are as follows: Prime, 36 months maximum; Choice, 42 months maximum; Good and Standard, 48 months maximum; Commercial, 48 months minimum. There are no maturity limits for the Utility, Cutter, and Canner grades.

(6) The standards for grades of feeder cattle-like those for slaughter cattleare designed to cover the full range of variability in cattle. This being the case, at any stage in their development, cattle may be graded either as feeder or slaughter animals. The slaughter grade of most feeder cattle generally would be lower than their grade as feeders. For example, many Prime or Choice grade feeder cattle would grade only Standard as slaughter cattle. However, this situation does not always prevail. Some feeder cattle, particularly in the lower grades, may have characteristics which indicate that their carcass quality would have a relatively higher degree of development than their conformation. Since the carcass quality of such an animal would be relatively higher than its logical slaughter potential, its grade as a slaughter animal could be higher than its feeder grade. For example, an animal might have had a logical slaughter potential of the upper part of the Utility grade and, therefore, its feeder grade would be Utility. However, if such an animal had a carcass quality equal to the upper part of the Standard grade, its slaughter grade would be Standard.

(7) Because it is impractical to describe the nearly limitless number of recognizable combinations of characteristics which feeder animals might have and qualify for a particular grade, the standards for each grade describe only animals which have a similar development of the various grade factors which are generally representative of the lower limits of each grade. The following standards for grades of feeder cattle apply only to steers, heifers, and cows. Stags and bulls are used as feeders only infrequently; therefore, standards for grades of those classes are not included herein.

[29 F.R. 12106, Aug. 26, 1964, as amended at 81 F.R. 4873, Mar. 24, 1966]

§ 53.209 Specifications

for official

United States standards for grades of feeder cattle (steers, heifers, and cows).

(a) Prime. Feeder cattle which possess typical minimum qualifications for the Prime grade are extremely thrifty

and are very large for their age, breed considered. They are very thickly muscled throughout. They are wide through the chest with well sprung ribs and are moderately wide and thick through the crops, back, and loin. The rounds tend to be thick and the twist is moderately deep. They usually have straight top and bottom lines and usually are moderately deep in the fore and rear flanks. The legs tend to be short, are set wide apart, and usually are straight. The head is usually short and wide and the neck usually is short and thick. They have large, rugged frames with moderately large but refined bone. They have a high degree of symmetry and smoothness throughout, and usually show no evidence of nonbeef breeding. They have a logical slaughter potential of Prime. Only steers and heifers are eligible for the Prime grade.

(b) Choice. Feeder cattle which possess typical minimum qualifications for the Choice grade are very thrifty and are large for their age, breed considered. They are thickly muscled throughout. They are moderately wide through the chest with a moderate spring of ribs and are slightly wide and thick through the crops, back, and loin. The rounds are slightly thick and the twist is slightly deep. They usually have straight top lines and usually are moderately deep in the fore and rear flanks. The legs are slightly short, and are set moderately wide apart and usually are straight. The head usually is moderately short and wide and the neck usually is slightly short and thick. They have moderately large, rugged frames, and the bone usually is moderately large, but may be slightly fine or slightly large and coarse. They have a moderate degree of symmetry and smoothness throughout and usually show a very high proportion of beef breeding. They have a logical slaughter potential of Choice.

(c) Good. Feeder cattle which possess typical minimum qualifications for the Good grade are thrifty but may be slightly small for their age, breed considered. They are slightly thick muscled throughout. They are slightly narrow through the chest and may be slightly deficient in spring of rib. They are slightly narrow through the crops, back, and loin. The muscles of the rump are slightly sunken and the hips and shoulder joints are slightly prominent. The rounds are slightly thin and the twist is slightly shallow. They usu

ally have moderately straight top lines but may lack depth in the rear flank. The legs tend to be slightly long, are set slightly wide apart, and frequently are crooked. The head is usually slightly short and wide and the neck usually is slightly long and thin. They have a slightly large frame and the bone usually is slightly fine, although it may also be slightly large and coarse. They are slightly irregular and rough in appearance and usually are predominantly of beef breeding. They have a logical slaughter potential of Good.

(d) Standard. Feeder cattle which possess typical minimum qualifications for the Standard grade are only moderately thrifty and are moderately small for their age, breed considered. They are slightly thin muscled and are angular, rough, and irregular in appearance throughout. They tend to be narrow through the chest and through the crops, and the muscles of the back, loin, and rump tend to be slightly sunken. Hips and shoulder joints are prominent. The rounds are thin and slightly concave and the twist is shallow. They usually have an uneven top line and may lack depth in the rear flank. The legs are long, set close together, and are usually crooked. The head usually is long and narrow and the neck usually long and thin. They have a slightly small frame and the bone is usually moderately fine, although it also may be moderately large and course. They are usually predominantly of nonbeef breeding and have a logical slaughter potential of Standard.

(e) Commercial. The Commercial grade for feeder cattle is restricted to cattle that will be too mature for the Good or Standard grade when they reach their logical slaughter potential. These will usually be cows. Cattle possessing typical minimum qualifications for the Commercial grade are moderately thrifty but are slightly thin muscled and are angular, rough, and irregular in appearance throughout. They tend to be narrow through the chest and crops, and the muscles of the back, loin, and rump tend to be slightly sunken. Hips and shoulder joints are prominent. The rounds are thin and slightly concave and the twist is shallow. They usually have an uneven top line and may lack depth in the rear flank. The legs are long and set close together. The head usually is long and narrow and the neck usually long and thin. Although cattle near the lower limits of the grade may be pre

dominantly of nonbeef breeding, the majority of feeder cattle in this grade are predominantly of beef breeding. They have a logical slaughter potential of Commercial.

(f) Utility. Feeder cattle which possess typical minimum qualifications for the Utility grade are slightly unthrifty and are small for their age, breed considered. They are thinly muscled throughout and are very angular, rough, and irregular in appearance. They are very narrow through the chest and the crops and the muscles of the back, loin, and rump are sunken. Hips and shoulder joints are very prominent. The rounds are very thin and concave and the twist is very shallow. They usually have an irregular top line and are cut up in the rear flank. The legs are very long, are set very close together, and are usually rooked. The head usually is very long and narrow and the neck usually is decidedly long and thin. They have a very small frame and the bone usually is very fine, although it also may be large and coarse. They usually have little or no evidence of beef breeding and have a logical slaughter potential of Utility.

(g) Inferior. Feeder cattle inferior to those described for Utility are graded Inferior.

[29 F.R. 12107, Aug. 26, 1964, as amended at 31 F.R. 4873, Mar. 24, 1966]

54.277 C Quality.

Subpart C-Forms, Instructions and Applications FORMS OF OFFICIAL IDENTIFICATION

54.280 Forms of official identification. Form of grade mark.

54.281 54.282

Form of inspection mark.

AUTHORITY: The provisions of this Part 54 issued under secs. 203, 205, 60 Stat. 1087, as amended, 1090, as amended; 7 U.S.C. 1622, 1624.

SOURCE: The provisions of this Part 54 appear at 25 F.R. 10681, Nov. 9, 1960, unless otherwise noted.

Subpart A-Grading and Inspection of Domestic Rabbits and Edible Products Thereof

GENERAL

§ 54.1 Definitions.

Unless the context otherwise requires, the following terms shall have the following meaning:

"Act" means the applicable provisions of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (60 Stat. 1087; 7 U.S.C. 1621 et seq.) or any other act of Congress conferring like authority.

"Acceptable" means suitable for the purpose intended and acceptable to the Service.

"Administrator" means the Administrator of the Consumer and Marketing Service of the Department or any other officer or employee of the Department to whom there has heretofore been delegated, or to whom there may hereafter be delegated the authority to act in his stead. "Applicant❞ means any interested party who requests any inspection service or grading service.

"Area supervisor" means any employee of the Department in charge of domestic rabbit grading service or domestic rabbit inspection service in a designated geographical area.

"Carcass" means any domestic rabbit

carcass.

"Circuit supervisor" or "technical supervisor" means the officer-in-charge of the domestic rabbit inspection service or the domestic rabbit grading service in a

circuit consisting of a group of stations within an area.

"Class" means any subdivision of a product based on essential physical characteristics that differentiate between major groups of the same kind.

"Condition" means any condition, including, but not being limited to, the state of preservation, cleanliness, or soundness, of any product or the processing, handling or packaging which may affect such product.

"Condition and wholesomeness" means the condition of any product, its healthfulness and fitness for human food.

"Department" means the United States Department of Agriculture.

"Domestic rabbit grading and inspection service" means the personnel who are engaged in the administration, application, and direction of domestic rabbit grading and inspection programs and services pursuant to the regulations in this part.

"Edible product" means any product derived from ready-to-cook domestic rabbits.

"Grader" means any employee of the Department authorized by the Secretary, or any other individual to whom a license has been issued by the Secretary, to investigate and certify in accordance with the regulations in this part, the class, quality, quantity, and condition of products.

"Grading" or "grading service" means (1) the act whereby a grader determines, according to the regulations in this part, the class, quality, quantity, or condition of any product by examining each unit thereof or each unit of the representative sample thereof drawn by a grader and issues a grading certificate with respect thereto, except that with respect to grading service performed on a resident basis the issuance of a grading certificate shall be pursuant to a request therefor by the applicant or the service; (2) the act whereby the grader identifies, according to the regulations in this part, the graded product; (3) with respect to any official plant, the act whereby a grader determines that the product in such plant was processed, handled, and packaged in accordance with §§ 54.210 to 54.247; and (4) any appeal grading of a previously graded product.

"Grading certificate" means a statement, either written or printed, issued by a grader, pursuant to the regulations in this part, relative to the class, quality, quantity, or condition of a product.

"Identify" means to apply official identification to products or to containers thereof.

"Inspected and certified" or "certified" means, with respect to any product, that it has undergone an inspection and was found, at the time of such inspection, to be sound, wholesome, and fit for human food.

"Inspection," "inspection service" or "inspection of products for condition and wholesomeness" means any inspection by an inspector to determine, in accordance with the regulations in this part, (1) the condition and wholesomeness of domestic rabbits, or (2) the condition and wholesomeness of any edible product at any state of the preparation or packaging thereof in the official plant where inspected and certified, or (3) the condition and wholesomeness of any previously inspected and certified product if such product has not lost its identity as an inspected and certified product.

"Inspection certificate" means a statement either written or printed, issued by an inspector, pursuant to the regulations in this part, relative to the condition and wholesomeness of products.

"Inspector" means any person who is licensed by the Secretary to investigate and certify, in accordance with the regulations in this part, the condition and wholesomeness of products. An inspector is an employee of the Department or of a State; he may be a graduate veterinarian or a layman.

"Interested party" means any person financially interested in a transaction involving any inspection or grading.

"National supervisor" means (1) the officer in charge of the domestic rabbit inspection service of the Consumer and Marketing Service, (2) the officer in charge of the domestic rabbit grading service of the Consumer and Marketing Service, and (3) other officers or employees of the Department designated by the officer in charge of the domestic rabbit inspection service or domestic rabbit grading service of the Consumer and Marketing Service.

"Office of grading" means the office of any grader.

"Official plant" means one or more buildings or parts thereof, comprising a single plant in which the facilities and methods of operation therein have been approved by the Administrator as suitable and adequate for operation under inspection or grading service and in which inspection or grading is carried on