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BULLETIN 1461, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
GRADES OF FEEDER AND STOCKER STEERS 
There are six grades of feeder and stoeker steers: Fancy or Xo. 
Al, choice or Xo. 1, good or Xo. 2, medium or Xo. 3, common or 
Xo. 4, and inferior or Xo. 5. 
Fancy or No. Al. — Fanc} T or Xo. Al grade feeder and stoeker 
steers closely approach the top of the standard of conformation, 
finish, and quality. The head is very short and wide and the neck 
is very short. They are very compact, the body being very wide 
and deep in proportion to its length, with legs which are set very 
wide apart and are very short in proportion to depth of body. Top 
and underlines are approximately straight and level and the same 
is true of the lines of the sides. The chest is very wide and deep 
and the animal has an exceptionally good middle, being very full in 
Fig. 29. — Fancy grade feeder steer 
the crops with a very straight wide back and loin, very long, well- 
sprung ribs and a belly which is very wide and deep but not paunch} r . 
The rear flank is low. The hips are wide ; the rump wide, deep, and 
even and the tail head is even with the back line. The thigh is very 
wide and deep and the twist is very deep with the seam of the twist 
appearing very low. All parts are moderately thick in fleshing with 
the fleshing very even, each part having its proper proportionate thick- 
ness. The thickness of fleshing is such that the lines of the animal 
appear moderately plump, full, and well rounded. The different 
parts are balanced in a superior manner, insuring that the animal 
when finished and slaughtered will produce a very high percentage 
of ribs, loins, and rounds. 
The animal usually carries a moderately thick covering of fat 
which is very smooth and very uniform in its distribution. There are 
