SELECTING ANIMALS AND METHODS OF FEEDING 285 



greater the capacity the greater the proportion of feed that is utilized 

 for production and the less for maintenance. 



Short, straight legs, together with a short, deep, broad body, are 

 associated with early maturity. This is desirable from the producer's 

 stand-point, as it enables him to market his cattle as feeders weighing 

 1,000 pounds at 18 to 20 months instead of keeping them a year longer 

 in order to attain the same weight. The early maturing steer will also 

 sell for a greater price per pound, as the experienced feeder has learned 

 that they will not only make rapid and economical gains but will finish 



65. A POOR TYPE OF STEER FOR FEEDING PURPOSES 



This steer made a daily gain of .77 pounds for six months in a feeding experi- 

 ment. Compare the form of this steer with that in Fig. 64 

 By courtesy of the Indiana Experiment Station 



more quickly than those which are slower in maturing. Not only is this 

 type more desirable to the producer and to the feeder, but also to the 

 packer, as the early maturing kind yield a higher dressing percentage, 

 thicker cuts, and greater proportion of high-priced meat. 



In the stocker or feeder, quality is synonymous with capacity and 

 early maturity. It is indicated by a thick, fine, bright, or oily coat of 

 hair, a fine, hard, dense bone, and an appearance of refinement, smooth- 

 ness, and symmetry throughout. Such a coat as described is generally 

 associated with a healthy, pliable, and mellow skin; as the inner digestive 

 organs are continuations and modifications of the outer skin, health in 



