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 per- 
centage slaughtered and shipped as stockers and feeders 
Receipts 
Slaughter 
Stocker 
and 
feeder 
shipments 
Per cent of receipts 
Year 
Slaughter 
Gtocker 
and 
feeder 
shipments 
1916 
17, 675, 537 
23, 065, 721 
25, 294, 557 
24, 629, 257 
22, 197, 495 
19, 786, 794 
23, 218, 127 
23,211,007 
23, 695, 407 
10, 293, 613 
13, 275, 168 
14, 874, 380 
13, 633, 166 
12, 195, 089 
11, 077, 766 
12, 435, 400 
13, 033, 815 
13, 849, 670 
3, 846, 694 
4, 806, 040 
5, 013, 039 
5, 286, 429 
4, 101, 758 
3, 503, 809 
4, 863, 587 
4, 553, 279 
3, 965, 802 
58.2 
57.6 
58.8 
55.4 
54.9 
56.0 
53.6 
56.2 
58.4 
21.8 
1917 
20.8 
1918 
19.8 
1919 
21.5 
1920 
18.5 
1921 .... 
17.7 
1922 
20.9 
1923 .... 
19.6 
1924 
16.7 
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 
