This report describes the four cattle raising systems used in five regions identified in the United States in 1976. The systems identified in the West, Southwest, Southeast, Great Plains, and North Central regions--the cow-calf system, cow-calf-slaughter system, the stocker purchase-slaughter system, and the stocker purchase-feeder sales system--accounted for 70, 9, 8, and 4 percent, respectively, of the cattle raising systems used in all regions.