I have been asked to explain what I select for as far as eyeset goes in my herefords. As we all know herefords have a bad reputation for cancer eye and for being proned to pink-eye. Although it may not still be the case in modern herefords, we as breeders still haven't laid the ghosts of the past to rest. I'll try and discuss this in as much detail as possible and welcome input form other breeders.
What I'll try and describe isn't merely a showring whim, but has a very definate use especially in an extensive environment. This may not be equally applicable for those who farm on soft open grass pastures, but all of us should have one common goal in improving our breed.
Pink eye is caused by the Moraxella Bovis bacteria that is carried by flies, gnats, mosquitoes, etc. All these carriers need proteien as a feed source. Tears secreted by both human and bovine eyes are a rich form of proteien and will attrack flies and gnats with the effect that the Moraxella Bovis bacteria be transfered to the cattle, thus causing pink eye.
The cause of Cancer eye is still an ongoing debate, but it is commonly accepted that harmfull UV rays from direct sunlight are one of the causes. The same way a person with a fair skin is more likely to be harmed by the sun. It seems that pigment on the eyelids is the answer here, although it certainly helps to protect the eyelids it still isn't the complete solution as the eyeball can also be affected by cancer and surely we can not have pigment there.
The best we can do in preventing eye problems is by hiding the area of the eye that is exposed to direct sunlight and to physical injury or irritation that might cause the eye to tear and attrack flies.
This we can do by selecting bulls that have eyes that are set deep in their sockets with little or no eyeball protruding outside the eyesocket. Strong developed eyebanks create a hood that protect the eye from physical injury and foreign objects. Eyelashes that point downwards acts as a screen and help limit the irritation caused by dust and wind.
The bull below has good pigment, but his eyes are not set deep enough in their sockets and are proned to injury during fighting, grass seeds can easily enter the eye and if he has to graze in brush he may well end up with a thorn in the eye. He is also lacking in eyebanks.
The next bull has better eyeset ,but is lacking in pigmentation on the eyelids. He has very good eyebanks that will protect the eyes from physical injury.
This bull has even better eyeset and also strong eyebanks, but he isn't fully pigmented on the left eye and his lashes could have pointed more downwards
This bull is as close to perfection in eyeset as I have bred up to date. His eyes are set deep in the sockets, he has an eyeliner of pigment, he has strong eyebanks and eyelashes that point downwards. Note that when you look at him directly from the front you almost cannot see his eyes. There is very little chance of physical injury or sunburn on eyes like these.
Now I'll move on to cows, the same principles apply, but as the developement of eyebank is a secondary male sex characteristic you won't find eyebanks as strong in cows as in bulls.
This cow has eyeset just about as poor as you can get. She completely lacks eyebanks, have very little pigment, her lashes are pointing in all directions except down, but worse of all is the eyeballs that are set almost outside their sockets. Its not difficult to imagine grass sticking in these eyes causing tears, attracking flies with pink eye the obvious result.
This cow has very good pigment, but her pigment alone won't protect these eyes, her eyeset is poor with very little protection for the eyeball.
This heifer has very good eyeset and is a good example to follow, but if I have to find fault, I would have prefered stronger eyebanks.
This heifer is again very close to perfection. She has strong eyebanks for a female, good pigment, lashes pointing downwards. Her eyes are well protected.
Calves are often hard to tell how they will develope, very few calves are born with lashes pointing downwards, very few calves are born with strong eyebanks and often the eyes will creep deeper into their sockets with age. It is not unknown for eyepigment to increase with age as well. A pink eye will never become a red eye, but I've seen eyes with some pigment become almost fully pigmented by weaning.
The best I could come up with are these two calves that have very good eyes at a young age, they are about a month old.
First a bullcalf
and a heifer
Pigment like this isn't neccesary, just an eyeliner will do.
Recently there has been a movement in Australia where the backgound colour of the white of the eyeball are being documented. Supposedly the more blue the colour the less proned to eyeproblems the eye is supposed to be. In SA we'll start to monitor it, but as far as I am aware of there hasn't been sufficient proof yet to really include this in your selection criteria.
What I'll try and describe isn't merely a showring whim, but has a very definate use especially in an extensive environment. This may not be equally applicable for those who farm on soft open grass pastures, but all of us should have one common goal in improving our breed.
Pink eye is caused by the Moraxella Bovis bacteria that is carried by flies, gnats, mosquitoes, etc. All these carriers need proteien as a feed source. Tears secreted by both human and bovine eyes are a rich form of proteien and will attrack flies and gnats with the effect that the Moraxella Bovis bacteria be transfered to the cattle, thus causing pink eye.
The cause of Cancer eye is still an ongoing debate, but it is commonly accepted that harmfull UV rays from direct sunlight are one of the causes. The same way a person with a fair skin is more likely to be harmed by the sun. It seems that pigment on the eyelids is the answer here, although it certainly helps to protect the eyelids it still isn't the complete solution as the eyeball can also be affected by cancer and surely we can not have pigment there.
The best we can do in preventing eye problems is by hiding the area of the eye that is exposed to direct sunlight and to physical injury or irritation that might cause the eye to tear and attrack flies.
This we can do by selecting bulls that have eyes that are set deep in their sockets with little or no eyeball protruding outside the eyesocket. Strong developed eyebanks create a hood that protect the eye from physical injury and foreign objects. Eyelashes that point downwards acts as a screen and help limit the irritation caused by dust and wind.
The bull below has good pigment, but his eyes are not set deep enough in their sockets and are proned to injury during fighting, grass seeds can easily enter the eye and if he has to graze in brush he may well end up with a thorn in the eye. He is also lacking in eyebanks.
The next bull has better eyeset ,but is lacking in pigmentation on the eyelids. He has very good eyebanks that will protect the eyes from physical injury.
This bull has even better eyeset and also strong eyebanks, but he isn't fully pigmented on the left eye and his lashes could have pointed more downwards
This bull is as close to perfection in eyeset as I have bred up to date. His eyes are set deep in the sockets, he has an eyeliner of pigment, he has strong eyebanks and eyelashes that point downwards. Note that when you look at him directly from the front you almost cannot see his eyes. There is very little chance of physical injury or sunburn on eyes like these.
Now I'll move on to cows, the same principles apply, but as the developement of eyebank is a secondary male sex characteristic you won't find eyebanks as strong in cows as in bulls.
This cow has eyeset just about as poor as you can get. She completely lacks eyebanks, have very little pigment, her lashes are pointing in all directions except down, but worse of all is the eyeballs that are set almost outside their sockets. Its not difficult to imagine grass sticking in these eyes causing tears, attracking flies with pink eye the obvious result.
This cow has very good pigment, but her pigment alone won't protect these eyes, her eyeset is poor with very little protection for the eyeball.
This heifer has very good eyeset and is a good example to follow, but if I have to find fault, I would have prefered stronger eyebanks.
This heifer is again very close to perfection. She has strong eyebanks for a female, good pigment, lashes pointing downwards. Her eyes are well protected.
Calves are often hard to tell how they will develope, very few calves are born with lashes pointing downwards, very few calves are born with strong eyebanks and often the eyes will creep deeper into their sockets with age. It is not unknown for eyepigment to increase with age as well. A pink eye will never become a red eye, but I've seen eyes with some pigment become almost fully pigmented by weaning.
The best I could come up with are these two calves that have very good eyes at a young age, they are about a month old.
First a bullcalf
and a heifer
Pigment like this isn't neccesary, just an eyeliner will do.
Recently there has been a movement in Australia where the backgound colour of the white of the eyeball are being documented. Supposedly the more blue the colour the less proned to eyeproblems the eye is supposed to be. In SA we'll start to monitor it, but as far as I am aware of there hasn't been sufficient proof yet to really include this in your selection criteria.
