Hereford Heifer photo

[showmomof2]

What do ya think? This is our Channing daughter we are taking to Jr. Nationals next monty.

 

[KNERSIE]

I don't think the pose is doing her justice, try and get a pic with her set up. In this photo she looks cowhocked.

I think she could have been a touch more feminine with more of a female wedge and with more neck extention, especially for the showring.

 

[farmwriter]

Knersie, what's a female wedge?

 

[KNERSIE]

I'll have to draw some lines on a photo to try and show you, just be patient for a while and have a look again in a few hours time. My photoshop skills are seriously lacking so it might be that I'll need some help from my younger and more computer wise friends.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I'm not Knersie and don't pretend to be as experteise as him in describing/critiqueing animals. But, if you get behind an animal, you want them to be wide in the rear, tapering to a nice smooth flat front end. Meaning: big butted, big ribbed, flat shoulders blending into a long feminine neck & head.
I know what I like when I see it but can't explain what I like & dislike like Knersie. He NAILED it!

 

[farmwriter]

That's closer to my version of evaluation Jeanne. The lingo eludes me, but I trust my eyes! Besides, most of us won't ever measure up to Knersie and those of similar ilk. Just want to learn what I can.

 

[KNERSIE]

I'm not Knersie and don't pretend to be as experteise as him in describing/critiqueing animals. But, if you get behind an animal, you want them to be wide in the rear, tapering to a nice smooth flat front end. Meaning: big butted, big ribbed, flat shoulders blending into a long feminine neck & head.
I know what I like when I see it but can't explain what I like & dislike like Knersie. He NAILED it!

Taper was the word I couldn't find in my filed vocabulary.
:lol:

When looking at the profile shot she needs to be deeper in the rearflank than the chest and taper from rear to front to form a wedge from left to right in this photo.

From above a heifer or cow needs to be wider at the pins and hooks than at the shoulders.

This female wedges is a good indication of endocrine balance (high levels of estrogen) resulting in highly maternal fertile females.

Jeanne posted a simmental heifer (Uh Oh) some time ago that was a very good example of the ideal in female wedge form in a yearling heifer. Can you perhaps post that again, please Jeanne?

 

[Herefords.US]

I'll agree with Knersie. I think you've got her posed in a really bad position in this photo. Most Channings won't have as much extension through the neck. The tradeoff is that you'll usually get a lot more thickness through the rest of their body.

George

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Well, I'll try again. Doesn't want to go thru.
I love posting a pic of Uh Oh:

 

[blackcowz]

Well, I'll try again. Doesn't want to go thru.
I love posting a pic of Uh Oh:

Makes you want to raise Simmental cattle. Very, very, nice Jeanne.

 

[KNERSIE]

I'm obviously not smart enough to use the edit feature of photobucket to the full extent so the next best I can do is try and post two extremes of femininity and hopefully you'll see what I mean.

Firstly, a very feminine 3 year old in this picture, very pronounced wedge shape, she turned out to be one of my best cows and has produced two show bulls and always settle first AI service.

This older cow has the opposite of a female wedge, she has a reversed wedge shape. She was surprisingly fertile, but lacked in maternal quality, she milked very well for three months and then almost dried up. She was culled shortly after this photo was taken.

 

[farmwriter]

I see. So, do you consider this universally appealing in a brood cow? Not just a hereford thing I guess?
My apologies to the original poster if I'm hijacking your thread too much.

 

[KNERSIE]

I see. So, do you consider this universally appealing in a brood cow? Not just a hereford thing I guess?

Yes its universal across all breeds, just more pronounced in some. Typically a hereford don't show as a defined female wedge like angus do for instance. The dairy breeds takes this to another level.

My apologies to the original poster if I'm hijacking you're thread too much.

 

[JHH]

This older cow has the opposite of a female wedge, she has a reversed wedge shape. She was surprisingly fertile, but lacked in maternal quality, she milked very well for three months and then almost dried up. She was culled shortly after this photo was taken.

Thanks for posting that with pics. That is what I wanted to see. I had ask before about a reverse wedge and we never got back to it.

This cow looks like she is post legged up front. Am I correct or am I just seeing that because how thick she is in the middle?

Very nice cow in first pic as always. JHH

 

[KNERSIE]

No she isn't straight shouldered, but she does have a weak shoulder attachment. We call it loose shouldered here, but I doubt its a term used widely elsewhere in the world.