294 



JUDGING FARM ANIMALS 



means of protection. The bone of the tail should also 

 be fine, an indication of quality. The thighs of the 

 dairy cow should be long, thin and widely separated, 



quite - in contrast 

 with the thighs of 

 the beef ani- 

 mal. As one 

 views the thighs 

 from one side they 

 should make a pro- 

 nounced sweep in 

 toward the body 

 and then turn out 

 to end the curve at 

 the point of hock. 

 From a rear view 

 the thighs high up 

 are separated with 

 but little curve, 

 this being most 

 marked on the 

 lower thigh and 

 reaching the hock. 

 The thighs must 

 not only be thin, 

 but must be well 

 separated, if space 



for a capacious udder is to be had. A thick, fleshy thigh is 

 inconsistent with dairy cow conformation, and the judge 

 should keep this point in mind. The hind legs should be 

 short, straight, and carried well apart. It is necessary for 

 the legs to be carried well apart, to allow ample room for 

 the udder. If the legs touch at the points of the hocks, 

 the feet and toes point outward, and the thighs are carried 

 closer together than they should be, thus crowding the 

 udder. This is a very common defect of dairy cows. In 

 this position the udder, if large, is naturally pushed for- 



Fig. 163. "From a rear view the thighs high 

 up are separated with but little curve." 



