Types and Market Classes of Live Stock 71 



feeding test the cattle were bought in separate lots by the head buyer 

 of a packing company of Des Moines, Iowa. The prices given were 

 the market prices for such steers, December 28, 1903. 



Following is a summary of the first part of the investigation: 



Beef Dairy 



steers steers 



Average weight at beginning, lbs 685 574 



Average gain per steer, lbs 606 598 



Average value of feed consumed per steer $47.27 $45.18 



Average cost of one pound of gain 7.81c 7.63c 



Percentage of dressed weight in slaugter test 61.7 57.15 



Selling value, average price per pound 4.888c 3.752c 



The dairy-type steers made their gains at a trifle less cost per 

 pound than did the beef steers, indicating that their digestive and 



Fig. 17. — Dairy-type steer. Jersey steer in the Iowa experiment at end of 

 feeding period. Note the slack crops and fore-rib, paunchiness, and lack of muscling 

 in this steer. 



assimilative functions were slightly more vigorous in this instance. 

 The gains made by the dairy steers were not distributed on the body; 

 in such a way as to command the highest prices. The beef-type steers 

 made a large proportion of their gains on the back, loin, and hind- 

 quarters, while the dairy-type steers showed but little increase in thick- 

 ness on these parts. 



The beef-type steers were far more profitable to the feeder, for 

 although both lots made approximately the same total gains, and al- 

 though the average of the four dairy-type steers compared with the 

 average of the four beef-type steers shows that the former made his 



