STEER V. HEIFER

Shannon News, 28 June 1929, Page 4

STEER V. HEIFER

Relative Beef Qualities Regular attendants at Addington market have noted frequently the nigra prices paid-for heifer beef in comparison with steer, and possibly wondered if the femininst movement had invaded the fat cattle world (says the Pi ess). An American investigation has noted the same thing, but at Addington the simple explanation is that the light weights suit the big bulk of suburban butchers, but the test quoted indicates that there should be no real discrimination against heifer beef in comparison with steer. It is important' to analyse the reasons for this discrimination against heifer beaf in an .effort to determine whether or not. it is justifiable, (states the investigator). This discrimination exists not only in the mind of the butcher, but also in the mind of the consumer. The consumer has no definite reason or reasons for preferring steer beef over heifer beef. Ninetyrune per cent of thorn could not distinguish between heifer and steer beef in the carcase, in roaster or on the table. ,- Yet most of them honestly feel that heifer beef is vastly inferior to steer beef and refuse to buy it, knowingly, except at a discount. • The reasons for the butcher's objection to heifer beef are; somewhat more definite, at least in his own mind. He appreciates the disdain of ,his trade for many retailers who claim that they "cut nothing but steers." ; An inspection of ■ their coolers, however, will reveal at least a slight exaggeration in this respect. The butcher claims, that there is more killing fat in a heifer than in a steer of the same finish. He also claims that the heifer carcase is more wasty and cuts out a smaller amount of highpriced cuts than the steer carcase. The Illinois Experiment. In an effort; to determine the truth of these objections to heifer beef, the University of Illinois last year made a comparison of heifer and steer- beef. Ten grade Hereford heifer calves and 10 grade Hereford steer calves were fed a ration of shelled corn, cottonseed meal, silage and alfalfa hay/ In order to study the effect of the length o* the feeding period upon the carcase, two representative heifers weighing 370 pounds, and two representative steers weighing 6SS pounds, were slaughtered at the beginnting of the experiment. Five heifers weighing 712 pounds' and three steers weighing 68S pounds were slaughtered after 141) days of feeding, five heifers weighing 822 pounds and four steers weighing 80-1 pounds after 200 days, and three steers weighing 850 pounds after 266 days. . ,- .

The details of the result, show that after 140 days "the heifer carcases were as good as the steer carcases at the time.'" At 200 days "there was no particular difference in grade due to sex." .In the case of calves slaughtered after 140 days of feeding, the average fat content of the heifers was 18 per cent, greater than that of the steers. All but one of the heifers were fatter than the steers. In the case of the calves slaughtered after 200 days of feeding, the average fat content of the heifers was 5 per cent, greater than, that of the steers. One steer was considerably fatter than his mates. With the exception of this steer, the heifers were all fatter than, the steers.

• The steers .slaughtered at 266 days were about as fat as the heifers killed at 200 days. That is, the heifers reached as high a degree of finish in 200 days as steers on the same ration reached in 266 ,cjays. None of the i carcases were over-done. There was no difference between heifers and steers killed at the same time in the percentages of loin, ribs, round, rump, chuck, shank and plate, in spite of" the fact already noted that many butchers claim that heifer carcases cut less of the high-priced cuts. The average percentage of cutting fat (kidney knob and .bed, fat) was about ten per cent greater ,in the heifers than in the steers. This in accord with the butcher's idea that heifer carcases cut more wasite than steer carcases. However, the actual amount of cutting fat per carcase in the case of the heifers slaughtered after 140 days was only 2 pounds greater than in ( the steers. In the case of . the 200-day carcases, the heifers contained 2.spounds more cutting fat per carcase. The- heifers killed at 140 days had 10 per cent, more flank- than the steers. Ij> the case of the cattle fed 200 days, •the heifer carcases had 30 per cent, more flank than the steer carcases. Since the flank is a very cheap cut and the extra poundage in heifer flanks is waste, this factor is of some importance to the butcher. Assuming carcase beef as worth 25 cents per pound and waste fat at 3.5 cents per pound, we have calculated that the carcase of the steers killed after 140 days of feeding cut out 86 cents per carcase more than the heifers killed at that time, and that the carcase of the steers killed^ after 200 days, of feeding cut out 2.73 dollars per carcase more than the heifers. In other words, the actual difference in the cutting value of the light carcase was less than a quarter of a cent per pound. In the i heavier carcase, the difference in the value was a little more than one-half of a cent per pound. These differences, might be expected to increase in favour of the steer carcase with increased age and finish.