I've been watching this poop analysis (fresh vs old and bull vs cow) thread with some interest waiting for some one to bring up the primary factor underlying the poop hardness and shape (patties and pellets) discussion. BJ was first to point it out -- "what have they been eating?". If it's late winter or drought conditions, then low moisture content of what they're eating will cause harder, dryer pellets -- if things are green grass green they'll likely be "loose as a goose" (patties) regardless of sex. That's the two extremes -- you have to take it into account for anything in between before moving on to any sort of aging or sexing (highly arguable on the latter for the most part). For folks who handle livestock on a day to day basis they're all too aware of "what comes out depends on what went in".

Never Undergunned,
EKM

Good judgment comes from bad experience! Learn from the mistakes of others; you'll never live long enough to make them all yourself!