80 BULLETIN 1464, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
the late summer and fall months the supply generally exceeds the 
demand, but during April and May the reverse is usually true. 
There are only very limited numbers of feeder heifers of this grade 
at any season of the year. 
GRADES OF FEEDER AND STOCKER COWS 
There are five grades of feeder and stocker cows : Choice or No. 1 ? 
good or No. 2, medium or No. 3, common or No. 4, and inferior 
or No. 5. 
Choice or No. 1. — Choice or No. 1 grade feeder and stocker cows 
are much superior in conformation, finish, and quality. The head is 
very short and wide and the neck is short. They are compact, the 
body being wide and deep in proportion to its length, and the legs, 
which are set wide apart, are short in proportion to depth of body. 
Top and under lines are approximately straight and parallel, but the 
lines of the sides tend to converge at a point in front of the animal 
owing to slightly less width through the shoulders than through the 
hips. The animal has a good middle, the crops being full and the 
chest wide and deep. The back and loins are straight and wide and 
the ribs are long and well sprung. The belly is wide and deep, but 
not paunchy, and the rear flank is low. The hips are wide ; the rump 
is uniformly wide and deep and the tail head is set even with the 
back line. The thigh is wide and deep and the twist is also deep. 
The fleshing of each part is moderately thick and each part has 
approximately its proper proportionate thickness. The lines of the 
animal appear slightly plump, full, and well rounded. The develop- 
ment and balance of the different parts indicate that the animal when 
finished and slaughtered will have a high percentage of ribs, loins, 
and rounds in its carcass. 
The fat covering of the animal is moderately thick and tends to be 
smooth and uniform in distribution, although there are usually small 
bunches or patches of fat over the loins, rump, and around the tail 
head, and the fat covering is often noticeably thinner over the fore 
quarters than over the hind quarters. There are moderately large 
deposits of fat in the brisket, flanks, and twist, causing these parts to 
be slightly distended or rounded out. 
The animal is moderately refined, being neat and trim in its gen- 
eral appearance. The bones of the legs are of medium size, with the 
joints smooth and free from coarseness. The hide is loose and pliable 
and of medium thickness and the hair is fine. The eyes are large 
and bright, indicating that the animal has a quiet disposition. The 
flesh of the animal is usually firm. 
Individuals of this grade are almost without exception higli- 
grades, crossbreds, or purebreds of beef type. Load lots vary some- 
what in color, age, and weight, being generally composed of indi- 
viduals of two or more of the different breeds of beef-type cattle. 
In age they range from around 2 years old up. They are usually 
on sale in limited numbers at the larger central markets during the 
late summer and fall months but are very scarce throughout the rest 
of the year. 
Good or No. 2. — Good or No. 2 grade feeder and stocker cows have 
a moderately high degree of conformation, finish, and quality. The 
head is moderately short and wide and the neck is moderately short. 
