Hobbies And Interests
Cattle
The term "cattle" refers to the broad class of domesticated animals inclusive of the species Bos taurus and Bos indicus. The first species includes most beef and dairy breeds in the U.S., whereas the latter species are bovines with humps on their necks that usually live in the tropics. As a group, cattle are also called bovines. Young cattle are called calves, and cattle can further be subdivided according to gender and age.
Steer
Steers are castrated male cattle that have not developed the secondary sex characteristics of bulls, which are older male cattle that have not been castrated. Steers are to be distinguished from heifers, which are young female cattle that have not yet had their first calf. Steers are also different from stags, which are male cattle that have been castrated improperly. Cows are mature female cattle that have had calves.
Steer Representation in Numbers
According to the USDA National Steer and Heifer Estimated Grading Percent Report for the week ending April 9, 2011, steers made up a total of 48.22 percent of all cattle accounted for in the report. This amounted to 304,100 head of steer out of a total of 630,600 head of all graded cattle in 10 regions of the U.S. Heifers accounted for 30.37 percent, while cows made up 19.42 percent and bulls only about 2 percent. All cattle were broken down according to region and quality grading.
Size of Feeder Cattle: Steers and Heifers
In the U.S., feeder cattle, or those steers and heifers that are sent to feedlot where they will be brought to slaughter weight, are classified according to frame size. According to Beef Basis, a small frame for steers is considered to be under 1,100 pounds, while a medium frame is between 1,100 and 1,250 pounds, and a large frame is larger than 1,250 pounds. Contrastingly, heifers with a large frame are greater than 1,150 pounds, small-frame heifers are under 1,000 pounds and medium-framed heifers are between 1,000 and 1,150 pounds.