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Miniature Hereford Cattle
- Breed Standards
Size
of Miniature Herefords
No animal larger than a frame score 2, will be accepted as
a Miniature Hereford by the Australian & New Zealand Miniature
Hereford Association. There is no official minimum frame size.
CONFORMATION
Rear view: feet set straight forward with the
toes not justifypointing in or out - legs set well apart with the
hock joints not turned in or out, this forming parallel lines
with the lines of the sides - the length of bone from hoof
to hock joint is to be short in proportion to the depth of
body above - that depth of body will show in the crotch which
should be as near to the hock joints as possible - broad at
the stifle joint area with the same thickness carrying upward
to the hip joints and that width showing across the top -
fullness around the tail head not clopping off on the sides
- top width carrying forward through the loin area narrowing
only slightly at the shoulders.
Side view: from rear to front - back legs: straight
but not post legged, showing a slight bend at the hock joint,
standing on short toes and not coon footed - lower leg muscles
protruding to the rear just above the hock joint showing depth
of quarter and heavy muscle - the rear vertical line of this
muscle when carried upward should be perpendicular with the
ground - the top and bottom line should parallel - the bottom
line being below the stifle and elbow joints showing depth
of body - the top line should not show the tail head protruding
up or sloping down by may show a slight rise in the loin area
and definitely not show to be low in the loin or sag behind
the shoulders - front legs: standing on a short hoof and again
not coon footed - straight legs not bowing forward or backward
at know joint with the length from the foot to the knee being
very short compared to total height - shoulder height may
be slightly hump on top of a short neck is permitted on older
bulls - the top of a short head should be held slightly higher
than the top of shoulder - no undershot or lower jaw permitted.
Front view: head broad and short, broad muzzle
and broad between the eyes - eyes new the front but on side
of head, not sunken in or overly protruding, by prominent
- horn tips on older animals below level of the tope of the
head - standing straight on front feet with the toes not pointing
either in or out - feed set well apart with a well filled
brisket.
In General: chunky in appearance - close to
the ground, expressed with short legs (from the knee and hock
to the ground) - entire animal well balanced and well proportioned,
not appearing too heavy or too light in from or rear but slightly
heavier in rear - the bone structure not too small or too
large but slightly heavier than light, giving ample surface
for muscle attachment - head not too large or too small but
smaller than large, and showing masculine or feminine appearance
- the visible reproduction organs to be well developed for
age.
Marking: the entire face, white, with some pigment
around the eyes but not in excess - white under the chin continuing
down under the brisket continuing underneath the belly all
the way back through the rear flank area with white showing
slightly from each side in the foe and aft flanks - white
from the feet up on all four legs, stopping before the knee
and hock joints are reached - the ears and in between show
pigment with a strip of white starting just behind the ears
proceeding back on top of the neck to the shoulder point area
- only the tail bush is white - the balance of body marking
and the mentioned pigmented areas may vary from light, but
not pale, to dark, but not black - the entire scrotum should
show pigment.
(Note: many of the above conformation statements
are not in accord with those used to judge the modern standard
sized Herefords or other breeds. For this reason, it would
be good to make a copy of the above available to anyone who
is to judge Miniature Herefords.)
*The above Breed Standards are the Standards
of the Australian & NZ Miniature Hereford Cattle Association
and are taken from their regulations standards.
Follow this link: Frame
score measuring »
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