STRUCTURAL FORM AND EXAMINATION 287 



quality and refinement. A iieavy bone with coarse, undefined 

 joints indicates plain quality. 



The feet should be medium in size, strong, and well sup- 

 ported with upright pasterns. 



Body. — ^The body of the dairy animal includes the chest, 

 chine, ribs, loin, flanks, and navel, each of which should 

 have distinctive qualities for best results. 



The chest development of the dairy animal is of special 

 significance because of its relation to constitutional develop- 

 ment. A narrow, shallow chest indicates small lung capacity. 

 The severe and continuous strain which is placed on the dairy 

 animal necessitates a deep, full chest, broad on the floor, 

 where the dairy animal gets the major portion of its chest 

 development. Width is secured on the floor of the chest 

 rather than above, as in the beef animal. 



The chine should be narrow, light, the spines sharp, open, 

 and placed wide apart. The back should be straight and 

 strong to insure capacity in maintaining a strong, repro- 

 ductive and mammary system. A low back is objectionable, 

 although not as faulty as in the beef animal. The loin 

 should be broad, flat, long and spare of flesh. Openness of 

 form throughout the back and loin region is one of the chief 

 indications of nerve force. 



The ribs should be long, deep, and arched. The rib 

 development is especially significant in the dairy animal 

 because of its relation to barrel capacity. Short ribs closely 

 spaced show objectionable form, this being characteristic of 

 cramped capacity and compactness, two attributes not con- 

 sistent with dairy-cow development. 



The flanks should be deep and open. The hindflank 

 especially should be high and open to accommodate the 

 udder. Low, full flanks are objectionable, as they show a 

 beefy tendency. 



Hindquarters. — The hindquarters are divided into the 

 hips, rump, thighs, and feet and legs, as designated in the 

 following descriptions : 



The hips should be wide apart and prominent, thus 

 showing the absence of any beefy tendency. Smooth, 

 compact hips exemplify the beef type of animal and should 

 therefore not be a characteristic of the dairy animal. 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



