Is Your Cow Cranky? Now You Can Have It Tested!

[matcom]

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ALBANY, Ga. -- Runners with the fastest feet usually win medals, but cattle that hoof it too fast may yield tougher steaks. Jerry Baker, a University of Georgia livestock specialist, has developed a scoring system that allows cattle owners to assess the temperaments of cattle so that they can breed calmer calves.

"Calves with poor dispositions can cause costly damage to equipment, gates and fences and harm handlers," said Baker, a researcher at the university's Coastal Plain Experiment Station. "And they can generally take longer to work (grow)."

Scientific studies conducted in Australia, Colorado and elsewhere have shown that serene cattle gain weight faster and provide more tender meat than cranky cattle.

Cattle are often placed in a restraining device, known as a shoot, which holds each animal by the neck while they are weighed or examined by a veterinarian. Baker's system uses electric eyes and an electronic clock to measure the time it takes for each animal to travel six feet after they leave the shoot.

http://www.boston.com/news/odd/articles/2004/01/15/new_test_scores_crankiness_in_cattle