CHAPTER I 

 BEEF TYPE 



The following description applies particularly to the fattened steer. 

 Special or additional features of type which should characterize the 

 beef bull and the beef cow will receive attention in another chapter. 

 It should be understood, however, that all good beef animals — steers, 

 heifers, cows, and bulls — are similar in the essentials of beef type; there- 

 fore, the description given here applies in most respects to all classes of 

 beef animals.^, ^, .,. 



General appearance.V^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. Along the top, the 

 ideal animal is uniformly broad, the more width the better. From a 

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

 ness 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 an- 

 imal 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 should be short and from a side view the line 

 of the face should be straight or show a slight inward curve or dish 

 from eyes to muzzle. The eyes should be wide apart, large, prominent, 

 bright, clear, and indicative of a quiet disposition. A quiet expression 



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