68 JUDGING CATTLE 



in animals that are deficient in constitution. Such animals 

 do not have the capacity to make feed into flesh and fat 

 economically as they are deficient in vital force or constitu- 

 tion. 



118. Ribs — Long, Hooped. These should be long and 

 hooped so as to give an abundance of room to the vital 

 organs, the lungs and the heart, and also provide a place for 

 the storage of food in large quantities. A large, deep chest 

 and a capacious stomach are good indications that an ani- 

 mal has the capacity to utilize large quantities of food and 

 make rapid progress in fattening. The hind ribs should be 

 comparatively long bringing the plates and the flanks on 

 almost a level with the bottom of the fore part of the body. 

 The loin should be wide leaving the ribs on a level and join- 

 ing the hind quarters with little departure from a straight 

 line. 



119. Hips — Smooth; Long Hind Quarters. While width is 

 desirable at the hips yet smoothness should not be sacrificed 

 to secure this. When the hips are too wide apart they are 

 likely to be prominent and appear coarse. It would be 

 impossible to finish such an animal without the hind quarters 

 appearing rough and very deficient in covering. The hind 

 quarters should be long and carry out the squareness of form 

 which should be characteristic of the fore quarters of the 

 ideal feeding steer. 



120. Judging Fat Steers. In judging the finished or 

 fattened steer, the view must be largely that of the butcher. 

 The butcher invariably prefers animals that are small in frame; 

 the low set, thick sort that yield heavily in the most profitable 

 parts. The finished steer should also be of fine quality so that 

 the quantity of offal may be small, as this has much to do with 

 the profitableness of the carcass from the standpoint of the 

 butcher. In coarse steers fully one-half of their live weight 

 is made up of what is largely waste to the butcher. If the 



