78 Veterinary Elements. 



Before purchasing a stallion always see him serve a 

 mare, much trouble will thereby be saved the purchaser 

 and more satisfaction be derived from the purchase; 

 many a fine appearing stallion is totally useless for stud 

 duties. 



Bulls may be allowed twenty-five cows in a breeding 

 season, although the practice of advanced dairymen of 

 having cows coming in at different times increases the 

 opportunities for the use of the bull's procreative powers 

 manifold, the conditions under which such an animal is 

 kept practically controls his ability as a sire; if fat and 

 lacking exercise his powers are markedly deficient. 



Heifers of the dairy breeds (Jersey, Guernsey, Hoi- 

 stein, etc. ) are usually bred to come in at two years of 

 age; breeders of beef type of cattle (Shorthorn, Angus, 

 etc. ) prefer to wait a year longer, if earlier their devel- 

 opment is hindered and they are forever spoiled. 



The practice with rams varies with the location to 

 some extent, on the ranges a ram is alloted to forty 

 ewes; if ram lambs are used, only six to ten ewes should 

 be allowed; a better practice is to use no rams below the 

 yearling age, which means in most flocks, eighteen 

 months or thereabouts. The shepherd is so situated that 

 he, of all the stockmen, can watch the results of over- 

 mating and the use of immature sires and dams, if such 

 are used, or the ram overtaxed, the lambs come either 

 weak or undersized; a ram whose powers are carefully 

 husbanded, by turning with the ewes for a short time 

 only each day, may have as many as sixty ewes in the 

 breeding season, frequent services should not be allowed, 

 only bad results follow, such as weakening of the ram. 



