The screen divides into two halves, both displaying images of cows. The right half features a smaller cow compared to the left one.
When you compare a beef cow to a dairy cow, the dairy cow will always be thinner because all of a dairy cow’s feed energy is intended to go into the production of milk.
A dairy cow grazes on grass in a garden, transitioning to scenes of cows feeding inside a cow shed.
So, a dairy cow will look thin, and she will have limited muscling and little fat, but she will look athletic. Items to consider when selecting a dairy cow include her general appearance, mammary system, dairy character, and body capacity.
A large dairy cow is shown inside a cow shed, followed by images of dairy cows highlighting specific body parts, such as the chest and legs, synchronized with the narration.
She should be large, straight, well-boned, and balanced. Her chest should have a large floor, meaning that it is deep and wide, resulting in ample width between the legs to accommodate her internal organs.
A dairy cow must also have good body conformation. This means she must have sound feet and legs and a body structure that allows her to stand and walk comfortably on either concrete or pastureland.
Two dairy cows roam in a farmland, one grazing the grass.
Images highlight specific body parts of dairy cows in sequence—beginning with the rump in an animal shed, then the pins, hooks, front legs, hind legs, and pasterns. Subsequently, a series of images focus on the cow's udder as narrated.
Her rump should include wide hook bones that are slightly higher than the pins. The pins should be wide and free from patchiness, and slightly lower than the hooks. The front and hind legs should be straight and wide apart, and the pasterns should be short and strong with a good depth of heel at a good angle.
A series of images highlight the cow's udder as described by the narrator.
A dairy cow’s mammary system must include a large, spacious, and well-balanced udder. It should be attached firmly and smoothly at the front and back. A good udder is uniformly wide from top to bottom when viewed from the rear. The teats should be a uniform shape and size and should point straight down.
A cow is milked using an instrument connected to its udder, followed by images of a cow with highlighted withers and shoulders. Next, a cow with a long, lean neck is seen standing in a field.
Dairy character refers to evidence of a cow’s ability to produce good quantities of milk. A cow with good dairy character will be sharp at the shoulders and withers and will not have excess flesh or fat. A long, lean neck with no coarseness is desirable.
A cow grazes on grass in a field.
A dairy cow with good body capacity can consume large quantities of feed and water, therefore being able to produce more milk.
A series of images depict dairy cows with short and long ribs.
As cows all have the same number of ribs, those whose ribs are spread farther apart have longer bodies, and those with longer ribs have deeper bodies. Long, deep bodies enable greater milk capacity.