Hi - I'm brand new to the board, and to cattle. We've had horses for many years but not yet any bovines.
I hope I'm not imposing on you all, but I was wondering if I could get some feedback on what criteria are most important for comparing different cattle breeds? I ask because I have an educational, non-commercial website called RightPet http://www.rightpet.com/, which allows users to rate the breeds/species of pet/companion animals they have kept. We're just about to add a section for Livestock / Poultry, and I'm stumped as to what rating criteria to add for cattle. We will have perhaps 30 breeds of cattle listed in the section, and users can rate the breeds they have owned / worked with.
As the site is targeted on pet owners, the people most likely to rate their cattle are probably individuals/homesteaders who have one to a handful, rather than large commercial operators. Still, I would like to emphasize the commercial aspect more than the "pet" aspect, or at least have a combination of both. Do the following sound like reasonable items to ask owners to rate (0 = low, 5 = high, N/A) -
Appearance (how attractive is this cattle breed?)
Temperament (what is this animal's general attitude towards people?)
Easy to keep (how easy is it to keep this animal in top condition, for instance feeding, maintaining a healthy habitat etc.?)
Easy to handle (how easy is it to handle this animal?)
Health / vigor (how disease-resistant, healthy and robust is this breed?)
Showing (how easy is it to show this animal at a fair or other competition?)
Growth rate (does this breed convert feed efficiently and quickly gain weight?)
Meat quality (does this breed produce tender, lean, flavorful meat which is well-marbled?)
Milk production (if a dairy breed, does this cow produce high quality, quantity milk?)
Calving ease (does this breed produce calves which are born healthy and easily?)
Cost to own (how expensive is this animal to acquire and maintain?)
Thanks so much for your intput.
I hope I'm not imposing on you all, but I was wondering if I could get some feedback on what criteria are most important for comparing different cattle breeds? I ask because I have an educational, non-commercial website called RightPet http://www.rightpet.com/, which allows users to rate the breeds/species of pet/companion animals they have kept. We're just about to add a section for Livestock / Poultry, and I'm stumped as to what rating criteria to add for cattle. We will have perhaps 30 breeds of cattle listed in the section, and users can rate the breeds they have owned / worked with.
As the site is targeted on pet owners, the people most likely to rate their cattle are probably individuals/homesteaders who have one to a handful, rather than large commercial operators. Still, I would like to emphasize the commercial aspect more than the "pet" aspect, or at least have a combination of both. Do the following sound like reasonable items to ask owners to rate (0 = low, 5 = high, N/A) -
Appearance (how attractive is this cattle breed?)
Temperament (what is this animal's general attitude towards people?)
Easy to keep (how easy is it to keep this animal in top condition, for instance feeding, maintaining a healthy habitat etc.?)
Easy to handle (how easy is it to handle this animal?)
Health / vigor (how disease-resistant, healthy and robust is this breed?)
Showing (how easy is it to show this animal at a fair or other competition?)
Growth rate (does this breed convert feed efficiently and quickly gain weight?)
Meat quality (does this breed produce tender, lean, flavorful meat which is well-marbled?)
Milk production (if a dairy breed, does this cow produce high quality, quantity milk?)
Calving ease (does this breed produce calves which are born healthy and easily?)
Cost to own (how expensive is this animal to acquire and maintain?)
Thanks so much for your intput.