PROGRESSIVE BEEF CATTLE RAISING 



Nevertheless in the long run this 

 Characteristics compromise type of steer (see page 4 1 ) 

 of the Standard is the one that gives best returns at all 

 Types of Beef stages of his development. Such an 

 Steer animal as viewed from the side should 



be straight in top and underline, deep, 

 low-set, stylish in carriage, symmetrical in all parts, and 

 possessed of a smooth, thick, meaty appearance. From 

 the rear he should be wide throughout and even; smooth 

 through the shoulders, hook points and rump; and 

 deep and thick in thigh, lower round and twist. From 

 the front he should show a pronounced breadth from 

 shoulder top down through the breast, his neck and 

 shoulder vein should be plump with fat, his head short, 

 broad and well-dished, and his legs set well apart. Such 

 a steer will carry thick cuts in the valuable parts and be 

 proportionate between his carcass and the internal organs 

 that provide his meat making machinery. He should be 

 thick, smooth and mellow to the touch in all parts of his 

 body, and as refined in bone, skin and hair as possible 

 without reducing his ruggedness or vigor. Since beef 

 cattle sell by the pound a big steer at a given age is always 

 preferable to a smaller one of the same general merit. 



The fat cattle buyer must not only 

 Dressing determine what kind of carcass the 



Percent animal he buys will produce, but he 



must also determine what the steer 

 will yield, in terms of carcass to live weight. This is 

 known as the dressing percentage and depends on the 

 condition, the freedom from paunchiness, the type and 

 the quality. Fat steers always outdress animals of less 

 finish, the degree of their condition being judged in 

 accurate detail by the filling of the tongue root, brisket, 

 shoulder vein, flank and twist, in addition to the general 

 covering over the body. The fill of the digestive organs 

 with feed and water is as important as the condition. 

 In shipping, steers of 1200 pound weight frequently 



Page Sixty-nine 



