Market Steer Terminology
by S.E. Myers
1
Quick Facts...
- Market steer judging involves making decisions based on both visual
observation and handling quality.
- The priorities for judging market steers are: degree of muscling,
degree of finish, growth (performance), structural correctness and balance.
- If you are uncertain about the exact meaning of a term or phrase,
ask your coach, parent, 4-H leader, volunteer or Colorado State University
Extension agent.
Market steer judging involves making decisions based on both visual observation
and handling quality. These decisions are essentially an estimate of the
traits that reflect carcass value. The following terminology will help
youth develop their livestock vocabulary. As you look over the terms,
try to picture an animal with the characteristics described by the terminology.
When you have an understanding of these terms, you will be able to completely
describe all of the important points of a class of market steers. If you
are uncertain about the exact meaning of a term or phrase, ask your coach,
parent, 4-H leader, volunteer or Colorado State University Extension agent.
Priorities for Judging Market Steers
- Degree of Muscling
- Degree of Finish
- Growth (Performance)
- Structural Correctness
- Balance
Muscling Terminology
| Advantages |
Criticisms |
| Heavier muscled |
Light muscled |
| More muscular (forearm, top, stifle, lower quarter) |
Narrow tracking |
| Naturally thicker (more muscle volume) |
Narrow topped (flat loin) |
| Expressively muscled |
Flat quarter (stifle) |
| Wider based (tracking) |
Shallow quarter |
| Meatier topped (more spread of top) |
Flat stifle |
| Handled with a deeper, more muscular loin |
Expressionless quarter |
| Thick ended (stoutest, powerful) |
|
| More dimension to his stifle (quarter) |
|
| Wider from stifle to stifle |
|
| Deeper quartered (muscled closer to his hock) |
|
| Deeper twist |
|
Finish Terminology
|
| Advantages |
Criticisms |
| More market ready |
Bare (under) finished |
| More correctly (properly) finished |
Least market ready |
| More desirable degree of condition |
Soft (wasty, over finished) |
| More nearly correct in the degree of condition |
Patchy (uneven) finish |
| Firmer (fresher) handling |
Irregular in his cover |
| More uniformly (evenly) covered |
Wasty brisket (flank) |
| More complete and consistent in his cover |
Deep and soft at the twist |
| Less condition over his upper and lower rib |
Open ribbed |
Carcass Terminology
|
| Advantages |
Criticisms |
| Should hang a carcass more apt to grade Choice |
Less apt to grade Choice |
| Likely attain a more desirable quality grade |
Most retail fat trim |
| Have advantages in quality grading situations |
Poor (low) cutability |
| Cut with the smallest eye |
Light muscled |
Yield a carcass with lower, more desirable
yield grade |
|
| Rail with a lower numerical yield grade |
|
| Potentially open the higher cutability carcass |
|
| Open with a larger ribeye area |
|
| Yield a meatier carcass |
|
Growth (Performance) Terminology
|
| Advantages |
Criticisms |
| More moderately framed |
Small framed |
| Will reach Choice at a more desired weight |
Conventional |
| Larger framed (ONLY when appropriate) |
Quick patterned |
| Appeared to be faster growing |
Lower W.D.A. in class |
| Appears to have a higher W.D.A. in class |
Short bodied (fronted) |
| Longer patterned (bodied, fronted) |
Big for current market conditions |
| Wider chested |
Narrow chested |
| Deeper bodied (ribbed) |
Shallow bodied |
| Bolder sprung Tight (flat) ribbed |
More spring (arch) of rib |
| Opens up more correctly behind his shoulders |
Pinched in his heart and flank |
| |
Constricted in his fore rib |
Structural Correctness Terminology
|
| Advantages |
Criticisms |
| Structurally more correct |
Short (tight) stride |
| Longer (freer) striding |
Straight shouldered |
| More desirable set to his hock |
Toes out up front |
| More desirable slope of shoulder |
Buckled over in front |
| Moved with more flex to his hock |
Straight in the hock |
| Stood down and tracked off structurally more correct
legs |
Post legged, swollen hocked |
| Truer tracking |
Straight pasterned |
| Stands wider and squarer behind |
Narrow tracking |
| Heavy boned |
Light (fine) boned |
Balance Terminology
|
| Advantages |
Criticisms |
| More stylish (eye appealing) |
Plain (unattractive) |
| More balance (symmetry) |
Ill made |
| Nicer profiling |
Poor balanced |
| Straight lined |
Breaks behind the shoulder |
| Cleaner patterned |
Easy (weak) topped |
| Longer necked |
Short fronted |
| Cleaner fronted |
Heavy fronted |
| Smoother shouldered |
Low headed |
| Neck blends smoother into shoulder |
Heavy brisket |
| Lays neater and tighter in the shoulder |
Coarse shouldered |
| Stronger topped |
Steep rumped |
| Leveler and squarer from hooks to pins |
High tailhead |
1S.E. Myers, Colorado State University Extension youth livestock specialist, animal sciences.
Go to top of this page.
