摘要：This research examines the returns to a cattle feeding operation that sorts animals priorto marketing using ultrasound technology. The returns to sorting are between $11 and$25 per head depending on the number of groups the pens in which cattle can be sorted. Sorting faces declining returns. These returns can also be viewed as the costs imposedby institutional constraints that limit co-mingling of cattle. Through sorting, cattlefeeding operations are able to reduce meat quality discounts, increase meat qualitypremiums, increase beef carcass quality characteristics, more efficiently use feedresources, and increase profits.
