SELECTING STEERS FOB FEEDING IT 



Stockers are cattle that are considered too young or otherwise 

 unqualified to be classed as feeders. They should possess all the 

 appearance of becoming good feeders after they have been de- 

 veloped cheaply for about a year. They are usually thinner in 

 flesh and 300 to 400 pounds lighter than feeders. 



Stock heifers are heifers that are thin in condition, but of good 

 quality and are kept to be fed out later for good female butcher 

 stuff. 



Stock bulls are bulls of good quality and breeding which can 

 be fattened and returned as good butcher bulls. 



Class V. Milkers and Springers. Commercial dairying has cre- 

 ated a demand at market centers for cows, either in milk or that 

 will be in milk in the very near future. The milker is a cow that 

 is in milk. The springer is the cow that is due to calve in a 

 short time. 



These cows are always lumped off, and the price depends upon 

 condition, quality, and indications of vigor, strength, and milk 

 producing capacity. 



Class VI. Export Cattle. These are used for export trade and 

 are usually good to choice beef cattle of good size. Not very many 

 prime steers are exported because the price is too high. Mature 

 cattle are preferred because they do not shrink so badly when 

 shipped. Export cattle do not constitute so large a class as 

 formerly, because of the increased demand in this country. 



Class VII. Shipping Cattle. These correspond closely to the 

 export cattle in type, and are shipped east to supply the demand 

 at eastern markets. 



Class VIII. Stags. Some men buy bulls of good breeding and 

 quality and feed them up after castrating. If thin before start- 

 ing on feed and if fattened quickly, they make a good quality of 

 meat and often sell as well as good beef steers. Some of the in- 

 ferior stags go for butcher stuff and the real "tail ends" go for 

 canners. 



Baby beef. The market is beginning to demand more and 

 more beef weighing about 1,000 pounds at eighteen months old. 

 Quality and uniformity are essential and the latter is often the 

 hard thing to get. The butcher likes baby beef because the cuts 

 are smaller. The producer is satisfied to market his steers at a 

 younger age because he realizes on his investment sooner. 



Distillers. These are cattle that have been fattened at the dis- 

 tilleries and as a class, are becoming more and more rare, due to 



