VAN PELT'S COW DEMONSTRATION 



that length rather than any of the other proportions be over- 

 looked. 



The cow that is long of body, slab-sided and shallow 

 ribbed is seldom, if ever, satisfactory either as a feeder or 

 as a great and economical producer of milk products or of 

 offspring. Even though she may yield well, for a short time, 

 she is not persistent and soon declines in her milk flow. Any 

 efforts to stimulate greater production result in her leaving 

 her food or sickening with indigestion of one kind or another 

 because of insufficient capacity. 



Not only is it important that the cow be capable of con- 

 suming a great amount of food at one time, but it is very 

 important that every possible ounce of the food she takes 

 into her body be digested and assimilated. No portion of 

 the food is used for any purpose except the nutrients which 

 the digestive apparatus liberates in a form suitable for the 

 blood to absorb. All other portions pass on and are wasted. 



It may be that some cows, although voracious feeders 

 and large of barrel, do not utilize the food they eat in the 

 efficient manner necessary for economy of production. 



Efficiency as Important as Size 



Strength, power and efficiency of the digestive apparatus 

 are factors quite as important as size. They may be, and 

 quite likely are, of more importance. 



The condition and efficiency of the organs of digestion 

 may be determined by the handling qualities of the animal. 

 By carefully lifting the hide from the body there is at once 

 conveyed to the touch one of two sets of conditions: either 

 the hide is soft, pliable and elastic and the hair covering it 

 soft and silky or the hide is hard, stiff and so tightly drawn 

 over the body that it is impossible to lift it away from the 

 ribs. Such hide is usually covered with hair that is coarse, 

 harsh and wiry, standing out from the body rather than 

 lying smoothly. When the former condition exists not only 

 quality of all parts of the body is indicated, but an efficient 

 digestive tract is also assured. The animal will consume its 

 food, digest it quickly and be ready for more. But when 

 the hide is covered with harsh, wiry hair there is something 

 wrong with the digestive apparatus, either temporarily or 

 permanently, and, even though the animal is a gross feeder, 

 the best use will not be made of the food. 



Texture of the Hide 



The expert show yard judge during the course of his 

 examination of the animals before him always lifts the hide 

 from each and by the sense of touch studies the quality of 



C31] 



