What does a fat steer's cod look like?

[blueshorthorn]

In livestock judging, they tell us to use the cod (if present) as an indicator of finish on a steer. I've never seen an appropriately finished steer's cod, only ever in calves at sales sometimes.

 

[leanbeef]

Cattle (and all market animals) lay on fat from the front of their body toward the back, meaning they deposit fat over the rib first, and as they get heavier...fatter...more "finished" they lay on more fat over the other parts of the body. When you see one with fat pones on either side of the tail head, you know they're fat because that's obviously at the back of the animal.

Same is true with the cod. When a steer is finished, he should have some fat in the cod. A "greener" or underfinished steer will have wrinkles in the skin...on a real fat steer, the cod will be full of fat and the bag will appear smooth and full.

 

[DLD]

If you a see a full, fat cod like leanbeef described, it's pretty well safe to say that calf should be finished.  But in comparing one calf to another, keep in mind that there are lots of different methods of castration and they leave different amounts of bag.  For example, a calf that was banded at a very young age won't have nearly as much of a bag as one that was cut at a later stage, so be sure and look for other indicators like the fat around the tailhead and in the flank as well.

 

[farmboy]

Like a scrotum that has fat in it instead of nuts