In last week’s PCC Update, we discussed long-bodied cattle – or what appear to be long-bodied cattle. I said, “In most cases, body length is an optical illusion. The animals that appear to be long bodied are gutless wonders. They are all legs with no body depth.” Following is a true story that reinforces that thinking.
This goes back to our Nebraska Bull Workday in August of 2021. Before evaluating bulls, we always sort out the top two, three or four bulls in each group – and start with them. If we start with an average bull and score him too high, we have nowhere to go with the best bulls.
As we were comparing the top-sort bulls, one quickly became my favorite. Since he was the thickest bull in the group, I suggested we start with him. A spectator, however, disagreed with me. He pointed at a different bull and said, “That one has a longer body.” I replied by saying, “I think it might be an optical illusion.”
I asked Brian Munger, our Nebraska bull developer, to measure the body length of those two bulls when they go through the squeeze chute. Brian came back to report that the body length of the thicker bull was actually two inches longer than that of the bull that appeared to be longer. Things are not always as they appear!
Quote Worth Re-Quoting
“There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true. The other is to refuse to accept what is true.” ~ Soren Kierkegaard