4 DEPARTMENT BULLETIN 1360, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 
Figure 2. — Choice grade Slaughter Heifers at a central market. 
CLASSIFYING AND GRADING LIVESTOCK 
Classifying livestock for market purposes is the act of selecting, 
sorting, or dividing livestock into specific market groups according to 
natural characteristics. In general market practice the animals are 
sorted or classified, and sold according to kind, such as Cattle, Sheep, 
and Swine; according to purpose for which they are intended or are 
most suitable, such as Slaughter and Feeder Cattle ; according to class, 
such as Steers, Barrows, and Ewes ; according to a general age group, 
such as Calves. Lambs, Yearlings, and 2- Year-Olds; according to 
weight; and finally, according to grade, such as Prime, Choice, and 
Good. 
Grading livestock is the act of sorting or dividing animals of similar 
class, age, and weight according to the relative degree of excellence 
of the individual animal or group of animals. When standard grades 
are used for this purpose, the animals so graded are reasonably uniform 
in all essential respects. Each individual in a grade group is quite 
similar to other individuals in that group and all are quite similar 
to other individuals of the same grade at any other market. 
PURPOSES OF CLASSIFYING AND GRADING 
No two animals are exactly alike in essential characteristics of which 
there are many in each kind of livestock. The possible variations in 
