Tail Heads?

[Andyva]

What's with the lift kit in the tailheads on some of these bulls out there? Is that the current fashion? It has been my experience that a high tail head often indicates an animal with a narrow pelvis, and if she makes it to a cow, once she gets any age she has a topline that looks like a piece to a jigsaw puzzle and bulls with bad feet and legs and a poor gait. Did I miss something?

 

[Nesikep]

I have a couple cows with big tailheads, can't say it does anything for the topline, but by the same token both of those cows calve out 130-140 lb bull calves without help, and though they may not have the daintiest gait, they do have decent legs... They also have barrel bellies and milk really well. On my one replacement heifer that has a big tailhead, I find it her biggest flaw in her appearance.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

Current trend to put more rump/muscle has made a lot of them pig assed

 

[Nesikep]

Agreed, it is the current trend. Only problem I foresee with it is getting hiplocks at birth, otherwise I think it's pretty good to have more meat where the good cuts are

 

[RoanDurham]

I think it looks terrible!!

 

[Nesikep]

This is the one that I find could have a smaller tailhead, she should be a productive animal though... Her brother is 350 lbs at 2 months, and bred to a limo should work well for her

 

[Andyva]

She has some width to her pins, and nice and wide between them and the hooks. When I have a problem with it is when the tail head starts humping up back at the hooks, and the hooks and pins are level with each other, that's when they go down in the back end as an eight year old. In her case it's just unsightly, I guess with most of the stock I've dealt with it was just a part of deeper issues. It's not a deal breaker for me, I just don't like it. I certainly wouldn't want to breed for it or use stock that that had been a selection criteria. It would appear as though it is being selected for.

 

[RoanDurham]

They are selecting for it. when fitting, they can clip that topline to where it has that swooping look theyre looking for. The higher the tailhead, the more exaggerated the swoop.

 

[Nesikep]

Crazy darned show biz! I like a nice FLAT topline, though I don't have that in many of my animals. I always say the bottom line is more important anyhow (the udder area)

 

[RoanDurham]

Me too I want to see a sharp 90 from the top line to down the rump. Look up a bull called rb eagle 148. He is a perfect representation of this

 

[dun]

Seems like someone on here called it "baboon butt"