Faster horses said:
In the rear shot, #3, that heifer looks odd in the hind legs. Looks swollen or enlarged somehow. Maybe it's just the shot, but it doesn't look right to me. Espcially in front of the hock on the left hind leg.
Faster Horses...it does look funky, but I actually think it's all the "wool" these apparently Maine cross heifers have.
Aplus...I'm sure you thought Red Robin was being a bit hard on you...I don't think he was intentionally doing so, just providing a "scotch" of constructive criticism. See, I think probably all the heifers have some good, show qualities, and even replacement heifer qualities, but they for the most part look like dinks in the pictures, which I highly doubt they are.
Please, please, please, get some better pics of them! It looks like they're fairly confined, and fairly gentle, so getting a good pic shouldn't be too hard. Are they broke to lead? If so, take a pic of them on the halter. Here are two good pics, the second of which is exceptional, taken by lazy ace...the second is how a heifer should probably look from the side. (I'm not bragging 'cause he's my hubby, but cause they are good pics, you have to take a lot of bad ones to get a good one...and he did!)
http://cattletoday.com/forum/about27302.html
Rear view pics should have the cattle with their feet square, unlike a side pic that should have the near leg forward (by the way this holds true for showmanship too!) If the legs are offset in a rearview, the cattle look unbalanced.
If you want a fairly true observation of the gals, shear some of that fur off...down to a 1/4 inch or so...if they look like they have some natural muscle (butterfly shape to their top, shape out of their hip that carries down to their round, shape to their forearms,) depth, width and spring of rib, are feminine fronted, and have a strong top, then you'll have something. I am sure that you 'bout fell out of your chair when I told you to shear them, but if you first show is later in the spring, it'll all grow back.
Anyway, I think they have some good qualities, display them as such.
I'll bail off my soapbox now...
Cheers---
TTB :wink: