In general a short-legged animal is more suitable for meat, since those to be used as draft animals must have long and strong legs to undertake hard work.
現在的專業牛販多半是幾個人合夥經營，當一夥牛販進墟後，先把牛隻安置妥當，就開始展開交易前的準備工作。通常都留一兩人看守牛隻，其他人則四處遊逛，打探當天的行情。等到打探得差不多，或是看到屬意的牛隻了，隨即展開一段高潮迭起的「前奏」。