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Photography / Animal related (non-anthro)
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This is a picture of the same cow who was in the previous pictures, with her calf nursing from her, taken around the same time as the other pictures, in 2007.
Do notice that despite being of a dairy breed, and despite having a calf nursing from her several times a day, that her udder isn't very large.
I actually cannot stand large udders, they are not meant to be any larger than this! It always disturbs me whenever I see cows that are part of milk production, and who have abnormally large udders which are a strain for the cow, and wears her body out way too early.
Why on earth does some people like the look of enormous udders? Whenever I visit the large official farm conventions where they judge the exterior of bulls and cows, and nominate the best individuals of the year for each breed, I am always sickened by the look of the "elite" individuals from the dairy breeds.
The "elite" of the beef breeds always look lovely; good musculature, well-shaped, healthy-looking bodies, etc. (At least here in Sweden, breeds such as Belgian Blue are illegal here). But the "elite" cows of the dairy breeds, they always look anorectic, but with enormous udders. It's seriously exactly the same beauty ideals as goes for human super models. Huge breasts, and anorectic bony bodies. It disturbs me. The poor cows look as if their bones are going to pop through their skin at any time, and their udders look incredibly heavy.
None of the cows, even of dairy breeds, that I encounter IRL, are ever as skinny looking as the "elites" of their breeds are. How can a starved look be an ideal look?
Sorry about the rant. I honestly just wanted to share a photo of this beautiful cow!
Do notice that despite being of a dairy breed, and despite having a calf nursing from her several times a day, that her udder isn't very large.
I actually cannot stand large udders, they are not meant to be any larger than this! It always disturbs me whenever I see cows that are part of milk production, and who have abnormally large udders which are a strain for the cow, and wears her body out way too early.
Why on earth does some people like the look of enormous udders? Whenever I visit the large official farm conventions where they judge the exterior of bulls and cows, and nominate the best individuals of the year for each breed, I am always sickened by the look of the "elite" individuals from the dairy breeds.
The "elite" of the beef breeds always look lovely; good musculature, well-shaped, healthy-looking bodies, etc. (At least here in Sweden, breeds such as Belgian Blue are illegal here). But the "elite" cows of the dairy breeds, they always look anorectic, but with enormous udders. It's seriously exactly the same beauty ideals as goes for human super models. Huge breasts, and anorectic bony bodies. It disturbs me. The poor cows look as if their bones are going to pop through their skin at any time, and their udders look incredibly heavy.
None of the cows, even of dairy breeds, that I encounter IRL, are ever as skinny looking as the "elites" of their breeds are. How can a starved look be an ideal look?
Sorry about the rant. I honestly just wanted to share a photo of this beautiful cow!
Category Photography / Animal related (non-anthro)
Species Cow
Size 1024 x 768px
File Size 793 kB
They may not know "words" but they do under stand the tones in your voice and your body movements. They know when you are happy or praising them for some thing. My steer Ferdy used to get so happy when I told him he was a good boy, his eyes would get big and he would give me kisses. I taught him to give kiss when I asked for it and he new I liked when he did it so when I reworded him for being good he would in turn reword me with a kiss,LOL. They are so smart
I help my friend show her dairy cows and it is so sad how they get there udders to look so big. My friend will let them stand 24 hours befor the show with out milking to make the udder as full as she can. I have also herd of some people (this is not aloud but it happens) filling the udders with water to make them look bigger. Every one wants to push them harder and harder to make more milk b/c all they see is money and then they wonder why they don't last long. I am going to milk my Jersey and she will never have to worrie about me doing that to her
There once was this guy that parked his big rig across the street from my pasture and seen me out with my cow all the time. The one day he gets out and walks over and tells me "you treat that cow better then most treat there dog" I just laughed and said "well to me he is no diffrent then having a gaint grass eating dog."
It's lovely when other people are reflecting upon what you do. I do get people commenting on how I am looking after the cows and bulls that are kept in my pastures during summers. I've owned dogs and looked after people's dogs a lot, as well as cattle, and to me it wouldn't make sense to treat either species less good than the other.
And which ones becomes the closest friends depends completely upon the individuals, not which species they happen to be.
And which ones becomes the closest friends depends completely upon the individuals, not which species they happen to be.
Just some notes/thoughts in regards to your description.
Yes the elite Holsteins are far too skinny. And too tall. In the US milk production is paid on only volume, not constituents (it is 90% fluid market) and the fastest way to get high volume cows is the tall/skinny type. Less muscle/flat bone/angular is the shape of cow that leans toward low percentage and high volume milk production, the gene/hormone for tall growth is the same for high milk volume. The guernsey breed is extremely bad as well.
Unfortunately world wide many breeders have not recognised that the "ideal" cow is not what they thought. Like humans in history they thought x was the ideal so bred for it, past it and overdid it. Traits such as health and fertility have only become "popular" the last decade.
They jersey breed had worse, the pure/traditional breeders were worse than some dog breeders, they bred for the the "cute" dished faces and bowed backs... crippled the cow...
Now we can only hope that breeding will be far more balanced. There is a difference though between a skinny and an unhealthy cow. The main dairy breeds are bred to put energy into milk, the extreme ones do not save any energy for their own health (extreme genetic selection is to blame for this) but some do.
I think you might like a breed we have in Australia, the Aussie red breed. it is a combination of many of the Scandinavian red breeds (Swedish/Danish/Nowegian red) and some Illawarra (related to milking shorthorn). http://aussiereds.com.au/media/images/1443a.jpg this cow is the mother of one of four young sires at work.
Most popular current breeding philosophy is now pushing towards heath traits... which will cause a less angular/more muscled cow than current.
As for the girl in the picture, I would guess she looks like an Angus x Holstein. We used to have a couple at home, her head shape leans sortof toward that cross. Her calf is a bit thicker over the shoulder to be pure dairy breed imo.
Yes the elite Holsteins are far too skinny. And too tall. In the US milk production is paid on only volume, not constituents (it is 90% fluid market) and the fastest way to get high volume cows is the tall/skinny type. Less muscle/flat bone/angular is the shape of cow that leans toward low percentage and high volume milk production, the gene/hormone for tall growth is the same for high milk volume. The guernsey breed is extremely bad as well.
Unfortunately world wide many breeders have not recognised that the "ideal" cow is not what they thought. Like humans in history they thought x was the ideal so bred for it, past it and overdid it. Traits such as health and fertility have only become "popular" the last decade.
They jersey breed had worse, the pure/traditional breeders were worse than some dog breeders, they bred for the the "cute" dished faces and bowed backs... crippled the cow...
Now we can only hope that breeding will be far more balanced. There is a difference though between a skinny and an unhealthy cow. The main dairy breeds are bred to put energy into milk, the extreme ones do not save any energy for their own health (extreme genetic selection is to blame for this) but some do.
I think you might like a breed we have in Australia, the Aussie red breed. it is a combination of many of the Scandinavian red breeds (Swedish/Danish/Nowegian red) and some Illawarra (related to milking shorthorn). http://aussiereds.com.au/media/images/1443a.jpg this cow is the mother of one of four young sires at work.
Most popular current breeding philosophy is now pushing towards heath traits... which will cause a less angular/more muscled cow than current.
As for the girl in the picture, I would guess she looks like an Angus x Holstein. We used to have a couple at home, her head shape leans sortof toward that cross. Her calf is a bit thicker over the shoulder to be pure dairy breed imo.
Thanks for the comments, and for the picture of the Aussie red breed. It's indeed easy to spot the relation to the Scandinavian red breeds.
And, yes, you are right that the cow in this picture is not 100% of a dairy breed. Her grandmother was 50% black Galloway, and 50% black Highland Cattle. Angus is sadly not very common in the area where I live, I do love the appearance and shape of the few Angus I have ever seen IRL.
And, yes, you are right that the cow in this picture is not 100% of a dairy breed. Her grandmother was 50% black Galloway, and 50% black Highland Cattle. Angus is sadly not very common in the area where I live, I do love the appearance and shape of the few Angus I have ever seen IRL.
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