JUDGING THE DAIRY TYPE OF CATTLE 



285 



ears should be placed so that the tips, when elevated, will 

 not project above the top of the head. Horns are not neces- 

 sarily a feature of the head of the dairy cow, excepting as 

 a breed character. They differ greatly among the breeds of 

 cattle as to length and size. The modern type of Ayrshire 

 cow carries a long, and very strong horn at its base, while 

 the Jersey cow usually has a short and comparatively small 

 one. In itself the 

 horn is assumed to 

 indicate quality as 

 shown in its size 

 and texture, and in 

 its color, ,as sug- 

 gesting relation- 

 ship to color of 

 butter fat. Horns 

 that are large and 

 coarse at the head 

 give evidence of 

 general coarseness, 

 and are looked 

 upon with disfavor 

 by most judges. 

 The neck of the 



dairy cow should be lean and long as prime essentials 

 of dairy conformation. Further, it should be neatly at- 

 tached to both head and shoulders. The comparatively thin 

 edge of the top of the neck should smoothly merge into 

 the withers. The base of the neck should fit neatly at the 

 shoulders. Frequently the neck joins the shoulders with 

 a sharp corner on each side, giving not only a rough but a 

 weak attachment. Extreme depth of neck and dewlap is 

 undesirable, as indicating coarseness. Only a slight amount 

 of dewlap should be seen, although some Brown Swiss cows 

 carry this edge of skin to a marked degree. 



The f orequarters of the dairy cow as the narrow point of 

 a wedge form, should be light of conformation. Here we 



Fig. 156. — "The neck of the dairy cow 

 should be lean and long." 



