Posted on January 14, 2009 - by Russell

Breed Guidelines - Udders and Teats

Welcome to our breed guidelines page. We will be reviewing and discussing characteristics of Longhorn cattle. I will also be posting photos of examples of the desirable, objectionable and undesirable traits. I will be posting a new trait once are twice a week. We are going to start our review and discussion with characteristics of udders and teats. An udder should be well attached and balanced. Teats should be evenly placed and should not be to large for the calf to nurse at birth or be no functional-blind quarter. Udder should not be meaty, broken or loosely attached. Hard, firm meaty udders will generally produce little to no milk and are undesirable. The traits of an udder and teats are highly inheritable. So pay very close attention to udders on your females as well as the dams of your herd sires. Photos from left to right. Photo 1) Example of good udder attachment and teat size Photo 2) Example of three defects, meaty udder, blind or non-functional quarter and large quarters. Photo 3) Example of a well balanced udder with good teat size and teat pigmentation. Photo 4) Example of a blind quarter or non-functional. Photo 5)Example of large teats and a stretched attachment.