Market classes and grades of cattle 5 
Any specific lot or group of cattle is, as a rule, sold to the buyer 
who bids the highest and may sell for any one of several uses. 
MARKET USES OF CATTLE 
Cattle received at large central livestock markets are bought and 
sold either for beef production or for milk production. According 
to the practices at such markets cattle which are bought and sold for 
use in beef production fall naturally into three major divisions, ac- 
cording to certain special uses which are made of them. These in 
the order of their numerical importance are the slaughter, feeder, and 
stocker uses. 
Cattle which are bought and sold for use in milk production are 
divided into three major groups according to certain special uses 
to which they are to be put. These in the order of their numerical 
importance are the springer, milker, and stocker uses. 
Thus market practices and customs give rise to six distinct market 
uses for cattle. The slaughter, feeder, and stocker uses for cattle 
as related to beef production: and the springer, milker, and stocker 
uses for cows and heifers or cattle as related to the production of 
milk. 
From a market viewpoint, the market classes and grades of 
cattle as related to beef production are of great importance, whereas 
the market classes and grades of cattle as related to milk production 
are of little significance. As trading for the springer, milker, and 
stocker uses is necessarily confined to the classes of cows and heifers, 
this trade is very limited except at a few markets. 
Only the market classes and grades of cattle which are bought 
and sold for the slaughter, feeder and stocker uses as related to beef 
production are described in this bulletin. Practically all cattle are 
finally disposed of for slaughter. The relative numerical importance 
of slaughter cattle and of feeder and stocker cattle at the markets is 
indicated in Table 1. 
Table 1. — Annual receipts of cattle and calves at public stockyards and percent- 
age slaughtered locally and shipped as stockers and feeders 
Receipts 
Slaughter 
Stocker and 
feeder ship- 
ments 
Per cent of receipts 
Year 
Slaughter 
Stocker and 
feeder 
shipments 
1930 
20. 166, 254 
19, 615. 590 
17,331,710 
17, 933, 760 
27. 769, 702 
21, 603, 550 
22. 580, 829 
22,421.623 
20. 638. 938 
20, 456, 360 
11.704.589 
11.396.119 
10, 374. 442 
11,175,403 
16, 826, 261 
13, 030. 477 
13,982,311 
13, 274. 486 
11,937,566 
11.479,897 
3,426,316 
3,043.631 
2, 618, 420 
2, 546, 786 
3, 665. 033 
3, 392, 280 
3, 207. 450 
: . 470, 430 
3, 614. 736 
4, 114, 320 
58.04 
58.10 
59.86 
62.31 
60.59 
60.32 
61.92 
59.20 
57.84 
56.12 
16 99 
1931 
15 52 
1932 
15 11 
1933-.. . 
14 20 
19341 
13 20 
1935 ! 
15 7d 
1936 i - 
14 20 
1937 
15 4S 
1938.-. . ... 
17 51 
1939 
20 11 
1 Includes animals purchased for slaughter for Federal Surplus Relief Corporation from June 6, 1934, to 
February 7, 1935, and August and September 1936. 
SLAUGHTER CATTLE 
DEFINITION OF SLAUGHTER CATTLE 
Slaughter cattle are those possessing sufficient fat or finish to meet 
the requirements of the consuming trade. This designation covers 
