I70 JUDGING CATTLE 



palatable and nutritious. Fat tissues contain less water 

 than lean meat tissues, so that as the animal gets fat the per- 

 centage of water in the carcass decreases. The buyer can 

 afford to pay more for the fat animal than for the thin one, 

 because he pays for less water ; and his customers prefer 

 to eat the finished meat which has been made tender by the 

 fattening process. 



In looking for finish the judge "handles" the animal. If 

 the flesh is soft and spongy he decides that the animal is yet 

 unfinished or has been overdone. The value of a carcass 

 depends upon the " marbhng " of meat, which means a 

 mixture of fat and lean somewhat resembling streaks in 

 marble. If the animal is overdone, there will be too high 

 a percentage of fat, which is undesirable and which lowers 

 the value of the carcass. The animal should be evenly 

 covered and the flesh should be firm because this means 

 that the flesh will make good meat. Often the animal 

 is inclined to be "patchy," that is, its fat will be deposited 

 in patches. These patches are often found around the tail 

 head, and on cattle of poor type the flesh collects around the 

 points of the hips. 



Style and Temperament. — In style the steer should 

 be active and upstanding, and not sluggish in temperament. 

 The laying on of fat is dependent upon the activity of the 

 animal, and if he appears sluggish or inactive it may indicate 

 poor physical condition and inability to utilize the ration to 

 the best advantage. 



A great deal is said concerning the temperament of the 

 beef animal. While the animal should be quiet, this does 

 not mean that he should be sluggish. If too nervously 

 inclined, the animal may move about too much, yet some of 

 the best feeders are most nervous and finish the cheapest 



