It is Difficult to Explain Cattle to Nerds...

So, today in my Chemistry 30 class (which explains the "Nerd" in the title), one of my classmates approached me and started asking me about my cattle. This event, in itself, is fairly common. The uncommon thing about this time around was that this young man, who shall remain nameless, couldn't seem to figure out why I didn't eat ALL the animals I raised. Try as I might to explain things to him, he just couldn't comprehend having cows that were not for eating. Now, for both my own sanity and the comprehension of everyone else who may not grasp fully the concept of "cows for eating" and "cows that are not for eating" I will explain to you.

Cattle today are split immediately into two subgroups- Commercial and Purebred. It will first be prudent to explain the nature of these subgroups-


Purebred cattle have traceable genetic histories, and they

have easily recognizable traits that define them from other

breeds.

http://www.sixmileredangus.com/images/shows-Sakic-832.jpg



Purebreds (also called Fullbloods to further complicate things), are animals whose lineage is carefully traced and monitored by a Breed Association. Purebreds are the basis of all commercial cattle, and are typically worth considerably more than commercials.



Commercial Cattle are defined as any animal whose lineage is NOT monitored. Commercial animals are typically crossbreds, or animals whose background genetics come from two or more breeds. However, it is possible for a purebred animal to be considered a commercial. This occurs when the breeder does not register the animal with the respective breed association. Commercial Cattle are the main component of the Canadian cowherd,



Commercial cattle do not have a traceable genetic past,
and can have any number of a combination of traits from
various breeds.
http://www.pahl-livestock.com/images/commerical-cattle-lg.jpg



Now that that has been explained, back to my story. This classmate of mine first asked how much my cattle were worth. When I tried to explain to him that my cows are worth a little more than others, he asked, 'Why? Don't you eat them all anyway?' At this point I knew I had a long way to go with this young grasshopper. With limited time left in class, I tried to tell him that not all cattle are meant to be eaten. Some animals are special, in the sense that they are worth more alive and reproducing than they are dead in a hamburger. As his eyes became more and more glazed over, he said, 'Why are some cows worth more than others?' With my time to explain now running quite short, I quickly explained to him that some cattle have better conformation than others, and that makes them more valuable. This was a bad idea. Now he wanted to know what separates a good cow from a bad cow, a topic I truly did not have the time to explain fully. So, I decided to sum things up for him the best I could. 



Maybe I'll get through to him tomorrow! It's also a good thing this kid is
a friend of mine, or I could be in trouble for portraying him as monkey...
http://www.formation-de-traducteurs.net/wp-content/
\uploads/2011/02/Singe+Incomprehension.jpg



"In people," I said, "we have 'ideal forms', right?" He nodded agreement. "We have people that are too skinny, we have people that are to fat, we have people that have too much muscle and people that have too little. Some women look like men, some men look like women, some people have duck feet and others are pigeon toed. Cattle are the same way. In people, someone who is considered good looking has a good combination of lots of "attractive" traits, with few poor ones. Ideal cattle are the same way, so when a cow has more good traits than another cow, she is said to have better conformation. The cows with the best conformation are worth the most money." 

When I finished my speech I looked at him hopefully, wanting to see some sort of comprehension. Nothing. He asked, "But in the end, you eat them all, right?" 





Ahh, boy. Maybe he'll get it tomorrow.