Linear mating concepts are much more focused on the rear end
(hind legs and feet + udders) than they are on front ends (which also have legs
and feet!). Thus in many herds,
problems accumulate in how cows walk, get in and out of stalls, and breathe.
Hoof trimmers point out problems in front legs and feet leading to chronic
lameness
A poor front foot stance (uneven weight bearing between inner and outer
claws) will often lead to lameness.
Your hoof trimmer takes the excess off the toe carrying less
weight. Next time he comes, he sees
same cow, and trims the same problem. You
cannot fix a poor front foot by hoof trimming.
It is a problem caused by bad mating selection; she
will have this all her life.
The chest of cows need to be deep enough to house a fully functioning heart and wide enough to fully and easily inflate the lungs. Thus a triangulated (“wedge shape”) front end is best. In such a front end, the elbow places the foreleg “out” to provide a more sturdy stance, the feet will point straight ahead (rather than spindled to the side) and the weight bearing will be even from side to side. Cows will get up and down easily, and feet will wear evenly, minimizing the need for hoof trimming. ( Interestingly, you will find the head on the cow proportional to the dimensions of the front end. )
A proportional front end will carry that proportionality
into the body
When the front end of the cow has the desired wedge shape, you will find
the body also has a desirable “wedge shape” (over the topline, from “sharp”
shoulders the back expands to “broad” hips: in side view, the ribs sweep back
at an angle from elbows getting longer as they approach the flank at the
joining of fore udder to body wall).
Ribs need to be both “elastic” and deep, NOT tight and shallow. When the skeletal frame has these three “triangle” dimensions, you will have fully functioning ruminant digestion.
But the front end is the “engine” of the cow, housing heart (blood circulation) and lungs (blood oxygenation) essential to maintaining the body for a full productive life. 286 pounds of blood circulate through the udder for every pound of milk the cow produces! So capacity in a front end should not be overlooked in your mating selection process.
How does the
“aAa” process aid you to consistently produce good front ends?
aAa #1 “DAIRY” lengthens the neck,
triangulates from shoulder to elbow, and broadens hips.
aAa #4 “STRONG” makes a deeper chest for
a larger heart (stronger blood circulation)
aAa # 5 “SMOOTH” widens the elbow, sets
the front leg sturdier, shapes the foot evenly
Bulls with great front ends
The “modern”
cow had its origin in the mid 1960s.
The two most transformative Holstein bulls into that era were Osborndale
Ivanhoe and Romandale Reflection Marquis. “Ivanhoe” was “Tall” and
“Dairy”: “Marquis” was “Tall” and
“Strong”.
Type classification and Show judging were both changing in favor of such
bulls at that time and set the breed up for a rapid improvement in the pace of
production, and the ability of cows to have a full lifetime of production, as
bulls who sired cows whose production increased as they reached maturity and
held steady into older ages. The
“Tall” features they offered, which we now associate with the production of
bovine somatotropin (“growth hormone”) helped as the dairy nutrition industry
focused on utilizing more corn and oilseeds as production supplement.
Both these bulls had good front ends. “Ivanhoe” could add refinement while
“Marquis” added substance and strength;
these blended well with the “Burke” and
“Dunloggin” bloodlines that dominated early AI programs prior to the
advent of frozen semen, that often led to smaller and frailer cow physiques.
What do we seem to need now? W
I D E R front ends
Here are some choices that will restore width to the narrow front-ended
cow.
525 HO 117 Rex PP
Red (aAa 5 4 6 3 1 2) sturdy front legs, deep chest Triple Hil
A2A2 for Beta Casein, AB for Kappa Casein.
Improves Protein %
In combining the “Roxy” and “Apple” cow lines, gains milk yield dramatically
into maturity.
515 HO 452 Prada (aAa 5 6 1 4 2 3) sturdy, wide chests, deep rib A I Total
A2A2 for Beta Casein, BB for Kappa Casein.
Improves Butterfat % and Protein %
Look to him to improve milkout, this bull helps teats both in placement and
length.
54 HO 1156 Pace
Setter (aAa 4 6 2 5 1 3) deep chest, durable bones No
Bull
This brand new “No Bull Solutions” sire from Regancrest’s “Barbie” family is a
“special” one
His dam is now working on her third lactation and looks capable of 40,000
pounds
799HO 045 Dynasty (aAa 3 4 5 2 1 6) wide at both ends, great rumps Blondin
A2A2 for Beta Casein, BB for Kappa Casein.
Improves butterfat % and Protein %.
#1 Type of Progeny Proven bulls USA (December 2025) another Kings Ransom success story
733HO 012 Goliath
PP (aAa 1 2 3 5 4 6) ultimate “wedge shape” physique A G 3
A2A2 for Beta Casein, BB for Kappa Casein. No extremes in linear evaluation.
Combines today’s two leading ranked PP sires:
Stantons Remover PP and Vogue A2P2 PP
