3 86 
Journal of Agricultural Research 
Vol. XI, No, 8 
Table I .—Average initial and final measurements of 2-year-old steers fattened for market 
during a 140-day feeding period 
Measurement. 
Initial meas¬ 
urement. 
Final measure¬ 
ment. 
Difference 
in meas¬ 
urements. 
Per¬ 
cent¬ 
age 
in¬ 
crease. 
Num¬ 
ber of 
steers. 
Average. 
Num¬ 
ber of 
steers. 
Average. 
Pounds. 
Pounds. 
Pounds. 
Weight. 
216 
900. 112 
216 
1, 188. 398 
288. 286 
32. 02 
Inches. 
Inches. 
Inches , 
Width of head. 
214 
8. 832 
216 
9. 112 
. 280 
3* 16 
Length of head. 
214 
19. 411 
216 
19. 892 
. 481 
2.48 
Length of neck.. 
103 
19. 163 
72 
20. 990 
I. 827 
9 * 53 
Width of shoulders.. 
214 
16. 412 
215 
18. 459 
2.047 
12. 42 
Width of front flank. 
214 
16. 378 
216 
18. 358 
I. 980 
12. 08 
Width of paunch. 
214 
23. 612 
216 
26. IOI 
2.489 
10. 54 
Width of rear flank. 
154 
19 - 5 2 7 
216 
22. 744 
3.217 
16. 42 
Width of loin. 
200 
I?. 084 
216 
Ttr. QC& 
I. 074 
14.11 
Width of hips. 
202 
17.662 
216 
19. 254 
7/“ 
i* 59 2 
9. 01 
Width of thurls a . 
209 
17.204 
215 
18. S 33 
1. 329 
7. 72 
Buttock to hip. 
214 . 
18.266 
2x6 
I9. 622 
I. 2C6 
6. 83 
Depth of chest. 
^ J, T 
154 
26.730 
215 
27. 789 
1.059 
3 * 9<5 
Shoulder point to ground. 
214 
33 - 033 
216 
34 * 3 11 
1.278 
3 * 86 
Chest to ground. 
214 
22. 876 
216 
23. 013 
• 2 37 
1.03 
Hind flank to ground. 
214 
29. 128 
216 
30. 202 
1. 074 
3. 68 
Hock to ground. 
142 
20. 795 
204 
20. 914 
.119 
*57 
Withers to ground. 
214 
49. 224 
216 
53 * 870 
4. 646 
9-43 
Hips to ground. 
202 
s°- 855 
214 
52. 411 
i- ss6 
3 * 05 
Shoulder to buttock. 
214 
S 3 - 7 6 3 
216 
57. 988 
4.225 
1. 8 5 
Circumference of chest. 
214 
73 - OI 4 
216 
77. 694 
4. 680 
6. 40 
Circumference of paunch. 
214 
80. 256 
216 
88. 301 
8.045 
10. 02 
Circumference of hind flank. 
214 
7 1 - 3 6 4 
216 
78. 685 
7 - 3 21 
10. 25 
Circumference of muzzle. 
j 
141 
17.198 
143 
17* 930 
.832 
4-83 
a Hip joint. 
These 216 steers used during the three years of 1914 and 1917, inclu¬ 
sive, were 2-year-olds, averaging in weight 900.112 pounds as “feeders” 
and 1,188.398 pounds as market animals, and gained at the rate of 
2.058 pounds daily for 140 days. Although the steers were divided 
into six lots each year, they were in all cases finished into market steers 
varying from “medium” to “choice,” the greater proportion being graded 
as “good” steers. 
The following average initial measurements show a marked simi¬ 
larity: the length of head, length of neck, and width of rear flank, which 
vary from 19.163 to 19.527 inches; the width of shoulder and front 
flank differ by only 0.034 inch; the hips and thurls (hip joint) in width 
are 17.682 inches and 17.204 inches, respectively; and circumference 
of the body in the region of the chest and hind flank are 73.014 and 
71.364 inches, respectively. The height at the withers of a “feeder” 
steer is 1.631 less than the height at the hips. The length of body from 
shoulder point to buttock is only 2.908 inches greater than the greatest 
height at the hips. 
