Many years ago I heard someone say, "If you just eliminate everything white from your diet, you will get healthier." White flour, white rice, white sugar, milk products (but what if it was raw, A2, Grass-Finished, nutrient-rich, high butterfat...you get the idea. There are exceptions to every rule), etc. Is that the epitome of health? NO, but a good first step to turning the corner.
With that in mind, I was trying to come up with something similar for the phenotype for easy keeping cows. Any sharp "corners" on cows indicate a higher maintenance cow.
Back bone sicking up above the shoulder blades...
Grow bone sticking up above the hook bones
"V" shaped brisket
Open "A" shape between the hind legs.
Hook bones sticking out
Shoulder blades sticking out
Toes pointing out, front or rear
Really narrow muzzle
Front knees almost touching each other
All of these visual signs are indicators of a high maintenance cow (Think of the modern Dairy cow).
We can get DNA or Ultra-sound, EPD's or linear-measure our cows, but if those cows are still sharp cornered, they will be higher maintenance animals. A couple of years ago a professor from the University of Arizona said that they were getting very good at predicting percentage of body weight different classes of classes of animals would consume depending on what type of feed was offered to them. He indicated that these groups were predictable but not individuals in the groups. "Some individuals are eating half as much as other animals in those groups."
Really "sharp cornered" cows eat more than those who have the opposite characteristics of those enumerated above.