MARKET CLASSES AND GRADES OF CATTLE 
13 
each individual has the same sex condition. Cattle are divided into 
different market classes on the basis of their sex condition because 
they possess certain physical characteristics peculiar to animals of a 
certain sex condition. These physical characteristics in time cause 
marked modification in conformation, finish, and quality which are 
reflected in the quantity and grade of beef and by-products to be 
obtained from them when slaughtered. 
RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF MARKET CLASSES OF SLAUGHTER CATTLE 
The relative importance of the market classes of slaughter cattle is 
indicated in Table 2. This table shows the percentage of all slaugh- 
ter cattle represented by each class for each month of the year, based 
on the number of cattle slaughtered during a 30-month period, but 
in this tabulation bulls and stags are considered as a single class. 
The percentages were computed from data submitted by slaughterers 
to the United States Food Administration weekly during the World 
War and supplied monthly thereafter to the Bureau of Markets, now 
a part of the Agricultural Marketing Service, United States Depart- 
ment of Agriculture. 
Table 2. — Proportion of classes to total slaughter cattle, in per cent, average by 
months, July 1, 1918, to December 31, 1920, based on number of slaughter 
cattle 
Months 
Steers 
Bulls 
and stags 
Cows 
Heifers 
January. ... 
38.91 
44.36 
51.62 
55.76 
61.77 
59.49 
50. 74 
48.03 
43.75 
38.61 
36.24 
38.19 
44.94 
2.96 
3.29 
2.19 
2.95 
3.64 
3.50 
4.78 
3.38 
3.53 
3.34 
3.35 
2.72 
3.57 
42.63 
34.90 
28.95 
20.33 
19.63 
21.97 
31.04 
35.29 
34.58 
43.95 
47.02 
44.22 
36.53 
15.50 
February. . 
17.45 
March .. . . . . . .... 
16.24 
April 
20.96 
May .... 
14.96 
June... 
15.04 
July 
13.44 
August . . .... . . 
13.33 
September.. . . 
18.11 
October . 
14.10 
November . 
13.39 
December.. 
14.87 
Average for 30 months . 
14.96 
In numerical iniportance steers head the list of the classes of 
slaughter cattle. They are also the most important class of slaughter 
cattle when considered from the standpoint of the quantity and 
quality of the products obtained f rom them. These facts are demon- 
strated, in a practical way, every day at large central livestock 
markets where, grade for grade, steers outsell any of the other 
classes, but grade for grade, there is little difference between steers 
and heifers, and up to a certain age and weight, steers and heifers 
of the same grade sell within practically the same price range at niost 
markets. Certain markets even show a preference for relatively 
young lightweight heifers and at these markets such heifers fre- 
quently outsell steers of the same age, weight, and grade. 
STEERS 
A steer is a male bovine animal which was castrated before it had 
reached sufficient maturity to make reproduction possible and has 
developed physical characteristics peculiar to its class. As a rule 
