SELECTING STEERS FOR FEEDING 



11 



is objectionable. Smoothness of covering is the thing most de- 

 sired in the finished steer, and this is difficult to obtain when the 

 hooks are too prominent. "Patchiness" or the assembling of fat 

 in patches is most common on animals with prominence either at 

 the hooks or at the pin bcnes. The pin bones on the good type 

 are set wide apart 

 and smoothly cov- 

 ered. A drooping 

 rump is undesirable, 

 but not more object- 

 ionable than one too 

 prominent at the tail 

 head. A prominent 

 tail head, usually as- 

 sociated with prom- 

 inence at the hooks 

 and at the pin bones, 

 tends toward patchi- 

 ness, and generally 

 goes with a rump 

 that is hard to cover 

 smoothly. 



"Twist" is gener- 

 ally used to refer to 

 the flesh between the 

 thighbones. "Thigh" 

 is used to refer to the 

 flesh on the outside 

 of the thigh bones. 

 (See Figure 6 ) Tak- FIGURE 6. A WELL COVERED ANIMAL 



pn fncrptVipy fhov nrm Note thickness and depth of thigh and twist and 

 lie y smooth covering of rump. 



stitute the quarters. 



Plumpness, fullness, and thickness, with good muscular develop- 

 ment and flesh well carried down both on the inside and out- 

 side, constitute good thighs and twist, and consequently good 

 quarters. Guard against the steer with a poor thigh and a high, 

 scanty twist, for he will not develop well fleshed quarters. 



In the region of the flank, the steer should be full and low, 

 so as to make the underline from the brisket to the flank level and 

 to complete, the parallelogramic form obtained from a side view. 

 (See Figure 5.) 



