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MARKET CLASSES AND GRADES OF LIVESTOCK Dili 
areas particularly suited to’ such animals, such as the great dairy 
districts where protein feeds are comparatively abundant. But 
there is not yet, in general market practice, enough segregation of 
butcher and bacon hogs to make it advisable to extend the schedule 
by dividing it into these two groups. 
No arbitrary distinction is made between the various use selections 
in hogs. Bacon is frequently made from butcher hogs; bacon hogs 
are sometimes retailed over the butcher’s block as fresh pork; and 
sometimes hogs of both types are packed. The whole matter is 
merely one of exceptional suitability for a certain use; and in the 
following definitions an effort has been made to point out the more 
important characteristics which render certain types of hogs espe- 
cially suitable for such specialized uses. 
Butcher hogs as a group are hogs which produce carcasses and 
cuts of such size and quality as to be suitable for retailing as fresh 
meat. As a rule, they range from 6 to 8 months of age. Usual 
weight ranges are from 160 to 250 pounds, although many hogs fall 
in this group which are outside these hmits. They carry moderate 
amounts of fat in proportion to lean. 
Bacon hogs are hogs which, because of a comparatively low ratio 
of fat to lean, produce bacon sides which appeal strongly to the more 
discriminating bacon trade. Bodies of such hogs are longer in pro- 
portion to their depth than is true of other types, which makes pos- 
sible a longer side of bacon without increasing its breadth or thick- 
ness. Grade for grade, the quality of both the flesh and fat of bacon 
hogs is fully equal to that of butcher hogs and usually superior to 
that of packing hogs. 
Packing hogs, strictly speaking, are hogs which produce pork best 
suited for packing or curing as barreled pork. The term “ packing ” 
is not very accurate, for very lttle barreled pork is now made. 
Most of the so-called packing hogs are converted into lard and into 
heavy, coarse, cured cuts, which are sold to an undiscriminating 
trade. Many heavy sides from such hogs are cured in dry salt, and 
the hams are extensively used as boneless, boiled hams, and for 
similar purposes. In general, packing hogs now are a by-product of 
the swine industry. Most of them are sows which have raised several 
litters of pigs and as a result, have attained too much size, age, 
weight, and coarseness to meet the requirements of either butcher or 
bacon hogs. 
A limited number of barrow hogs are included in this group 
which, because of poor breeding or because they have been held too 
long, have become excessively heavy and coarse, are not suitable for 
butcher or bacon trade, and therefore fall into the packing hog 
group. 
WEIGHT SELECTIONS OF HOGS 
The next important segregation of hogs is on the basis of weight. 
The general name applied to the results of such segregation is 
weight selection, with special names for each weight group. These 
groups are wholly comparable with those bearing the same names 
already defined in connection with cattle, although, of course, weight 
limits vary with the kind and class of animals considered. 
In the case of hogs, weight is perhaps more important than in 
any other kind of livestock with the possible exception of vealers. 
