A STATISTICAL STUDY OF BODY WEIGHTS, 

 GAINS AND MEASUREMENTS OF STEERS 

 DURING THE FATTENING PERIOD 



(hi Thi United States .Journal of Agricultural Research, 1917.) 



During the winter months of 1914-1915, 1915-1916, and 1916- 

 1917. a series of body measurements of steers were made at 

 the Pennsylvania Experiment Station, at the beginning and 

 close of feeding experiments, for three consecutive years, with 

 the purpose of determining the average body measurements of 

 two-year-old steers at the beginning and close of the fattening 

 period and the relationship of other definite body measure- 

 ment- to each other, and to note those measurements that 

 could be used in selection as a means of reducing the experi- 

 mental error in feeding experiments and a study of variation 

 in the measurements themselves. Another object was to find 

 out the correlation of gains to initial body measurements and 

 to changes in body dimensions. 



All measurenu nts taken on a total of 216 animals divided 

 into seven lots each year are indicated in Table I. These steers 

 were relatively uniform as feeders, varying in market grades 

 from " fair " to " choice," the majority being " good " feeders ; 

 92 wen- Hereford grades, 84 Shorthorn grades, 18 Aberdeen 

 Angus grades. 7 Shorthorn Hereford crosses. .'{Shorthorn X 

 Aberdeen-Angus crosses, and .*i Hereford Aberdeen-Angus 

 crosses. In no case did a steer fail to show some infusion of 

 improved beef blood. The average initial weight of the 216 

 steers was 900 pounds, with TOO and 1300 pounds as ex- 

 tremes. The steers were as uniform in quality, weight, and 

 condition as would ordinarily be obtained for feeding purposed. 

 Each year 60 steers were divided into five lots of 12 each, 

 selected with as much care for uniformity of weight, breeding, 

 condition, and quality as possible. The feeding of these various 



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