TYPES AND MARKET CLASSES OF LIVE STOCK 103 



7. Breeding. Steers of good beef breeding are much pre- 

 ferred over those which have more or less of a scrub or dairy 

 ancestry. We look for evidences of beef breeding in the form, 

 quality, fleshing, and color of the animals. The beef-bred 

 animal is more rectangular in build, more compact and blocky, 

 and lower set than the dairy-bred steer. The steer of beef 

 breeding is plumper and thicker in his muscles throughout. 

 The dairy-bred steer stands high off the ground, has a long, 

 narrow head, cuts up in the flank, is split up in the twist, cat- 

 hammed, and rough in conformation over the hips and rump. 

 His bone is usually too fine, and his hide too thin and "papery" 

 in texture. Coarse, rough steers, with coarse, plain heads, show 

 lack of good ancestry. The wide, short, clean-cut head, with 



Fig. 22. Fancy Feeder Calves. 



broad muzzle, good eye, and marked indications of what is often 

 termed "character," may be accepted as one of the very best 

 evidences not only of beef breeding, . but of good beef breeding. 

 The more one deals with feeder cattle the more one learns to 

 study heads and to place reliance on what the head indicates 

 as to form, quality, feeding capacity, constitution, thrift, breed- 

 ing, and disposition. 



The colors of the beef breeds are certainly preferred in 

 feeder steers, but many scrub animals masquerade under these 

 colors. Red, roan, or black are frequently found in animals 

 carrying a very small percentage of Shorthorn, Hereford, Aber- 

 deen-Angus, or Galloway blood. The same is true of the polled 



