the breast’s flesh exposed

Grade: C Why: Whole Wing Is removed

Grade: B Hip Joints Base of Tail Back is cut half way or less between hip joints and the base of the tail Why:

Grade: B Why: Wingette Portion of wing missing.

Grade: A Why: No Defects

Grade: C Why: Over 1/3 of drumstick flesh is exposed

Grade: C Why: Back removed over halfway to the hip joints.

Grade: C Why: Protruding Broken Bone

Grade: NG Why: Chunk of breast meat missing

Grade: A Why: 1 dislocation is Okay

Grade: A Why: No Defects

Grade: C Why: Over 1/3 removed! What if the carcass is completely skinless? Why: Over 1/3 removed!

Grade: B Why: Wingette portions missing

Grade: NG Why: Chunk of breast meat missing

Grade: B Why: Flesh exposed, over ½ inch on breast.

Grade: A Why: 1 dislocation okay, wing tip missing okay

Grade: A Why: No Defects

Grade: NG Why: Huge chunk of breast meat missing!

Grade: C Why: Whole Wing Missing

Grade: B Why: Over ½ inch flesh exposed, but less than 1/3 of part.

Grade: C Why: Back cut out over half way to the hip joints.

Grade: B Why: 1 non protruding broken bone.

Grade: A Why: One dislocation – okay. Missing wing tip okay.

Grade: B Why: One Non-protruding Broken Bone

Grade: B Why: Plenty of exposed flesh on the thigh, but not more than 1/3 of part.

Grade: C Why: Protruding Broken Bone. Over 1/3 of back exposed.

Grade: A Why: No Defect

Grade: A Why: Only one dislocation.

Grade: B Why: Wingette portion missing.

Grade: B Why: More than 1 ½ inch on thigh! More than 1/4 inch on breast!

Grade: C Why: Over 1/3 of flesh on back is exposed.

Grade: B Why: Wingette Portion is missing. Broken bone, non-protruding.

Grade: B Why: More than 1/4 inch flesh exposed on Breast, but not more than 1/3 of part.

Grade: B Why: More than ¼ inch flesh exposed on Whole Breast, but not more than 1/3 of part.

Grade: A Why: No Defect

Grade: B Why: One Broken Bone. Missing wingette portion.

Grade: B Why: Missing Wingette Portion. More than ¼ inch flesh exposed on Breast, but not more than 1/3 of part. One broken bone.

Grade: B Why: More than ¼ inch!

Grade: NG Chunk of meat missing in thigh

Grade: No Defects A

Grade: Drumstick missing. NG

Grade: Less than 1 ½ inch exposed. A

Grade: C 1. More than 1/3 of back and thigh flesh exposed. 2. Whole wing missing. 3. Protruding broken bone. C

Grade: Wingette portions missing. B

Grade: No defects. A

Grade: More than 1/3 flesh exposed on the thigh. C

Grade: 1. More than ¼ inch flesh exposed on Breast, but not more than 1/3 of part. 2. Wingette portion missing. B

Grade: No Defects. A

Grade: C 1. Protruding broken bone. 2. Whole wings missing. 3. More than 1/3 flesh exposed on thigh. C

Grade: Back remove, but not more than ½ way to the hip joints. B

Grade: Whole wing removed. C

Grade: B 1. Wingette portion missing. 2. Flesh exposed more than 1 ½ inch on back and thigh, but not more than 1/3 of the part. B

Grade: One dislocation okay. A

Grade: No Defects. A

Grade: C 1. Whole wing missing. 2. Flesh exposed more than 1/3 any one part. 3. Back removed more than half the way to the hip joints. Grade: C

Grade: C 1. More than 1/3 flesh exposed on back, drumstick, and thigh. 2. Back removed more than half way to the hip joints. 3. Whole wing missing. C

Grade: Flesh exposed on breast (1/4 inch) and drumstick (1 ½ inch), but not more than 1/3. B

Grade: Whole wings missing. C

Grade: < 1 ½ inches – okay 1 dislocation okay A

Grade: No Defects. A

Grade: 1. Wingette Portion removed. B

Grade: Two dislocations. B

Grade: 1. More than 1/3 flesh exposed on thigh. C

Grade: No Defects. A

Grade: One dislocation okay. A

Grade: More than 1/3 flesh exposed on the thigh. B

Grade: WIngette portion missing. B

Grade: Less than 1 ½ inches A