Types and Market Classes of Live Stock 



103 



steers and ten heifers and began an experiment to determine whether 

 a discrimination against fat heifers is justifiable. All of these cattle 

 were yearling grade Shorthorns, all sired by the same bull. Five of 

 the heifers were spayed soon after purchase, and all fifteen head were 

 roughed until January 4, 1893, when they were grain-fed for eleven 

 months, and then shipped to Chicago. There they were sold on the 

 open market to Swift and Company, who made slaughter and block 

 tests of the animals. The results of the experiment are condensed into 

 the following table: 



Steers and heifers compared in gains, yields, and profits 



Weights, costs, gains, prices, yields, profits 



Original weight, September 12, lbs 



Cost, per lb., cents 



Total cost 



Cost of pasture and fodder prior to January 4 . . . . 



Weight, January 4, lbs 



Average gaift on feed per animal per day, lbs . . . 



Total gain 



Average cost feed per lb. gain, cents 



Total cost feed 



Shrink in shipping, lbs 



Selling weight, lbs 



Selling price per lb., cents 



Selling price, total 



Freight, yardage, and commission 



Profit 



Beef (warm weight), lbs 



Dressing percentage 



Total tallow, lbs 



10 loins, per cent of carcass 



10 loins, price per lb., cents 



10 ribs, per cent of carcass 



10 ribs, price per lb., cents 



10 rounds, per cent of carcass 



10 rounds, price per lb., cents 



Margin between live cost and sales of meat and 

 by-products, not including expense of killing 

 and handling 



5 



Steers 



4,005. 



3.5 

 $140.18 

 20.00 



4,093. 



2.44 

 4,032. 



5.02 

 $202.47 

 215. 

 7,910. 



5.75 



$454.82 



24.71 



67.46 



5 

 Open 

 heifers 



3,455. 

 2. 

 $69.10 

 20.00 



3,592. 

 1.99 



3,288. 



6.04 

 $198.70 

 290. 

 6,590. 



4.75 



$313.02 



24.71 



.51 



5 

 Spayed 

 heifers 



3,998. 

 2. 

 $79.96 

 20.00 



3,994. 



2.07 

 3,416. 



5.86 

 $200.32 

 280. 

 7,130. 



4.75 



$338.67 



24.71 



13.68 



4,997. 

 63.2 

 969.5 



4,110. 

 62.4 

 648.75 



4,475. 

 62.8 

 701.5 



16.7 



15. 



10.1 



15. 



24.1 



17.6 

 13.5 

 10.8 

 13.5 

 21.5 

 5.75 



17.7 

 13.5 

 10.9 

 13.5 

 21.7 

 5.65 



$20.45 



$58.12 



$64.84 



The returns made by the heifers to Swift and Company would have 

 justified a purchase price of $5.37 per cwt. for the spayed heifers and 

 $5.32 for the open heifers, instead of $4.75 for each, and still have 

 left the same margin of profit as in the steers. It is clear, then, that 

 the difference in the live-weight value of the steers and heifers was only 

 about 40 cents per cwt., instead of $1.00 a cwt. made by the buyers. 

 Expert opinions secured from Chicago packers as to why the heifer 

 carcasses sold at less price per pound than the steer carcasses were to 



