Quality assurance program and method for meat production

• US 20040074446A1
• Filed: 10/22/2002
• Published: 04/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Premium Protein Products LLC
• Original Assignee: Premium Protein Products LLC
• Inventors: Hawn, Raymond, Balding, Robert W.
• Granted Patent: US 6,830,010 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 119/174
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 29/00 Other apparatus for animal husbandry

Abstract

A quality assurance program for consistently producing high quality meat products broadly comprises selecting a plurality of calves that meet a set of standards and managing the calves according to a set of protocols. The standards are used to cull out low quality calves that are expected to yield low quality meat products. The protocols ensure the calves are properly nurtured so that they may yield high quality meat products by dictating how the calves are fed and treated. For example, the protocols preferably dictate what and when vaccines are given to the calves. The program may be broken down into three growth phases, such as an initiation phase in which the calves are managed during their first weeks, a growth phase in which the calves are managed during their growth, and a finishing phase in which the calves are managed leading up to slaughter.

Claims

1. A method of consistently producing quality meat products by managing growth of a plurality of animals through a growth management program, the method comprising the steps of:

establishing standards for participation in the program, the standards including—

initiation standards and growth standards;

admitting into the program only animals that meet the initiation standards;

tracking each animal'"'"'s growth; and

culling out animals who fail to meet the growth standards.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the initiation standards include a minimum birth weight.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2, wherein the minimum birth weight is approximately eighty-five pounds.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the growth standards include a minimum twelfth week weight.

5. The method as set forth in claim 4, wherein the minimum twelfth week weight is approximately two hundred pounds.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the growth standards include a minimum seventeenth week weight.

7. The method as set forth in claim 6, wherein the minimum seventeenth week weight is approximately three hundred pounds.

8. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the growth standards include a minimum growth rate.

9. The method as set forth in claim 8, wherein the minimum growth rate is approximately two and one half pounds per day.

10. The method as set forth in claim 1, further including the step of implementing a growth protocol for the animals.

11. The method as set forth in claim 10, wherein the growth protocol includes requirements concerning types of feed given to the animals.

12. The method as set forth in claim 10, wherein the growth protocol includes requirements concerning vaccinations given to the animals.

13. A method of consistently producing quality meat products by managing growth of a plurality of calves through a growth management program, the method comprising the steps of:

establishing standards for participation in the program, the standards including—

a minimum birth weight, a minimum twelfth week weight, a minimum seventeenth week weight, and a minimum growth rate;

culling out calves that fail to meet the standards; and

implementing a growth protocol for the calves.

14. The method as set forth in claim 13, wherein the minimum birth weight is approximately eighty-five pounds.

15. The method as set forth in claim 13, wherein the minimum twelfth week weight is approximately two hundred pounds.

16. The method as set forth in claim 13, wherein the minimum seventeenth week weight is approximately three hundred pounds.

17. The method as set forth in claim 13, wherein the minimum growth rate is approximately two and one half pounds per day.

18. The method as set forth in claim 13, wherein the growth protocol includes requirements concerning types of feed given to the calves.

19. The method as set forth in claim 13, wherein the growth protocol includes requirements concerning vaccinations given to the calves.

20. A method of consistently producing quality meat products by managing growth of a plurality of calves through a growth management program, the method comprising the steps of:

establishing standards for participation in the program, including—

a minimum birth weight of approximately eighty-five pounds, a minimum twelfth week weight of approximately two hundred pounds, a minimum seventeenth week weight of approximately three hundred pounds, and a minimum growth rate of approximately two and one half pounds per day;

culling out calves that fail to meet the standards; and

implementing a growth protocol for the calves, including—

requirements concerning types of feed and vaccinations given to the calves.