SIXTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART VIII. 595 



FEEDING THE BREEDING HERD. 



By H. R. Smith. Professor of Animal Husbandry, University of Nebraske, 

 Lincoln, at the Kansas Improved Stock Breeder's annual meeting, 

 January 9-11, 1905. 



As we read of the old types of cattle and contrast them with the new 

 we are awed with the result of two centuries of animal breeding, and 

 l)Ow in homage to such men as Bakewell, Robert and Charles Colling, 

 Booth, Bates, Cruickshank, Tompkins, Price, Watson, and others who 

 were pioneers in the work. And in paj-ing our respects to the sons of 

 Britain we must not forget our own countrymen and what they have 

 done in the continuation of this great enterprise. To whom does the 

 world owe a greater debt of gratitude than to these men who devoted 

 their energies to the creation of a better article o£ food for humanity and 

 a better source of revenue for the great mass of producers? Surely such 

 men are public benefactors. 



The fruits of the labor of our predecessors are given over to our 

 charge. If further improvement in our herds is no longer possible we 

 should at least prevent retrogression. But further improvement is pos- 

 sible, and it must come a.s our system of farming becomes more and 

 more intensive to meet the exigencies of an increasing population. The 

 breeder of pure-bred stock of today occupies a most responsible position. 

 He has at least to maintain present standards in his own herd, and he 

 must furnish the seed for the improvement of the common stock of the 

 country. It is a position fraught with danger because of the temptation 

 to sell that which will bring the most money, keeping in the herd the less 

 salable. But it is not the province of this paper to give caution or make 

 suggestions concerning the selection and marketing of pure-bred cattle. 

 It is to be confined to the feeding of the breeding herd. 



The long, lank, late-maturing Texas steer is a thing of the past. In 

 its stead we have today in considerable numbers the broad, smooth, early 

 maturing Short-horn, Hereford, Angus, Galloway. What has wrought 

 this great change in animal type? Chief over all has been a judicious 

 system of feeding. Environment causes variation, and good feeding 

 induces a change for the better, making possible improvement by selec- 

 tion. 



Since judicious feeding is largely responsible for improvement in the 

 past, it is reasonable to suppose that it will be just as potent a factor in 

 the future; If you will examine the qualifications of our most successful 

 breeders of to-day, men who are producing the best types of cattle, you 

 v.ill find them good judges and good feeders. 



Feeding the pure-bred herd resolves itself into two questions, viz., 

 How much, and what, should be fed? 



As to the amount, we are limited on the one hand by the actual 

 physiological requirements of the animal for best development, and, on 



