The sheep site I subscribe to did vitual stockjudging a few months ago and it was quite interesting. Here are two pictures of each of our most adult females, one from the side and one from behind. Behind ones are particularly bad - they either wanted to see what I was doing or went off toward the feed troughs! Hope they are good enough for a bit of stockjudging practice - its OK I know they aren't perfect cattle!
Not sure what the best what to score is, maybe marks out of 10 for each cow with reasons where possible?
I hope someone else will put their herd up.
Cow A is 13 years old, she is in calf.
Cow B is 12 years old, she is in calf.
Cow C is 8 years old and is in calf, her last calf is nearly weaned.
Cow D is 4 years old and is in calf for the first time.
Cow E is 4 years old and has just calved for the 3rd time.
Cow F is 2 years old and is in calf.
Cow G is 2 years old and is not in calf.
Cow H is 18 months old and is not in calf.
I shall be interested to see what you make of them and look forward - hopefully to someone else posting up a herd for virtual stockjudging.
I am no judge, nor do i want to be. but i would like to comment on them. you clearly love and enjoy your cows and they are a super bunch no matter what anyone else thinks.
a and b are well proportioned old ladies, straightish backs with good condition for calving and their age not showing.
c is not as good to me, maybe her hind quater.
d i would buy anyday of the week, beautiful to me, straight back and powerful hind.
d, clearly does what she should, that is be productive and with a lovely udder, but looks out of proportion to her legs.
e is the same to my eye, it might be the short non short thing the body is bigger than the legs!
g is better on the eye proportionally, nice back end
h need some filling out but ready to bull?
all lovely and a credit for condition so early in the year. i wont be posting any pics of mine to judge for a while yet.
I wouldn't judge at all on looks of an individual animal because certainly in my herd, some of my best looking cows (i.e. the ones that knowledgable people will pick out) produce ordinary calves and some of the most unlikely looking cows consistently produce great calves!
But to my eye for what it's worth, a, b, and e look as hard as nails and good producers. d, f and g would be my second choice. h looks a bit weedy and would be last on my wish list but I have a cow that looks the same but she produces good calves that are nothing like her.
Stephanie, I shouldn't have said your heifer looks weedy and it's been bugging me ever since I pressed the button. You can't tell from photos anyhow, but I should have put it another way or better still just kept my mouth shut. It was a Gordon Brown moment! Very sorry, I'm sure in real life she's a little cracker.
I am quite amused that it has been bugging you Clive but I can assure you I am not in the least put out! So you can put your mind at rest. :D In fact I expected some far worse comments than weedy and also more debate about them all. That last heifer is quiet lanky and oddly her Mum was the shortest legged non short I have ever seen. Beryl was extremely pleased with her Mum but there you go, the heifer must be a thro back. ???
All our cows are non short - but some just seem more non short than others. :;):
I am very fond of the 2 oldest dun cows and they are so similar that I can't tell them apart from behind.
Judging uncalved heifers is always difficult.
Are you going to put some of your herd up?
Stephanie
P.S. I asked a well known all round cattle judge and top stockjudging man to come and give our Monmouthshire Group some tips on both picking animals for showing, buying in and general stockjudging. He is particularly known for judging YFC Stockjudging at The Royal welsh Show and judging dairy and beef cattle. I was almost speechless when he picked that last heifer above, told me not to bull her too soon and she will make a great show heifer. Which goes to prove we all have a different idea of what makes a good animal.
Gordon Brown moment (It´s probably not easy for him either.)
Anyway I am so pleased to hear that the stockjudging man thought of H as a very promising heifer. I have looked at the pictures one hundred times, and every time I think "I would pick E and H no matter what others say". But since I have seen very few dexters live, and only have my own hang ups to rely on, I have been a coward and said nothing..
E is Mallard? I always have been very found of her looks. (And she is a nice girl too I have heard, that means everything to me in the end!)
And H looks like a heifer that will grow into a great cow to me. Is she a nice and well mannered girl too?
When will H be ready for the bull you think? How small is she? Is her weight too low, or is it that she hasn´t filled out yet? (I want to learn how to know when a dexter heifer is reday for the bull.)
Well Anna - I hope she is ready now because we put her with him yesterday BUT I think everyone has a different idea when to put them don't they. Some use weight, some use age and for others it is when they can get hold of a bull!
I am trying to get most of mine to calve February to May and for that reason I put the bull in now.
It is I believe a good idea to try to get them to have the first calf before they are 3 years old. Having said that I bought a dun heifer in very poor condition last year that had never had a calf and put her in calf as soon as she put on enough weight. She will calve in September for the first time at over 4 years old. So she doesn't fit my rules of age or time of year but I am just delighted she got in calf and will cross my fingers she calves OK.
She is so pretty now and is really blossoming.
Yes E is Mallard - well done!
H is called Stonechat and has wanted to be friends with humans since birth and prefers her Mag Rolls hand fed, taking them from the flat of the hand like a horse.
Saffy wrote:H is called Stonechat and has wanted to be friends with humans since birth and prefers her Mag Rolls hand fed, taking them from the flat of the hand like a horse.
Sounds like a lovely Dexter and a future favourite cow.
Thank you Stephanie, I shall now sleep better . I may post some photos when we've finished shearing etc. But none of my stock are show-stock, and some if not most of my best producers wouldn't get in the ring! Bu in a sense that could be interesting.
Here are mine.
A is my cow who is 6 and has just calved for the 4th time
B is our steer who is 32 months old and about to go for the freezer (haven't finished many so would be interested in any comments on him)
C is our 13 month old heifer
and lastly D is our 3 week onld heifer calf
Thank you for the pics, it is lovely to see your animals in such nice condition, all are obviously well cared for. I wouldn't know how to do a stockjudging comparison of 4 that are so different in ages though but they all look lovely.
If I had to pick I think the 13 month heifer has a good top line and body and looks to be a friendly animal as well.
I have only sent the one steer off myself so far and have one nearly ready so am not the person to comment on him, I shall leave that to someone more qualified. Mind you the taste test is always the best! :;):
Thank you Stephanie,
I thought it might be odd just putting the four up but they are all that I have and where as I am aware that none of them are show stoppers, any excuse to waste time taking pictures of them is used :D .
They are all very placid and easy to handle which is one of my top priorities I just wondered about the steer as people talk about ''finishing'' them but am never entirely sure about the criteria for this. Ours are just fed a little barley to get them through the winter with ad lib hay and just wondered if he was correct or wether we could be doing it better?
Years ago I used to finish some beef from our milkimg herd but things have changed a little since then and people don't get quite as much condition on them as they used to back in those days.
I am fortunate that I have got quite a lot of grass and clover and several paddocks to move them around and am able to put mine on some really good pasture to finish on. He still needs a bit of weight and will be going on a new field next week which I hope will do the trick. I shall take a photo of him and post up later, so we can compare them. He is 25months.
Here are a few pics of my steer Issy, I think he is about finished, he has a bit of meat down the thigh, he isn't a great shape though - with a big head and too much belly, so I don't know how well he will kill out! He isn't getting corn fed but mine all have a few High Mag Suckler Cow Rolls, to fend of staggers.
The dog is kindly modelling the field we will put him in for the last couple of weeks before we send him to slaughter.
(It´s probably not easy for him either.)
. I may post some photos when we've finished shearing etc. But none of my stock are show-stock, and some if not most of my best producers wouldn't get in the ring! Bu in a sense that could be interesting.
