TYPES AND MARKET CLASSES OF LIVE STOCK 147 



often lacking in milk capacity. The skin and hair covering the 

 udder should be very soft and fine. Texture of udder is one 

 of the most important considerations in judging dairy cows. 



Shape of udder. All sorts of sizes, textures, and shapes 

 are presented. The most desirable shape is an evenly balanced 

 udder, with all four quarters fully developed, and having a flat 

 floor, instead of being cut up between the halves and quarters. 

 There is a natural tendency for the rear quarters to develop 

 much more than the front quarters, the latter often terminating 

 abruptly, but the most desirable shape is one extending well 

 forward to make what is termed a balanced udder. Udders 

 which carry neither forward nor backward, but are small and 

 tapering from base to teats, without any fullness, are termed 

 "funnel-shaped" udders. Undoubtedly there is considerable 

 correlation between shape of rump and shape of udder. A long 

 rump goes with a long udder, a wide rump with a wide udder, 

 and a level rump is associated with a level udder in contrast 

 to the tipped-up form of udder so often associated with a droop- 

 ing rump. Shape and balance of udder are important, but 

 subsidiary to size and texture. 



The teats and their placement. The teats should be cylin- 

 drical, perpendicular, hang on the same level, and be placed at 

 least six inches apart each way, so as to be easily grasped in 

 the hand. They should be three or four inches long and of a 

 size to make milking easy, but not too large, for udders with 

 very large teats are usually cut up between the halves and quar- 

 ters, and this occurs at the expense of glandular tissue. When 

 dairy cows are judged, a small amount of milk is drawn from 

 each teat to make certain that the teat is unobstructed and 

 free from defects not evident to the eye. Leaky teats are due 

 to weakness of the muscles of the teat, this being an undesirable 

 trait rather commonly met with, especially in heavy milkers 

 just before milking time. Some udders have not only four 

 large teats, but also one or more small or rudimentary ones. 

 A small amount of milk may sometimes be drawn from them, 

 as they usually spring from rudimentary glands. It is pre- 

 ferred that the udder have four full-sized teats, and four only. 



In conclusion it may be said that the udder, first of all, 

 should be large; second, it should be mellow and glandular; 

 third, it should be well-balanced and of good shape; fourth, 

 the teats should be of medium size and placed well apart. 



