Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1920-01-13


giOns today Is more widespread
knowledge Of how to judge live stock
properly. While the judging of the
finest animals Is likely to remain an
art in which relatively few persons
can attain the highest standing, new
ertheless farmers Z 8 a whole should
be thoroughly familiar with the gen
eral principles OF judging stock.
knowledge of this sort is a real
asset.
The art Of judging beef cattle is
the foundation of all beef cattle
shows. and also is largely the means
OF determining the value of cattle Of
fercd IN public sales. 1t serves as
basis for every man who buys ana
raises cattle to seek Improvement
along well-rocognized lines.
II a breeder is not good judge
he cannot mate individuals so as
TO set the best possible offspring,
Know edge may be obtained through
long experience, but systematic
course in judging may accomplish
the same end at cost OF fewer mis-
takes and much shorter time. If a
farmer is a competent judge Of feed.
ers, for example, he can so to the
market and save the buying charges
or commissions on deal which
otherwise would have to be handled
through commission men.
For the man who feeds cattle for
commercial purposes, it is more irn-
rortant to study how to judge feed
ers than fat cattle. Judging the
former requires more skill than judg-
ing the latter.
Without standards. stock judging
cannot be made a success. The small
est cattle owner as well as the man
who owns q large herd needs to be-
familiar with the ideal beef typa.
This animal, when fat, must have d
low-set body which is broad, deep
and smooth, with level lines, having
a'thiclz, even covering of firm flesh.
Hair, hide and bone Of good quality
together with general character ana
style, also serve as an indication of
the inner parts which cannot be
seen.
In learning 10 judge beef cattle it
is necessary to become familiar with
the location and names of the differ
ent parts of the animal. The names
are. similar in all classes of live
stock and cam be learned easily by
referring to annotated illustrations
or diagrams. The names of whole
sale cuts Of the beef carcass CORE
spond quite closely to those Of
the hve animal, the only Difference
being that the wholesale carcass con-
tains fewer parts.
Three GLASSES CT Cattle
From the butchers standpoint, cat
tie may be divided into three classes
fat CATTLE, feeders and breeding
cattle. The first comprises animals
ready for the butchers block; the
second is the unfinished product
and the third constitutes the class
from which the others are produced.
In fat cattle, one must judge accord
ing to what the cattle are at the
time. In feeders, the animals which
give promise of putting on the big
gest and cheapest gains, and devel-
oping into the best beef form when
fattened, are the ones desired. In
breeding cattle, the true beef form
is of prime Importance, but there
must also DE assurance that the beef
will be transmitted
to the offspring.
Judging Eat Cattle and Feeders
Fat cattle, SO called, include steers,
heifers, calves, cows and bulls. Fat
steers and heifers constitute by far
the largest percentage. Each mus
be considered from the butchers
standpoint, the finish and quality Of
flesh being Of prime Importance. Cat
tie bred especially for beef purposes
have a tendency to produce marbled
meat or to deposit layers of fat
throughout the lean meat, while In
cattle bred exclusively for dairy put-
poses, the tendency is to deposit
Surplus fat, principally around the
internal organs, where 1t becomes
relatively cheap suet and does not,
tend to improve the quality Of the
lean meat. In Judging feeders, 1t
must be borne in mind that they are
unfinished" cattle and, therefore. do
not have the width and flesh cover
ing of fat cattle. In general, the
same qualifications apply to feeders
as to fat cattle, except thu certain
points Of the score card r st be en-
phasized and others n1~-llnized. The
desirable feeder is one that viii
dress out a high percentage of high
priced meats when finished and
slaughtered.
judging Breeding Cattle
Breeding cattle, first of all, must
have the true beef form. In that
respect they are intermediate pc
tween feeders and fat cattle so FAR
as flesh is concerned. Early maturl-
ty and easy fattening qualities should
be present>to a marked degree. Good
handling qualities are essential, as
excessive fat. showing that the ami
NAL has been pampered, is undes1r-
q
importanee,t but breeding cattle
should be judged more by their value
as breeding stock than by the flesh
they carry. Superabundance of flesh
NAV hide defects. Too much en-
phasis cannot be given to the fact
that animals being Judged should
have ability to transmit their useful
ness and desirable characteristics to
their offspring. I'M fact, prepotency
should be so strong and the line of
breeding so we'll defined for the spe-
cific purpose, that the animal will
have a tendency to produce better
individuals than itself. Proficiency
is obtained by consistent breeding to-
ward a definite type and, therefore,
is to be expected most frequently
among animals true to their breed
type.
Suggestions About Judging
In judging class of cattle or in
specting a single individual, one
should first make general survey of
The animals or animal, examining the
general features from distance and
noting the general outline and typi-
cal beef form.
When first approaching an animal,
note the front view and the features
Of the head and the width and depth
Of the chest. On moving toward the
side, note the depth Of the body and
the lowness of the flank. The rear
view will give the width of the back,
spring of the ribs and thickness and