42 TYPES AND MARKET CLASSES OF LIVE STOCK 



dress around 45 per cent. Well-bred steers, well fattened and 

 with straight lines, that is, free from paunchiness, dress out 62 

 to 65 per cent. The highest record known to the writer, where 

 the steer was dressed in the usual manner, is 69.9 per cent. In 

 determining the dressing percentage, the refinement of head, 

 bone, and hide is of less importance as a rule than paunchiness 

 or fatness, although in some animals the weight of hide is a con- 

 siderable item. 



Commission men who sell cattle on the big markets are 

 always careful that the cattle consigned to them get plenty of 

 feed and water before they are offered for sale. This is called 

 the "fill," and it is important because it has a quieting effect on 

 the cattle, corrects the gaunt appearance caused by shipping, 

 and adds weight to the animal. The buyer estimates the fill 

 in various ways, particularly by the degree of paunchiness. 

 Hence the fill does not constitute a fourth factor of the dressing 

 percentage, but is included under paunchiness. On hot days 

 when cattle take a heavy fill of water, buyers stay off the market 

 as long as possible. 



The census of this country has provided average live and 

 dressed weights of meat animals killed in the wholesale slaughter- 

 ing and meat-packing industry, and these averages are derived 

 from an immense number of animals. The average live weight 

 of cattle was 1069 pounds in 1899, 1047 pounds in 1904, 1019 

 pounds in 1909, and 989 pounds in 1914. The average dressed 

 weight was 583 pounds in 1899, 569 pounds for 1904, 543 

 pounds for 1909, and 530 pounds for 1914. The average dress- 

 ing percentage was, therefore, 54.5 in 1899, 54.3 in 1904, 53.3 

 in 1909, and 53.6 in 1914. The average live weight of calves 

 for these four years was 141, 167, 168, and 167 pounds. The 

 average dressed weight was 90, 103, 105, and 102 pounds. The 

 average dressing percentage was 63.8, 61.7, 62.5, and 61.1 per 

 cent, respectively. Calves dress a higher percentage than cattle 

 because the hide is left on the veal carcass to preserve the color 

 and moisture of the flesh, which dries out and turns dark much 

 more rapidly than beef when exposed to the air. 



The wholesale cuts. When the carcass has been sufficiently 

 ripened in the cooler, it is ready for cutting up into the whole- 

 sale cuts. The full side of beef, half the carcass, has the appear- 

 ance shown in the following diagram. The wholesale cuts are 

 indicated by the dotted lines. 



