Injection sites in cattle.

As more and more portion-controlled retail cuts of the most expensive beef, primarily steaks,
are produced by centralized processors, it has become evident that injections can result
in blemishes at the site of injection. These defects must be trimmed and discarded, often
condemning two or more steaks to the tubs labeled “Non edible.” The costs of trimming can be
as much as $40.00 per head.
Initially, it was thought that feedlots were the primary source of the problem; that the blemishes
resulted from injections given when cattle were processed at the time of entry into the feedlot.
It is now known that blemishes resulting from injection of calves will persist until slaughter.  In fact, the $40.00 per head loss at slaughter, results from administering black leg vaccine in the rear leg of calves at brading time .