DAIRY TYPE OF CATTLE 



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extended well along the belly. The bottom of the udder in its 

 best form has four teats some three or four inches long, hanging 

 on the same level and placed far enough apart to be comfortably 

 grasped in the hands. When the milk is removed from the udder 

 that organ should be soft and pliable, showing much shrinkage. 

 The hind part, located between wide-spreading thighs, should 

 show much elasticity, with folds of skin apparent in the empty 

 udder, especially with mature cows. Over the entire udder a 

 mellow, soft skin and fine coat of hair should be found. Com- 

 mon defects of the udder are small, poor fronts, with the teats 

 on this part elevated much above or close to the hind ones ; 

 small teats, especially with some breeds ; meaty udders, which 

 reduce but little with milking and yield a comparatively small 

 flow, and last, but not least, small udders entirely lacking in profit- 

 producing capacity. Large cows should have larger udders than 

 small cows, but an animal of from 900 to 1000 pounds weight, 

 at six years old, should have an udder of comparatively large size 

 in full flow of milk, such as will yield at least 40 pounds a day. 

 However, this standard does not apply to the larger, heavier 

 milking breeds, which should do even better than this. 



The milk veins which convey blood through the udder are 

 usually regarded as indications of a cow's general capacity to 

 produce milk. Young heifers have small veins, and with matu- 

 rity they increase in prominence. On old cows they may be very 

 tortuous, extending from the udder forward with numerous turns 

 along the belly until they enter the wall of the belly through 

 holes known as " milk wells." These latter should show com- 

 paratively large size on the application of the end of the finger 

 at the orifice. Many cows have three milk veins, two long ones 

 on the outer part of the belly and a short one between. In rare 

 cases the veins branch into numerous small ones along the belly 

 just in front of the udder. Small veins also occur on the udders 

 of some cows. The length of vein varies, usually extending about 

 halfway to the fore legs, although cases occur of their extend- 

 ing to the leg itself, disappearing behind the arm. The size of 

 the vein varies much, the larger ones having a diameter of about 

 three fourths of an inch. Small veins are found on the belly 

 of the males, while miniature teats, known as "rudimentaries," 



