The art of judging cows at the Lake County Fair

It may be a challenge for the layman to see the subtle differences between two spring heifers. Some people may have a hard time finding anything subtle about the large, lumbering animals.

For Ted Halbach, a look at the cow's full body, the way it walks and a couple questions about its history can lead to a detailed analysis of its figure.

Halbach, a farm and industry instructor at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, judged dairy cows at the Lake County Fair Friday morning. He looks at many specific areas when judging a cow, but all those factors tend to fall under one rule.

"What defines a good cow is what helps the cow survive the longest," he said.

For example, strong legs and a healthy muscular structure are keys to a successful life for a cow.

For cows at a milking age, the udder carries the most weight in the judging, making up 40 percent of its score. Halbach looked for a lean muscular structure in the dairy cows in competition Friday, as well as leg strength and stride.

"A dairy cow actually walks like a giraffe, they don't look alike but they walk alike," he said.

Like giraffes, the cows take long straight strides, replacing a front leg with a rear one as they go.

Volunteers from the 4-H club showed the cows, walking them in a circle and stopping at Halbach's direction. In order to bring these cows to competitions, the volunteers have to be responsible for the animals all year.

"They have to take care of their animals," Halbach said. "They learn that animals don't take care of themselves in confinement."