EXERCISE XLIII. 

 *SCORIN& BEEF CATTLE. 



Ellis Rail, Professor of Agriculture, State School of Agriculture, Curtis, Nebraska. 



Supplies for a Laboratory Section of Twelve. Three dozen score cards for beef cattle — fat class. Two or 

 three fat beef cattle suitable for scoring. 



DIRECTIONS. First learn where the points mentioned in the score card for beef cattle 

 are located on the animal. Second, read the explanation and directions accompanying the score 

 card for beef cattle. As you read the explanation and directions it will be well to make a 

 casual study of a fat beef animal. Third, score such animals as are provided for this study. 



Explanation and Directions Accompanying the Score Card for Beef Cattle. — Fat Class. 



The Demand of the Butcher. Since the butcher is the man who is the ultimate judge of 

 the animal to be killed for beef, it follows that his ideas of value in the animal mast be 

 approximated by the producer, so long as the butcher's demand does not interfere with the 

 economy of production. 



The steer that most fully meets the requirements of the butcher and packer is the one 

 that carries not only a large amount of meat in proportion-to the total live weight but .has the 

 meat so placed on the body that a comparatively large percentage of it is in the most valuable 

 parts of the carcass, namely, the ribs, back, loin and hind quarters. To suit the butcher, then, 

 the animal must have proper conformation, quality and condition. 



Conformation. Conformation has to do with the shape or form of the animal. A good 

 killing steer is low set, blocky, deep and wide, with a comparatively small head and neck, 

 and short refined legs. The fore quarters and chest should be strong, but not wider than 

 the animal elsewhere. The ribs, back and loin should be especially wide and thick, while 

 width, depth, length and fullness of the hind quarters throughout are essential. With this form 

 must go compactness and smoothness, with comparatively light development of the paunch, so 

 that the dressing waste is reduced to the minimum. The essential points to keep in mind in 

 regard to conformation are the full development of those parts which yield the high priced 

 cuts, and the minimum development of those parts which yield the cheaper cuts. Symmetry 

 and balance of form, or reasonable proportion must not, however, be sacrificed. 



Quality. Quality in a fat animal refers to two points, the fineness of tissues in the edible 

 portions of the carcass, and the physical condition of the fat and muscle tissues which cover 

 the body. The body covering must be firm, elastic and pliable, but not soft and flabby, or 

 harsh and hard. Quality, then, really refers to those external indications which suggest to 

 us whether or not the meat in the dressed carcass will be of the highest grade and quality. 



The external indications of quality are as follows: fine, clean, hard bone; soft, pliable 

 skin; soft hair; lack of coarseness at the shoulders, knee joints, hock joints, hips, tail-head, 

 head and horns. A smooth, even, firm character of flesh and covering throughout is like- 

 wise indicative of quality. Rolls of fat on the ribs, lumps about the tail-head, too flabby 

 and soft a character of the covering in any region are to be avoided or severely criticised. 



Condition. Condition means the degree of fatness that the animal possesses. Thin condi- 

 tion means having little fat in the body tissues. Ripeness or finished condition means that the 

 body is carrying the maximum percentage of fat cells in proportion to the amount of lean 

 tissue. Ripeness of condition is necessary to secure a high percent of dressed meat of good 

 flavor and quality. To judge condition, examine the animal carefully with the hand about 

 the shoulders, ribs, spine and hind quarters, for fullness and thickness of the muscle and fat 



* See Introduction to Corn Score Card, Exercise X XIII. 



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