CHAPTER I. 

 BEEF TYPE. 



The following description applies particularly to the fat- 

 tened steer. Special or additional features of type which should 

 characterize the beef bull and the beef cow will receive attention 

 later. It should be understood, however, that all good beef 

 animals steers, heifers, cows, and bulls are similar in the 

 essentials of beef type; therefore, the description given here 

 applies in almost every respect to all classes of beef animals. 



General appearance. When correct in form and fatness, 

 the beef animal presents a massive, blocky appearance from 

 every angle of view. As viewed from the side, the body is 

 rectangular, very deep, and short from shoulder to hip. The 

 body is very wide, and the legs are short and placed squarely 

 under the body. Two dimensions of the beef animal should 

 be great width and depth; the third dimension, length, should 

 be relatively small. There should be great smoothness of out- 

 line everywhere, all the parts being uniformly developed and 

 so blended as to form a symmetrical and balanced animal. The 

 back is uniformly broad, the more width the better. From a 

 side view, the top line and underline are straight and parallel. 

 A fullness of outline is presented everywhere. 



An animal showing too much length of middle is referred 

 to as "rangy," while animals standing high off the ground on 

 long legs are termed "leggy." The head should be short and 

 broad, and the neck short and thick. Such a head and neck 

 are associated or correlated with the desired type of body. 

 Rangy, leggy animals usually have long narrow heads and 

 long thin necks. With only the heads and necks of a number 

 of beef animals in view, the best animals may be picked out 

 with reasonable certainty by the general proportions of the 

 heads and necks. A straight-edge laid against the side of a 

 beef animal should touch the shoulder and hindquarter and 

 all points between them. 



The head should be of medium size, short, and broad, 

 with a broad muzzle, indicating capacity for grazing and feeding. 

 The nostrils should be large, indicating capacity for breathing 

 and hence a good constitution. The face line, from a side view, 



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