72 FEEDING FARM ANIMALS 



types sluggish locomotion. With bacon types so much fin- 

 ish would be excessive. The degree of the same can only 

 be obtained from experience. 



The indications that come through touch in cattle are 

 found: (i) In the depth and mellowness of the fatty 

 covering over the pin bones, and (2) in the relative firm- 

 ness of the muscles, under gentle pressure of the finger 

 tips. The pin bones do not become thus covered unless the 

 animal has reached an advanced stage of fattening. The 

 degree of the firmness of flesh in the muscles is influenced 

 by maturity in the animal, being of course greater under 

 equal degrees of finish with advancing age. This firmness 

 is by no means the same as hardness of flesh in the poor 

 feeding animal, and it does not mean that there shall be any 

 want of vibrating power in the skin over the ribs under 

 gentle lateral pressure of the open hand, such as is found 

 in animals that feed slowly. With cattle in the less ad- 

 vanced stages of fattening, the muscles are soft and yield 

 more under gentle pressure than those in the ripe animal. 

 This increasing firmness of muscle is caused by the firming 

 of the fatty tissue within and over the muscles, and it is 

 best ascertained on those parts of the body most' deeply 

 covered with muscle. With sheep, these indications are 

 ascertained in much the same way as with cattle, with the 

 difference, that more frequently the handling is confined 

 to the pin bones and the fatty tissue around the tail head. 

 The fleece, when present, interferes somewhat with exami- 

 nation through light pressure over the muscles. Swine are 

 seldom handled in order to judge of ripeness, but firmness 

 of flesh may be ascertained with them also by hand pressure. 



There are instances, however, in which firmness of flesh 

 will not be present, even though the animal has practically 

 ceased to make increase in flesh, as when it has been fat- 

 tened on food possessed of an excessive amount of oil. Such, 

 for instance, is the flesh of swine fattened on beechnuts 

 and peanuts. It is indicated by excessive softness of the 

 muscles. Such a condition of flesh is improved by feeding 



