14 



BULLETIlsr 434, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTURE. 



somewhat rounding, with the lower part, floor, or sole of the udder 

 as level as possible. The development should be symmetrical, so that 

 the quarters are even in size. The more common defects in the udder 

 are short attachment in front and low attachment behind; lack of 



width; sagging or pendu- 

 lousness ; a lack of uniform 

 development, and fleshiness 

 (fig. 10). 



Probably poor fore ud- 

 ders are as common as any 

 other defect. Lack of de- 

 velopment in this region 

 causes a short udder attach- 

 ment to the cow's body 

 and very frequently accom- 

 panies a pendulent udder. 



Pendulent udders- indi- 

 cate a short body attach- 

 ment and a weakness of the 

 muscular tissue which holds 

 the udder to the body. 

 Such udders are liable to 

 bruise by swinging when 

 the animal walks or rans, 

 and also are in danger of 

 being stepped on by the cow 

 when she rises. 



Three kinds of tissue go 

 to make a cow^s udder, 

 namely, glandular, muscu- 

 lar, and fleshy. The first 

 kind is the secreting tissue 

 that produces the milk, and 

 the more there is of it the 

 better. 



The function of muscu- 

 lar tissue is to support the udder and insure its firm attachment to 

 the body. (Fig. 11.) 



Fleshy tissue is undesirable in the udder and its presence indicates 

 lack of quality and producing ability. Glandular tissue has a 

 spring}^, elastic feeling and an udder in which this predominates 

 collapses to a great extent when empty. On the other hand, when 

 fleshy tissue composes a large portion of the udder, this latter is 

 firm and does not collapse when empty. Considerable skill is neces- 

 sary to determine the kind of tissue in the udder by the feeling; 



Fig. 10. — (a) Good type of udder; (c), (rf), (c), (f), 

 ig), and (h) , poor types of udders. 



