Looking at a purebred Emblazon daughter, just had her first calf in early March and the pair is for sale. I am interested in her, but there is one thing that is keeping me from pulling the trigger and taking her home. Her rear legs are a little sickle-hocked with her hooves not facing forward all the time. I have shown long enough that I know that isn't good, but is that a trait that she will pass on to her daughters down the road?
Rear Legs...
- Thread starter Sparty-On
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savaged
Well-known member
Yes, she will.
ROMAX
Well-known member
I personally would rather see a cow with a little more set to her legs than one that is too straight,they will last a lot longer.But if you just breed her to WHO MADE WHO he should clear that right up lol.
I am just a little confused, as always, but I think you may have sickle hocked and cow hocked mixed up. I think you would more likely see toes that don't point forward on a cow hocked animal as opposed to a sickle hocked one. Nearly all of the early chis were sickle hocked, and we have over corrected that problem. In my mind, cow hocks would be more of a drawback than a bit of sickle hock.Sickle hocked animals seem to stay sound for a longer length of time. JMO
justintime
Well-known member
I have never seen an animal have to be shipped because it had too much set to it's legs ( ie sickle hocked). I have seen far too many shipped because they did not have enough set to their legs.
I agree with olsun in regards to the differences between cow hocked and sickle hocked. Cow hocked is usually a sign of an animal with inadequate muscling. Animals that walk with their hocks almost touching usually do not have enough natural thickness and muscle development. In a well muscled animal, usually the muscles on the lower quarter,on both the inside and outside of the leg are larger and this tends to force the legs out somewhat. This allows the legs to appear to be under the corners of the body. In very heavily muscled animals, these muscles get so large that the animal appears to walk very wide.
If this cow you are considering is not excessive in the sickle hocked issue, I would not be too afraid to purchase her,provided I was willing to be very selective every year in what she is bred to. But then, I am more concerned about longevity and soundness, than just getting calves that have four posts under their four corners.
I agree with olsun in regards to the differences between cow hocked and sickle hocked. Cow hocked is usually a sign of an animal with inadequate muscling. Animals that walk with their hocks almost touching usually do not have enough natural thickness and muscle development. In a well muscled animal, usually the muscles on the lower quarter,on both the inside and outside of the leg are larger and this tends to force the legs out somewhat. This allows the legs to appear to be under the corners of the body. In very heavily muscled animals, these muscles get so large that the animal appears to walk very wide.
If this cow you are considering is not excessive in the sickle hocked issue, I would not be too afraid to purchase her,provided I was willing to be very selective every year in what she is bred to. But then, I am more concerned about longevity and soundness, than just getting calves that have four posts under their four corners.
