Judging Beef Cattle. 



5 



POINTS OF THE BEEF ANIMAL. 



In learning to judge beef cattle it is necessary to become familiar 

 with the locations and names of the different parts of the animal. 

 The names are similar in all classes of live stock and can be learned 

 easily by referring to the illustrations of live animals. In systematic 

 judging the student becomes familiar with the various parts in a short 

 time because he has an opportunity to make frequent mention of the 

 parts in discussing the placing of the individuals. Knowing the 

 locations of the parts thoroughly is important in that the ideal for 

 each part must be kept constantly in mind. The conformation of the 

 part must be associated with the function it has to perform. Figures 

 1,2, and 3 illustrate the names and locations of the various parts. 



PARTS OF THE BEEF CARCASS. 



The names of the wholesale cuts of the beef carcass correspond 

 quite closely to those on the live animal, the only difference being 

 that the wholesale carcass contains fewer parts. The head is elimin- 

 ated in the dressed carcass. The neck, shoulder vein, and shoulders 

 back to the crops constitute the chuck. The front leg from the knee 

 up constitutes the fore shank, commonly called " shank," and the 

 brisket and chest back toward the middle of the body embrace the 

 plate. The rib is the region of the back above the plate and extends 

 from the shoulder back to and including the last rib. The loin ex- 

 tends from the ribs back to and including the hips. The flank on the 

 carcass corresponds very closely to the flank on the live animal. It 

 is that portion below the loin and extending from the plate backward. 

 The round contains the greater part of the animal back of the hip. 

 In the carcass cut, it contains parts 1, 2, and 3, sometimes called 

 hind shank, round, and rump, collectively known as the round. 

 The term " shank" usually refers to the fore shank of the front leg 

 only. (See fig. 4.) 



CLASSIFICATION USED IN JUDGING BEEF CATTLE. 



From the butcher's standpoint cattle may be divided into three 

 classes: Fat cattle, feeders, and breeding cattle. The first comprises 

 animals ready for the butcher's block; the second is the unfinished 

 product, and the third constitutes the class from which the others 

 are produced. The ultimate aim of the three classes is the same, 

 but they must be judged somewhat differently. In fat cattle one 

 must judge according to what the cattle are at the time. In feeders 

 the animal which gives promise of putting on the biggest and cheapest 

 gains and developing into the best beef form when fattened is the 

 kind one desires. In breeding cattle the true beef form is of prime 



