Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1895-08-15
DAIRY CATTLE AT FAIRS.
Suggestions About Showing Them or to
the Best Advantage.

The interest to visitors and the bene.
fit to exhibitors are much increased by
full and conspicuous placards, or labels,
well placed with every stall, box or
pen. Do not spare printers ink. Give
all the information possible as to the
exhibit and put up the placards neither
too high nor too low, but about five 70
six feet from the floor. and SO they can
not be easily hidden by animals or Wis.
itors getting in front of them
A reasonable expenditure to make tho
surroundings OF fine animals neat and
attractive while on exhibition is true
economy. Yet too much display is in
bad taste The animals should be the
leading feature.
Every animal should be clean and
freshly groomed when brought into the
ring. Horns and hoofs may be oiled and
rubbed to be smooth and clean, but it
is a mistake to scrape and polish horns
to very unnatural, cabinet maker =
finish.
Judges generally like to find the I'D
hers Of milk cows in the condition nat
ural to the time of day when handled in
the ring. 1t is worse than blunder to
show COW with an abnormally distend
ed udder, hard, hot and uncomfortable,
the result Of delayed milking. Every
animal in milk should be MIXED not
later than o'clock u. IN. on the day
Of examination. wish every fair asso-
citation by its rules disqualified any COW
brought into the ring without being
MIXED that morning at stated hour
Yet judges should see the udders fairly
full, and also when MIXED clean. The
COW classes should therefore be shown
between 2 and 4 p. M. and, where pos
sible. the prize animals should be milk
cd out before they leave the ring.
Show animals should be accustomed
to general handling by strangers This
is easily done with little care and
practice. Do not bring into the ring "a
"ticklish, obstinate or unruly creature.
Show animals should lead we'll and
stand handling quietly. And indeed I
would by no means confine these desir.
able qualities 10 animals for the ring. A
bull showing bad temper or Il stubborn
cow or youngster that has to be pushed
and dragged into the ring had better be
kept at home. Such are creditable to
neither themselves nor their owners.
Dairy cattle should come into the ring
in prime working and breeding condi,
ton Too much flesh is Objectionable,
and staring coats and hard. rigid hides
should be kept at home.
In dairy classes there should be no di
vision for "heifers'' years old and
over. Every dairy female should be a
cow before she is 3 years old--that Is.
should have calved. But If such absurd.
ly named classes exist it is folly for ex.
hibitors to show in them animals which
have never calved (true hefers) to com.
pete with young cows with fresh or we'll
developed udders. In like manner, what.
ever tho name of 2-year-old class or di.
vision, do not enter "heifers" in it.
They are certain to meet young cows in
this ring, with which they cannot hope
to compete unless they are "springing"
or very exceptionally fine animals,
Again, it is q mistake to enter year.
ling but IL or IA months old in ring
where she is likely to meet hefers near
ly years old and about to calve or
young cows in milk.
The calf classes are puzzle to judges
and snare to exhibitors. If q fair man
ager, would not permit calves to be
shown less than 8 months old, and what
ever tho rules | would not advise OK.
hibitors to enter animals of less age
Uniformity seems to me II very i'm
portant point in all exhibits of animals
in groups, and too often neglected by
owners. In showing herd individual!
excellence and success as winners may
be given preference, but some regard for
uniformity should be had. When show
ing tho get of one bull or the produce of
one cow, uniformity should have first
consideration. The merit of bull or COW
us n breeder cannot be SO we'll estab.
lished by an occasional offspring of su.
periority rs by evidence of uniform OK
cellence as characteristic Of its prog.
eny.
With every animal or number of ami
mails in a ring shown by ono exhibitor
there shout, be ono intelligent and we'll
informed attendant capable Of answer
ing all reasonable questions which the
judge may ask. Henry +. Alvord in
Breeders Gazette