68 JUDGING CATTLE 



stitution. Such animals do not have the capacity to make 

 feed into flesh and fat economically as they are deficient 

 in vital force or constitution. 



118. Ribs Long, Hooped. These should be long and 

 hooped so as to give an abundance of room to the vital 

 organs, the lungs and the heart, and also provide a place 

 for the storage of food in large quantities. A large, deep 

 chest and a capacious stomach are good indications that 

 an animal has the capacity to utilize large quantities of 

 food and make rapid progress in fattening. The hind ribs 

 should be comparatively long bringing the plates and the 

 flanks on almost a level with the bottom of the fore part 

 of the body. The loin should be wide leaving the ribs on 

 a level and joining the hind quarters with little departure 

 from a straight line. 



119. Hips Smooth; Long Hind Quarters. While width 

 is desirable at the hips yet smoothness should not be sacri- 

 ficed to secure this. When the hips are too wide apart they 

 are likely to be prominent and appear coarse. It would be 

 impossible to finish such an animal without the hind 

 quarters appearing rough and very deficient in covering. 

 The hind quarters should be long and carry out the 

 squareness of form which should be characteristic of the 

 fore quarters of the ideal feeding steer. 



120. Judging Fat Steers. In judging the finished or 

 fattened steer, the view must be largely that of the 

 butcher. The butcher invariably prefers animals that are 

 small in frame ; the low set, thick sort that yield heavily in 

 the most profitable parts. The finished steer should also be 

 of fine quality so that the quantity of offal may be small, 

 as this has much to do with the profitableness of the car- 

 cass from the standpoint of the butcher. In coarse steers 

 fully one-half of their live weight is made up of what is 

 largely waste to the butcher. If the bone is fine, the skin 

 and hair of good quality, there is much less waste than if 

 they were coarse. 



