cattle_gal
Well-known member
Alrighty now. When a cow is described as normal looking there will be a different description from just about each individual on this board on what normal means to them. This is why I ask what you see in your cattle.
Look at your cattle as if you were the judge in the ring. Compare them to the cattle you were showing against or even in magazines or on the net. Then write down those differences. Over all eye appeal - proportion, rump, shoulders, neck, ect.
If you look at the rump from the rear do you see a rump that is more round on the sides or more straight on the sides? This would be rump width. Is the rump muscles covering the spine. The gut less than the rump. Looking from the hind you don't see more gut than rump.
Looking on a side profile does the shoulder, middle, flank and rump all flow in a nice smooth surface. And this is not with the hair all primped. As if all the hair was shaved off as to not cover the lacking spots. Balanced in shoulders/fore to rump/hind.
Leg structure side view. Judges will sometimes frown on post legs, some not. Legs strong looking to indicate durability and longevity. Hooves very important, same as legs. No flat feet.
What does the top line look like. Straighter the better. Clean top will make a clean underline. Proportion: length- 1/3 for each of the 3 sections. Neck(poll to shoulder), back(shoulder to hip bone), rump(hip bone to pin bone).
Some have more of a brisket than others.
As you can tell I'm not going to tell you what is and isn't in your cattle. But I want to give you a learning tool so you can judge your own cattle and other cattle(and horses) and make decisions now and in the future. If one would measure the girth to be equal or better to the rump length
would that be a more balanced cow. If the shoulder width is the same as the rump length does the animal look more balanced. If a female, does this effect her maternal ability. Answers that don't come all at once instantly, but as we learn with patience.
Look at your cattle as if you were the judge in the ring. Compare them to the cattle you were showing against or even in magazines or on the net. Then write down those differences. Over all eye appeal - proportion, rump, shoulders, neck, ect.
If you look at the rump from the rear do you see a rump that is more round on the sides or more straight on the sides? This would be rump width. Is the rump muscles covering the spine. The gut less than the rump. Looking from the hind you don't see more gut than rump.
Looking on a side profile does the shoulder, middle, flank and rump all flow in a nice smooth surface. And this is not with the hair all primped. As if all the hair was shaved off as to not cover the lacking spots. Balanced in shoulders/fore to rump/hind.
Leg structure side view. Judges will sometimes frown on post legs, some not. Legs strong looking to indicate durability and longevity. Hooves very important, same as legs. No flat feet.
What does the top line look like. Straighter the better. Clean top will make a clean underline. Proportion: length- 1/3 for each of the 3 sections. Neck(poll to shoulder), back(shoulder to hip bone), rump(hip bone to pin bone).
Some have more of a brisket than others.
As you can tell I'm not going to tell you what is and isn't in your cattle. But I want to give you a learning tool so you can judge your own cattle and other cattle(and horses) and make decisions now and in the future. If one would measure the girth to be equal or better to the rump length
would that be a more balanced cow. If the shoulder width is the same as the rump length does the animal look more balanced. If a female, does this effect her maternal ability. Answers that don't come all at once instantly, but as we learn with patience.
