SELECTING STEERS FOR FEEDING 



-SPRING OF RIB 

 BACK 



The head is an excellent index to the character of the feeder, 

 because there is a relationship between the different parts of an 

 animal's body. The steer with a wide head is usually a good 

 feeder, for a wide head goes with a food capacity for putting on 

 a large amount of flesh. Usually the steer with a wide head will 

 grow thick through tte body and wide across the back like the 



steer shown in Fig- 

 ure 4. Width of 

 muzzle is also impor- 

 tant because it indi- 

 cates capacity for 

 feed consumption and 

 for good breathing. 

 The eye should be 

 prominent, clear, and 

 placid, indicating 

 health, and a quiet 

 disposition which is 

 desirable in an ani- 

 mal destined to take 

 on flesh. 



Although the neck 

 is not a choice cut, it 

 is thick and short on 

 a good steer, for a 

 thick compact body, 

 a necessity in a good 

 feeder, usually ac- 

 companies a short, 

 thick neck. 



The brisket, which is the flesh covering the point of the breast 

 bone between the fore legs, is not choice meat but on the well- 

 built steer it is well let down and has good width, thus conforming 

 to the general thickness throughout and helping to complete the 

 parallelogramic form desired in the good feeder. (Study Fig- 

 ure 5.) 



The shoulder should be evenly covered, compact, and wide at 

 the top. "While width of shoulders at the top is a mark of a good 

 feeder, steers with extremely wide shoulders should not be 

 selected, for they are usually coarse and have unduly prominent 

 hip points. The shoulder should blend smoothly with the neck, 



FIGURE 4. A GOOD HEAVY STEER 

 Showing development of parts named. 



