82 PROFITABLE STOCK RAISING 



coming down perpendicularly on the outside, where 

 the thighs naturally narrow. 



Quality in a beef animal is shown by a fine bone ; 

 moderately fine hair; a mellow, moderately loose 

 skin; medium size, well set ears, and horns of 

 moderate size and fine texture. Coarse bone, rough 

 joints, long legs, scraggy horns, indicate lack of 

 quality. The skin is a most important indication 

 of quality. Taken in the hands over the ribs it 

 must seem mellow and pliable to the touch, being 

 easily grasped and stretched. Thin skin is undesir- 

 able in a beef animal, while, on the other hand, a 

 very thick skin is to be avoided. 



The ability to put on flesh evenly is of great 

 importance in the beef animal. The increase must 

 be uniformly distributed all over the body. This 

 can be determined by passing the palm of the hand 

 along the back and shoulders or sides. It should 

 find no evidence of irregular covering, with poor 

 spots in one place and heavy fleshing in others. 



DAIRY CHARACTERISTICS 



Dairy cattle are entirely different from beef 

 cattle. The body is not so thick, there is less 

 strength of back, the thighs are narrow and the 

 neck slender. The triple wedge form is associated 

 with the dairy cow. Viewed from, one side, she 

 shows a less depth of body in front than behind. 

 She gradually widens from the breast to a point 

 of the hips and hindquarters. Looking down the 

 back at the withers, the form widens out like a 

 wedge toward the middle of the body. Many 

 notable dairy cows possess this wedge form in a 

 striking degree, but, of course, exceptions occa- 

 sionally are made. 



Fleshiness of the dairy cow is objectionable, 



