48 Types and Market Classes of Live Stock 



pended from overhead rail, washed with warm water, wiped dry, and 

 sent to coolers. 



Briefly, the above operations consist of stunning, bleeding, re- 

 moval of hide, head, shanks, tail, and viscera, splitting, washing, 

 drying, cooling. All internal organs are removed except the kidneys. 

 The time required for slaughtering and dressing is about one hour. 

 The temperature of the coolers is kept at about 34 degrees Fahrenheit 

 and the sides of beef hang in the coolers for at least 48 hours before 

 being quartered or otherwise cut up. Prime beef requires three to 

 four weeks ageing in the cooler to arrive at its best condition. 



The oflFal.— The blood, head, shanks, tail, hide, viscera, and loose 

 fat are collectively called the "offal" or "waste" of the steer, so called 

 because formerly, with the exception of the hide, tallow, and tongue, 

 the offal was thrown away. Today all of it is valuable for manufac- 

 turing into various by-products. (See Chapter III.) 



The dressing percentage. -r-By comparing the weight of the chilled 

 carcass with the live weight of the animal, the percentage of yield, or 

 what is called the "dressing percentage," is determined. This is a 

 very important factor in determining the market price of cattle for 

 slaughter; the buyer always estimates the dressing percentage before 

 bidding on a load. For example, if steer No. 1 weighing 1,200 pounds 

 on foot yields a carcass weighing 720 pounds, the dressing percentage 

 is 60. If steer No. 2 of the same live weight yields a carcass weighing 

 690 pounds, the dressing percentage is 57.5. Steer No. 1 dresses 2.5 

 per cent higher and yields 30 pounds more carcass beef than No. 2. 

 If steer carcasses of this grade are selling at $20 per cwt., then 30 pounds 

 of carcass beef is worth $6. This means that steer No. 1 is worth $6 

 more on foot than No. 2, a difference equal to 50 cents per cwt. In 

 handling thousands of animals, as do the large packing firms, the dress- 

 ing percentage is a matter of great importance. The range in the 

 dressing percentages of cattle is from 35 to 70 per cent. Census re- 

 turns indicate that the average dressing percentage of cattle is about 

 54 per cent and of calves about 62 per cent. 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. 



Dressing percentage as a factor in cattle prices. — If steer No. 2 

 described above sells on foot at $11,50 per cwt., steer No. 1 should 

 bring $12 per cwt. In this instance an increase in dressing percentage 

 of 2.5 per cent added 50 cents per cwt. to the live value. Note that 

 the difference between these steers in dressing percentage (2.5) multi- 

 plied by the price of one pound of carcass beef (20 cents) gives the 

 difference in live value per cwt. (50 cents). When, as in this instance. 



