Doesn't look like the cattle have changed much since I was there in '92. The bull my folks exported to Scotland had a herdsman and 2 Border Collies take care of him night and day. The herdsman fed, watered, washed and exercised him, and the Collies brought cycling cows to him in his paddock that would barely qualify big enough as a backyard in most suburbs. I'm not kidding when I say that old Coalition was in a "pen" about 20yds square, with one electric wire, and grass up to his belly. The Collies would bring the cow in, Coal would breed her, and the dogs would take her back out. We saw him settle 5 or 6 head that way while we were there. And this was the norm on most studs we visited.
As for udders, most show cows were nursing their calves 1/2 the time, the other 1/2 the calf spent on an Ayreshire or Guernsey. My point is this, when our production systems are so vastly different, why use genetics from one to 'improve' the other? I can see the train of thought that PERHAPS one could bring some good traits from those cattle and infuse into their herd here, but there's a price to be paid also. I would rather seek out the cattle that have what we want, from an environment like our own, and progress with them. Just my 2cents....
