140 CONKEY'S STOCK BOOK 



WHAT Buyers nowadays discriminate sharply against cattle 



BUYERS WANT with horns, on account of danger in shipping. Good 

 advice is to dehorn your breeds or select the hornless 

 variety. 



Buyers, too, look for that "finish and glisten that roll to the hide" 

 which goes only with good quality. 



Buyers look to uniform fleshing, no bare spots, but good even meaty 

 covering to the frame, quickly told by the hand as it runs over the animal's 

 back. 



A low, blocky animal that matures quickly and sells for high-priced 

 meat is the profitable beef type. 



An unprofitable feeder has legs too long, back too sharp, lines not 

 straight and blocky, and is thinly or unevenly covered with flesh. 



MARKET Beef Cattle 900-1600 Ibs. Prime if 1200 to 1600 Ibs. Baby 



CLASSES beef 800-1000 Ibs. one to two years of age. 



Texas and Western Range Good condition and finish. 

 Usually bought as "feeders" and finished in the corn belt. 



Butcher's Stock Culls of beef cattle from feeders. Tolerably fat cows, 

 heifers and bulls which are not in best market condition, though given equal 

 "finishing" feed as high grade beef animals. 



Cutters and Canners Thinner culls from beef animals. Never choice, 

 but grade from inferior to good. Includes "bologna" bulls. 



Stockers and Feeders Calves, yearlings, two-year-olds, called feeders 

 if to be shipped for finishing. 900 to 1000 Ibs. Stockers are 18 months or 

 more, weighing 450 to 900 Ibs. 



Veal Calves Graded for age, weight and condition, 80 to 160 Ibs. 



In all the foregoing, quality and market finish are the first essentials; 

 but size, appearance and conformation are considered. 



Beware of the danger of short feeding. In the spring of the year it 

 often pays to rush the short-fed cattle to market before the run on south- 

 western grass-fed cattle begins. But as a rule an animal fed six months 

 will carry twice as much fat as an animal fed two months, and will bring 

 from 75% to 100% more money. 



The whole big subject of feeding has to be worked down to a science. 

 Turn to and read carefully the section on Feeds and Feeding, page 20. 



West Highland Cow 



