Cattle judging
Encyclopedia
Cattle judging is the process of judging a series of cattle and pronouncing a first, second and third place animal based on each animal's individual traits compared to that of the others. Most cattle judging occurs in show rings at agricultural show
s.
Judgments on cattle are ultimately based on which cow is worth the most profit
. When judging cattle, the judge wants to act as if he or she were buying the cow, and wanted to find the most valuable cow?
There are many fine points to cattle judging. In a beef cow, for example, it is desirable to have a large animal with muscle
development. In a dairy cow, however, the judge would look for characteristics that would help to produce the best possible milk. When judging cattle, there is an overjudge, who looks at all of the cattle and puts them in order of ‘best’ cow to ‘worst’ cow.
or an underbite) then this could cause problems for the cow later. These may include soreness in the mouth, and the cow will not be able to eat as well, and will therefore not be as muscled.
Since the teeth in a cow can't be checked, the judge must look for other symptoms in the jaw. The judge usually goes through the following system:
When looking at the head of a cow, most judges believe that it is not necessary to look at the ears. Some breeds may have big ears, some may have small ears, but that will have no effect on the meat produced by the cow.
When looking at the head, there are a few key things that the judges are looking for. One of the main things the judge looks for when judging any animal is the structure. In most animals, if one joint
is set incorrectly, there is a good chance that others are also set incorrectly. The judges must check that the head is in proportion to the rest of the body. It should also be held naturally high- if the head is set naturally below the shoulders
of the cow, there is a likely chance that there is something structurally
incorrect there, and also there may be some other structure faults
throughout the rest of the body. However, the head shouldn't be held too high- this can suggest some aggressive
and bold nature in the cow. However, this will also have no effect on the quality of meat produced, and in most competitions it would not matter if a cow was more active than other cows, provided that it wasn't causing harm to other people and their livestock
. If the cow is causing excessive damage, the judge will have to ask for that cow to leave the ring, and the cow would be promptly disqualified from the event.
As a bull gets older, he develops a hump on his neck. This is a normal characteristic of bulls from all breeds, and it is only worrying to the judge if the hump, or crest, is not there. When the bull is young, the crest will not be as noticeable, but as he gets older, it will become a lot more obvious.
With some breeds, such as the Brahman
, the hump will be above the shoulder. Once again, breed characteristics are important aspects of judging, and the judge hired for the event will have a lot of knowledge on the breed characteristics of that breed he or she is judging, and usually the judges specialize in only a few breeds because of this reason.
The shoulder blades on a cow should be neat- they should be the same on either side of the back, and they shouldn't stick out too much- on a beef cow, this area should have some muscle. The shoulder blades should also be set in line with the spine- if they are not, the cow could be structurally incorrect. As with the shoulder blades, all joints in the back should be level with the spine, from the shoulder blades to the hip and the pins of the cow. However, some cows' pins do sit slightly lower than the spine. This is acceptable, but it is undesirable for any of the joints to drop off from the spine too much. If joints are set too low from the spine, this will affect the angle
of the spine, as well as the angle of the ribs and pelvis
, and may cause the animal to walk with a slight waddle. This is not desirable in a beef cow. This can also cause problems with the legs, which means that the hooves do not wear evenly on the ground. This can cause permanent lameness
and other conditions at some point in the animal's life.
When looking at the legs, the cow should be standing squarely on the hooves. This means that the cow will have to also stand squarely on the leg- therefore, the leg must have some bend in it. If the bend is too much, this is referred to as having too much angle in the leg. If the cow's leg is straight, this means that it is post-legged
. The cow must have some bend in the hock
, however, but not too much. If the cow has too much or too little bend in the legs, the bones in the shoulder blade will be set at either too sharp or too flat of an angle. The bones in the shoulder meet together in an L shape, tilted to the right. We want this angle to be about roughly 90 degree
s.
The legs on a cow should be long and well muscled. In is inadvisable to have short, but heavily muscled cattle, as it is preferable for the cow to be larger, have a lot of muscle, but also have some fat. The fat, however, must be minimal- the cow should have some fat, but not a lot.
Looking at the legs of cattle, just like on any other animal, it is one of the most important areas to look at. If the joints in the leg are not set correctly, then it as immediate area of concern.
When looking at the legs of cattle, the first areas the judge will look at are the shoulder blades and the hocks, the joint in the middle of the leg.
When looking at the shoulder blades, they must be in line with the spine
, not above or below. However, it is common to see animals with their shoulders set slightly above the spine, however, this is still an area of concern, as this is not where the shoulder is supposed to be set.
When looking at the hocks, they should have a bit of bend in them, however not too much or too little. If the angle is too straight, we call that post-legged
. If the angle is too bent, we call that sickle-hocked
.Both of these conditions are very serious, as they will affect the angle the hoof strikes the ground. This means that there will be irregular wearing of the hooves, and can lead to permanent lameness.
A lot of the potential in beef cattle lies in structure, and how the muscle is set along the body.
. The body should also be as long as possible, but everything must remain in proportion
to the rest of the body.
The spine
should be as heavily muscled as possible, as this is where most steaks come from. However, there MUST remain a consistent amount of muscling on the body- it is not desirable to have an animal who is heavily muscled in the front shoulders, but not much muscle on the back. Also, when looking under the body, although there should be a dip in the middle, the dip should definitely not be right at the front- this can also suggest having too much muscle. In general, the most muscle is at the back of the animal, however, we must keep in mind when judging that there is consistency
.
The judge will step backwards again and have another look at the legs from behind. The legs should look straight going all the way down.
In general, a lot of muscle should be on the rump.
The rump should also be round, and not bony. When standing behind the cow, the rump should obscure any of the body except for the back of the head, as this means there is a lot more meat on the animal.
As the leg structure affects much of the hoof structure, the hooves are very vulnerable
. If the animal does not step on them correctly, lameness, even permanent lameness, may occur in the animal's life.
Although in the judging ring it will be hard to see the cow's feet, there are a few things the judge must know, and look out for along the way.
There are also a number of places on the animal that a lot of muscle should be.
It will also be very obvious looking at some cows where a lot of muscle is, because of the high muscle definition
.
When looking at bulls, there are a few things that differ from normal cattle judging that the judge will be looking out for.
Agricultural show
An agricultural show is a public event showcasing the equipment, animals, sports and recreation associated with agriculture and animal husbandry. The largest comprise a livestock show , a trade fair, competitions, and entertainment...
s.
Judgments on cattle are ultimately based on which cow is worth the most profit
Profit (economics)
In economics, the term profit has two related but distinct meanings. Normal profit represents the total opportunity costs of a venture to an entrepreneur or investor, whilst economic profit In economics, the term profit has two related but distinct meanings. Normal profit represents the total...
. When judging cattle, the judge wants to act as if he or she were buying the cow, and wanted to find the most valuable cow?
There are many fine points to cattle judging. In a beef cow, for example, it is desirable to have a large animal with muscle
Muscle
Muscle is a contractile tissue of animals and is derived from the mesodermal layer of embryonic germ cells. Muscle cells contain contractile filaments that move past each other and change the size of the cell. They are classified as skeletal, cardiac, or smooth muscles. Their function is to...
development. In a dairy cow, however, the judge would look for characteristics that would help to produce the best possible milk. When judging cattle, there is an overjudge, who looks at all of the cattle and puts them in order of ‘best’ cow to ‘worst’ cow.
Origins
Cattle judging has been around for many thousands of years. Although in modern times the judging of cattle usually occurs in a show ringer in both the past and present it is also a guide to purchasing animals. When purchasing a cow, a buyer judges the cow just as a judge would in a show.Judging cattle
Every judge has their own system, though there is now a push for a standardized points system. Usually, this system starts at the head and goes all the way through to the tail, looking at finer points along the way. Sometimes at agricultural shows there are junior judging competitions. These competitions are created solely for the purpose of giving youth a chance to judge in a competition. The competitors then can go on to talk to the overjudge of the event about why they placed these cows in the order they did. When the competitors are judging, the overjudge is judging them, and the competitors get points on the systems they use in the ring. These systems are usually the system an overjudge uses when they are judging beef cattle.Beef cattle criteria
When judging beef cattle, the judge looks for- A good head carriageCarriageA carriage is a wheeled vehicle for people, usually horse-drawn; litters and sedan chairs are excluded, since they are wheelless vehicles. The carriage is especially designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance, though some are also used to transport goods. It may be light,...
- how the head is held on the cow. This also has a lot to do with the neck on the cow—the neck should be broad, sit evenly on the shoulders, and the base must be in line with the spine. - A long body is also desirable to the judge, as this means that the cow will hold much more meat than a cow with a shorter body.
- The cow must also have strong, sturdy legs that show no signs of cow-hock, bow-leg, or sickle-hock. If the cow has any of these structural problems, there could be a risk of permanent injury. They must also be well muscled, and everything must be as large as possible, but all limbs must still remain in proportion to the size of the body.
- As much muscle as possible in order to maximize the profit to the farmer. However, as a beef cow is much heavier than a dairy cow and puts much more weight on the hooves, it is very important that there are no signs of irregular wearing of hooves, as this may be a sign of structural problems in the leg.
The head
On cows, the judge usually cannot check their teeth without using a head bail, as cattle are sensitive around the mouth area. When checking their teeth, the teeth must sit evenly- if the cow has overshot or undershot teeth (much like an overbiteMalocclusion
A malocclusion is a misalignment of teeth or incorrect relation between the teeth of the two dental arches. The term was coined by Edward Angle, the "father of modern orthodontics", as a derivative of occlusion, which refers to the manner in which opposing teeth meet.-Presentation:Most people have...
or an underbite) then this could cause problems for the cow later. These may include soreness in the mouth, and the cow will not be able to eat as well, and will therefore not be as muscled.
Since the teeth in a cow can't be checked, the judge must look for other symptoms in the jaw. The judge usually goes through the following system:
- They check that the muzzle is as broad as possible, but still in proportion.
- They then stand a bit further back and look at the entire head. The judge is looking for proportion in the head and whether it 'matches' the rest of the body.
When looking at the head of a cow, most judges believe that it is not necessary to look at the ears. Some breeds may have big ears, some may have small ears, but that will have no effect on the meat produced by the cow.
When looking at the head, there are a few key things that the judges are looking for. One of the main things the judge looks for when judging any animal is the structure. In most animals, if one joint
Joint
A joint is the location at which two or more bones make contact. They are constructed to allow movement and provide mechanical support, and are classified structurally and functionally.-Classification:...
is set incorrectly, there is a good chance that others are also set incorrectly. The judges must check that the head is in proportion to the rest of the body. It should also be held naturally high- if the head is set naturally below the shoulders
Shoulders
Shoulders is drinking game that involves players competing in a fast paced game attempting to "count" to 21.-Game play:*The game begins with a player slapping his left/right shoulder, this starts the count at 1....
of the cow, there is a likely chance that there is something structurally
Structure
Structure is a fundamental, tangible or intangible notion referring to the recognition, observation, nature, and permanence of patterns and relationships of entities. This notion may itself be an object, such as a built structure, or an attribute, such as the structure of society...
incorrect there, and also there may be some other structure faults
Fault (dog)
The term fault is used in animal breed standards to describe an aspect of appearance or temperament that is considered detrimental to the breed type of the animal's breed. In dogs, faults have to do with the externally observable qualities of the dog such as appearance, movement, and temperament...
throughout the rest of the body. However, the head shouldn't be held too high- this can suggest some aggressive
Aggressive
“Aggressive” is a New York-based Grammy award-winning music video and commercial directing team of Alex Topaller and Daniel Shapiro.Aggressive has been described by Movie Creation Mag as “having a fascination with the wonderful, in the likes of the surrealist Rafal Olbinski” and “tenacious about...
and bold nature in the cow. However, this will also have no effect on the quality of meat produced, and in most competitions it would not matter if a cow was more active than other cows, provided that it wasn't causing harm to other people and their livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
. If the cow is causing excessive damage, the judge will have to ask for that cow to leave the ring, and the cow would be promptly disqualified from the event.
Topline
The term 'topline' refers to the back of the cow being judged in the showring. On a cow, it should be straight, however, the cow is not a board, and should therefore have a slight bend in the back, as well as having a relaxed back.As a bull gets older, he develops a hump on his neck. This is a normal characteristic of bulls from all breeds, and it is only worrying to the judge if the hump, or crest, is not there. When the bull is young, the crest will not be as noticeable, but as he gets older, it will become a lot more obvious.
With some breeds, such as the Brahman
Brahman (cattle)
The Brahman or Brahma is a breed of Zebu cattle , later exported from India to the rest of the world. The main breeds used were Kankrej, Gujurat, Nelore or Ongole and the Gir or Gyr cattle...
, the hump will be above the shoulder. Once again, breed characteristics are important aspects of judging, and the judge hired for the event will have a lot of knowledge on the breed characteristics of that breed he or she is judging, and usually the judges specialize in only a few breeds because of this reason.
The shoulder blades on a cow should be neat- they should be the same on either side of the back, and they shouldn't stick out too much- on a beef cow, this area should have some muscle. The shoulder blades should also be set in line with the spine- if they are not, the cow could be structurally incorrect. As with the shoulder blades, all joints in the back should be level with the spine, from the shoulder blades to the hip and the pins of the cow. However, some cows' pins do sit slightly lower than the spine. This is acceptable, but it is undesirable for any of the joints to drop off from the spine too much. If joints are set too low from the spine, this will affect the angle
Angle
In geometry, an angle is the figure formed by two rays sharing a common endpoint, called the vertex of the angle.Angles are usually presumed to be in a Euclidean plane with the circle taken for standard with regard to direction. In fact, an angle is frequently viewed as a measure of an circular arc...
of the spine, as well as the angle of the ribs and pelvis
Pelvis
In human anatomy, the pelvis is the lower part of the trunk, between the abdomen and the lower limbs .The pelvis includes several structures:...
, and may cause the animal to walk with a slight waddle. This is not desirable in a beef cow. This can also cause problems with the legs, which means that the hooves do not wear evenly on the ground. This can cause permanent lameness
Lameness (equine)
Lameness in horses and other equidae is a term used to refer to any number of conditions where the animal fails to travel in a regular and sound manner on all four feet...
and other conditions at some point in the animal's life.
The legs
When looking at the legs in an animal, the judge is looking mainly at the structure, and for some muscle. As mentioned before, when one joint is set incorrectly on an animal, there is a high chance that the other joints will be set incorrectly as well.When looking at the legs, the cow should be standing squarely on the hooves. This means that the cow will have to also stand squarely on the leg- therefore, the leg must have some bend in it. If the bend is too much, this is referred to as having too much angle in the leg. If the cow's leg is straight, this means that it is post-legged
Post-legged
Post legged is when the joints in an animal are not set correctly. When an animal is post-legged, the leg joints are far too straight, with almost no bend in the legs. Four-legged animals must have some bend in the hocks, otherwise the hooves would wear unevenly, and this may result in lameness, or...
. The cow must have some bend in the hock
Hock (zoology)
The hock, or gambrel, is the joint between the tarsal bones and tibia of a digitigrade or unguligrade quadrupedal mammal, such as a horse, cat, or dog...
, however, but not too much. If the cow has too much or too little bend in the legs, the bones in the shoulder blade will be set at either too sharp or too flat of an angle. The bones in the shoulder meet together in an L shape, tilted to the right. We want this angle to be about roughly 90 degree
Degree (angle)
A degree , usually denoted by ° , is a measurement of plane angle, representing 1⁄360 of a full rotation; one degree is equivalent to π/180 radians...
s.
The legs on a cow should be long and well muscled. In is inadvisable to have short, but heavily muscled cattle, as it is preferable for the cow to be larger, have a lot of muscle, but also have some fat. The fat, however, must be minimal- the cow should have some fat, but not a lot.
Looking at the legs of cattle, just like on any other animal, it is one of the most important areas to look at. If the joints in the leg are not set correctly, then it as immediate area of concern.
When looking at the legs of cattle, the first areas the judge will look at are the shoulder blades and the hocks, the joint in the middle of the leg.
When looking at the shoulder blades, they must be in line with the spine
Vertebral column
In human anatomy, the vertebral column is a column usually consisting of 24 articulating vertebrae, and 9 fused vertebrae in the sacrum and the coccyx. It is situated in the dorsal aspect of the torso, separated by intervertebral discs...
, not above or below. However, it is common to see animals with their shoulders set slightly above the spine, however, this is still an area of concern, as this is not where the shoulder is supposed to be set.
When looking at the hocks, they should have a bit of bend in them, however not too much or too little. If the angle is too straight, we call that post-legged
Post-legged
Post legged is when the joints in an animal are not set correctly. When an animal is post-legged, the leg joints are far too straight, with almost no bend in the legs. Four-legged animals must have some bend in the hocks, otherwise the hooves would wear unevenly, and this may result in lameness, or...
. If the angle is too bent, we call that sickle-hocked
Sickle-hocked
Sickle-hocked is the technical term used to describe a specific type of incorrect leg structure in animals. The back leg joints of an animal, usually a horse or other equine mammal, are set with too much angle, resulting in the hock also being excessively angled. This can result in uneven hoof...
.Both of these conditions are very serious, as they will affect the angle the hoof strikes the ground. This means that there will be irregular wearing of the hooves, and can lead to permanent lameness.
A lot of the potential in beef cattle lies in structure, and how the muscle is set along the body.
Main body and ribs
When looking at the body, the judge wants to see as much rib extension as possible- this means having a large chest area, adding more muscle to the animal. The amount of muscle must be consistent throughout the animal, all the way from neck to the rumpRump
-Politics:*Rump cabinet*Rump legislature*Rump organization*Rump Parliament*Rump Senate*Rump state*Rump party- Technology :* Runnable Userspace Meta Programs, software run in userspace that offers kernel functionality ....
. The body should also be as long as possible, but everything must remain in proportion
Body proportions
While there is significant variation in anatomical proportions between people, there are many references to body proportions that are intended to be canonical, either in art, measurement, or medicine....
to the rest of the body.
The spine
Vertebral column
In human anatomy, the vertebral column is a column usually consisting of 24 articulating vertebrae, and 9 fused vertebrae in the sacrum and the coccyx. It is situated in the dorsal aspect of the torso, separated by intervertebral discs...
should be as heavily muscled as possible, as this is where most steaks come from. However, there MUST remain a consistent amount of muscling on the body- it is not desirable to have an animal who is heavily muscled in the front shoulders, but not much muscle on the back. Also, when looking under the body, although there should be a dip in the middle, the dip should definitely not be right at the front- this can also suggest having too much muscle. In general, the most muscle is at the back of the animal, however, we must keep in mind when judging that there is consistency
Consistency
Consistency can refer to:* Consistency , the psychological need to be consistent with prior acts and statements* "Consistency", an 1887 speech by Mark Twain...
.
Rump
When standing behind an animal, there are a few things the judge looks for.- When standing directly behind a her, they should see only the rumpRump-Politics:*Rump cabinet*Rump legislature*Rump organization*Rump Parliament*Rump Senate*Rump state*Rump party- Technology :* Runnable Userspace Meta Programs, software run in userspace that offers kernel functionality ....
, and none of the body. This means that there is a good amount of muscle on the rump. - If there is a wide rump, the feet should be set apart wider, as well.
- Like above, if the rump is smaller, the feet should be set closer together- if they are not, the cow could have an incorrect structure.
The judge will step backwards again and have another look at the legs from behind. The legs should look straight going all the way down.
- If the legs are bent inwards, this is called cow-hockedCow-hockedCow-hocked is the condition in a livestock animal where the back leg joints of the animal are set incorrectly. This term is used to describe when the back 'knee' on an animal is set inward, resulting in a splayed look in the back legs. This can result in the uneven wearing of hooves, which can end...
. This means that the hocks are pointing inwards, towards each other. - If the legs are bent outwards, this is called bow-leg. This is a condition that can affect almost any animal.
In general, a lot of muscle should be on the rump.
- The widest part of the rump should be the stifleStifle jointThe stifle joint is a complex joint in the hind limbs of quadruped mammals such as the sheep, horse or dog. It is the equivalent joint to the human knee...
- about halfway down.
The rump should also be round, and not bony. When standing behind the cow, the rump should obscure any of the body except for the back of the head, as this means there is a lot more meat on the animal.
Hooves and pasterns
After looking at leg structure, the judge then wants to look at the hooves and pasterns. The pasterns are the bones that run from the top of the hoof to the fetlock.As the leg structure affects much of the hoof structure, the hooves are very vulnerable
Vulnerability
Vulnerability refer to the susceptibility of a person, group, society, sex or system to physical or emotional injury or attack. The term can also refer to a person who lets their guard down, leaving themselves open to censure or criticism...
. If the animal does not step on them correctly, lameness, even permanent lameness, may occur in the animal's life.
Although in the judging ring it will be hard to see the cow's feet, there are a few things the judge must know, and look out for along the way.
- There are two claws on a cow's feet.
- These "dew claws" need to be of equal length, and shouldn't curve around too much.
- However, there should be a slope from the pasternPasternThe pastern is a part of the leg of a horse between the fetlock and the top of the hoof. It incorporates the long pastern bone and the short pastern bone , which are held together by two sets of paired ligaments to form the pastern joint...
joint down the hoof to the ground. - The heel of the hoof needs to be sitting above the ground, but not too far above the ground- we do need some bend in the pastern.
- The skin that is attached to the hoof needs to be above the ground as well.
- When the pastern is too straight, it may appear as if the cow is walking on tip-toes, but this is a problem, as it means that the hoof is not striking the ground properly.
- Hooves need to be of equal size and correct shape. Hooves shouldn't curl in, under, or be to small. This is the foundataion of the animal.
Walking
In a judging ring, the animals will be walking. When the animal is walking freely, the back hooves should step into the front hooves' footprints.- If an animal is sickle-hockedSickle-hockedSickle-hocked is the technical term used to describe a specific type of incorrect leg structure in animals. The back leg joints of an animal, usually a horse or other equine mammal, are set with too much angle, resulting in the hock also being excessively angled. This can result in uneven hoof...
, there will be some overstepping, which means he is stepping over his footprints. - When the animal is post-leggedPost-leggedPost legged is when the joints in an animal are not set correctly. When an animal is post-legged, the leg joints are far too straight, with almost no bend in the legs. Four-legged animals must have some bend in the hocks, otherwise the hooves would wear unevenly, and this may result in lameness, or...
, understepping will occur. Understepping means the cow is not reaching his footprints. - If the judge sees any overstepping or understepping, they would then take another look at the leg structure of that particular cow.
- If he or she sees uneven footprints in the ground, this may also suggest some structure problems in the animal, and they would therefore have another look at the leg structure of the cow.
Fat and muscle
When animals are around the same size, in general, the bones will be the same size. However, there could be two cows of the same size, and their weights will be completely different, as one would have more muscle and/or than the other. On a beef animal, we want as much muscle as possible. However, we do want some fat on the animal- just not too much. We call the last layer of fat that has formed on an animal 'finish' animals can be over finished (too fat) or under finished (not fat enough).- In general, anything below the point of the elbow is fat.
- The brisketBrisketBrisket is a cut of meat from the breast or lower chest of beef or veal. The beef brisket is one of the eight beef primal cuts. The brisket muscles include the superficial and deep pectorals. As cattle do not have collar bones, these muscles support about 60% of the body weight of standing/moving...
(the flap on a cow's neck) is only fat and skin. We generally want to see fullness to the brisket, this means that the animal has enough finish and muscle development. If there is too much finish, it will look 'messy,' aka, skin will fold over and look a lot like double chins on people. The skin should be tight and the brisket full. - The flank of an animal is generally only a flap of skin, just under where the joints of the leg and hip are. You want to see a large full flap of skin, when an animal is narrowly muscled and under finished, the flank will be tighter to the body, this is not desired. An animal with less capacity will also have a smaller flank.
- Once looking at the brisket and flank of the cow, the judge looks at the tailhead. The tail head is the last place an animal fills in with 'finish' if it isn't full at all, then the animal has not finished yet and needs more days on feed then other animals in the class, if it is fat, then folds of skin will again appear, and the animal is over finished. Just because is not large, and the animal is leaner, and that does not mean there can be more muscle on that animal. Muscle can be hidden under fat, and if it is, that animal is more desirable.
- The ribs, point of the shoulder and the spine are very important when looking at muscle as well as fat. When looking at the back of an animal from behind, the ribs should 'spring out' from the spine. This should give a tabling effect, you want an animal to be wide across the back, with the spine dimpling down the center. The point of shoulder should look very muscular, if it appears like the animal is flexing, it is a very lean desirable animal. The judge must keep in mind that all breeds are different on where fat is deposited. Before people judge cattle, they should know a lot about the breed to be judged, and where the fat is usually deposited in that breed.
- Also, the judge must keep in mind that the rump of an animal is where the most muscle will be, and less fat.
There are also a number of places on the animal that a lot of muscle should be.
- On either side of the spine- this is where a lot of steakSteakA steak is a cut of meat . Most are cut perpendicular to the muscle fibers, improving the perceived tenderness of the meat. In North America, steaks are typically served grilled, pan-fried, or broiled. The more tender cuts from the loin and rib are cooked quickly, using dry heat, and served whole...
s come from. - Between the knee and the elbow of an animal- the forearmForearm-See also:*Forearm flexors*Forearm muscles...
. - The stifle, it is a muscle seen from behind an animal on both sides of the rump. An animal's widest point should be its stifle, if it is not, the animal is light muscled.
It will also be very obvious looking at some cows where a lot of muscle is, because of the high muscle definition
Definition
A definition is a passage that explains the meaning of a term , or a type of thing. The term to be defined is the definiendum. A term may have many different senses or meanings...
.
When looking at bulls, there are a few things that differ from normal cattle judging that the judge will be looking out for.
- There will be a crest above the neck- the judge mustn’t get this confused with the shoulder. On big bulls, the crest may even be higher than the head, creating the illusionIllusionAn illusion is a distortion of the senses, revealing how the brain normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation. While illusions distort reality, they are generally shared by most people....
that the head is set too far down on the bull. This may not be true. - If the head really does look like it is set too low on the bull, the judge will ignore the crest and look at all of the structure on the animal, especially on the front half, just to make sure the head is set correctly.
- The greater size of the testicles, the more cows the bull can service.
- The sheathSheathSheath may refer to:* Scabbard, a sheath for holding a sword, knife, or other large blade, as well as guns, such as rifles.* The outer covering of a cable* Condom, a kind of contraception* Debye sheath, a layer of a plasma in physics...
on a bull should be firmly attached and not pendulous. If the sheath is pendulous, the bull is of more risk to grass seed problems or injury.
Cows
As there are differences when judging bulls, there are also differences when judging cows that are very important.- The udders on females should not be pendulous.
- Teat size and placement is critical, but keep in mind that everything should still remain in proportion.
- Coarse hair indicates low fertilityFertilityFertility is the natural capability of producing offsprings. As a measure, "fertility rate" is the number of children born per couple, person or population. Fertility differs from fecundity, which is defined as the potential for reproduction...
. - The navelNavelThe navel is a scar on the abdomen caused when the umbilical cord is removed from a newborn baby...
should not be pendulous. - If the navel does appear pendulous, there is a chance that her brothers or sons may have the same problemProblemA problem is an obstacle, impediment, difficulty or challenge, or any situation that invites resolution; the resolution of which is recognized as a solution or contribution toward a known purpose or goal...
.