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| Group of six generations of cows of the " C " family alive at one time , at Changue 1964. Cow second from right is eighteen year old Changue Clover 3rd. Her 14 yr old daughter C Clover 6th is extreme right. Cow on extreme left is C Columbine ( dam of successful bull Changue Valiant ) who is out of Clover 6th. |
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1907 Ayrshire Cattle Herd Book entry for famous cow. |
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Winning progeny team sired by Changue Valiant , shown by Bankend herd, at rear of Bankend steading 1969. Cumnock Academy Games Hall under construction in the background. The competition was set up by Jacob Murray late of Dalgig . |
The following-ingenious versification of the points of an Ayrshire cow are based on a document published under the authority of the Ayrshire Agricultural Association:—
Would you know how to judge of a good Ayrshire cow?
Attend to the lesson you'll hear from me now;
Her head should be short, and her muzzle good size;
Her nose should be fine between muzzle and eyes;
Her eyes full and lively ; forehead ample and wide;
Horns wide, looking up, and curved inwards beside;
Her neck should be a fine tapering wedge,
And free from loose skin on the undermost edge;
Should be fine where 'tis joined with the seat of the brain;
Strong and straight appear line without hollow or mane;
Shoulder-blades should be thin where they meet at the top;
Let her brisket be light, nor resemble a crop;
Her fore-part recede like the lash of a whip,
And strongly resemble the bow of a ship ;
Her back short and straight, with the spine well defined,
Especially where back, neck, and shoulders are joined ;
Her ribs short and arched, like the ribs of a barge;
Body deep at the flanks, and milk-veins full and large;
Pelvis long, broad, and straight, and in some measure flat;
Hock-bones wide apart and not bearing much fat;
Her thighs deep and broad, neither rounded nor flat;
Her tail long and fine and joined square with her back;
Milk-vessel capacious, and forward extending,
The hinder part broad and to body fast pending;
The sole of her udder should just form a plane,
And all the four teats equal thickness attain;
Their length not exceeding two inches or three;
They should hang to the earth perpendicularly;
Their distance apart, when they're viewed from behind,
Will include about half of the udder you'll find;
And when viewed from the side, they will have at each end
As much of the udder as 'tween them is penned;
Her legs should be short and bones fine and clean,
The points of the latter being quite firm and keen;
Skin soft and elastic as the cushions of air,
And covered all over with short woolly hair;
The colours preferred are confined to a few,
Either brown and white checkered or all brown will do;
The weight of the animal leaving the stall,
Should be about five hundred sinking offal.
Attend to the lesson you'll hear from me now;
Her head should be short, and her muzzle good size;
Her nose should be fine between muzzle and eyes;
Her eyes full and lively ; forehead ample and wide;
Horns wide, looking up, and curved inwards beside;
Her neck should be a fine tapering wedge,
And free from loose skin on the undermost edge;
Should be fine where 'tis joined with the seat of the brain;
Strong and straight appear line without hollow or mane;
Shoulder-blades should be thin where they meet at the top;
Let her brisket be light, nor resemble a crop;
Her fore-part recede like the lash of a whip,
And strongly resemble the bow of a ship ;
Her back short and straight, with the spine well defined,
Especially where back, neck, and shoulders are joined ;
Her ribs short and arched, like the ribs of a barge;
Body deep at the flanks, and milk-veins full and large;
Pelvis long, broad, and straight, and in some measure flat;
Hock-bones wide apart and not bearing much fat;
Her thighs deep and broad, neither rounded nor flat;
Her tail long and fine and joined square with her back;
Milk-vessel capacious, and forward extending,
The hinder part broad and to body fast pending;
The sole of her udder should just form a plane,
And all the four teats equal thickness attain;
Their length not exceeding two inches or three;
They should hang to the earth perpendicularly;
Their distance apart, when they're viewed from behind,
Will include about half of the udder you'll find;
And when viewed from the side, they will have at each end
As much of the udder as 'tween them is penned;
Her legs should be short and bones fine and clean,
The points of the latter being quite firm and keen;
Skin soft and elastic as the cushions of air,
And covered all over with short woolly hair;
The colours preferred are confined to a few,
Either brown and white checkered or all brown will do;
The weight of the animal leaving the stall,
Should be about five hundred sinking offal.
