Types and Market Classes of Live Stock 129 



somewhat deficient in quality. Good cows lack in both condition and 

 quality, but are fat enough to be reasonably good killers. Medium 

 cows are poor in form, low in condition, and deficient in quality. 

 Common cows are a still lower grade closely resembling cutters and at 

 times sold as cutters rather than as butchers. 



Cows are marketed in large ©umbers in fall and early winter, and 

 at that time cow slaughter frequently exceeds steer slaughter. The 

 slaughter of cows is much less uniform in numbers than that of steers. 

 This is because most cows go to slaughter direct from grass in the fall, 

 while many grass steers are carried over for winter feeding. The 

 absence of a cow carry-over is felt in the spring and early summer 

 when receipts of cows are light and prices are the highest of the year. 



Fig. 37. — Choice butcher cow. 



Usually the number of cows slaughtered in May is about one-third the 

 number of steers slaughtered in that month. 



Bulls. — The grades of butcher bulls are choice, good, medium, and 

 common. There are very few choice bulls; the supply of these consists 

 of good beef bulls which have become too aged for further use as 

 breeders. Bulls of the good grade lack in quality and condition. 

 Medium bulls are deficient in form, quality, and condition, being 

 decidedly on the plain order. Common bulls are thin, long legged, 

 and coarse. They are very similar to bologna bulls and at times are 

 used for the same purposes. 



Stags.— Very few stags are received. They are graded the same 

 as bulls, but command a somewhat better price depending on how 

 closely they resemble steers in form and quality. 



