604 BREEDING CATTLE. 



3. Shelter always available when needed, according to temper- 

 ature of climate and atmosphere ; avoiding extreme cold, violent 

 storms and excessive heat. 



4. Kind treatment, thus promoting docility in the animal, 

 contentment of disposition and confidence in its keeper all conduc- 

 ive to quietude and thrift. 



How to Select Animals for Breeding In thorough 

 breeding, Allen says, the bull should always show his own mascu- 

 line character, energy and vigor no cow look about him. The cow 

 should possess the softer and delicate points of her sex in their 

 fullest development, and no masculine qualities should give her 

 anything like a steer -like appearance. Sexuality, in the highest 

 qualities, should be stamped on every feature on both sides. Good 

 form and good appearance and good pedigree, on both sides should 

 go together. As a rule, it is not well to rely upon pedigree alone ; the 

 appearance of the animal should endorse the pedigree, and when the 

 good points of both form and pedigree are combined, they con- 

 stitute excellence of the highest order. A sire or dam may be 

 faulty in some minor particular of feature ; but when that minor 

 defect is surmounted by some prominent excellence in a more im- 

 portant or controlling one, the inferior point may be overlooked in 

 securing the better one. Even apparent coarseness in some particu- 

 lars, belonging to the sire or dam, may be excused when connected 

 with good constitution and stamina, if either be coupled with one 

 of the opposite sex having a tendency to over-fineness or exceeding 

 delicacy. The vigor and apparent coarseness of the one will be cor- 

 rected in the fineness of the other, or the opposite may occur, and 

 the result be an almost perfect progeny. 



Mis-mating as to Size Extremes of size may be coupled 

 together, except in great size of the sire and diminutive smallness 

 of the dam. As a rule cows of small breed should not be bred to 

 bulls of a much larger breed, for this reason: the fetus may par- 

 take more of the nature of the sire, and the growth thus require an 

 undue amount of nourishment for the resources of the cow. In 

 this event, the dam may not be able to deliver the calf, or the latter 

 may be rendered liable to malformation destroying its value. 



Hearing Bulls for Service A bull intended for getting 

 thoroughbred or grade stock should be well fed from birth, whether 

 from the udder or the pail. There is no necessity for forcing he 

 will be rather the worse for it. This growth should be steady, and 

 made on milk, a little oat, pea, or barley meal and hay or grass 

 added for the first five or six months. If intended for grade or 

 stock cattle, six months on milk will answer; if for breeding thor- 

 oughbreds, seven or eight months is better. After weaning, the 

 food should be succulent and nourishing, but not rich. The prac- 

 tice of making " show " calves of young bulls is not a good one. It 

 promotes maturity at the expense of lasting usefulness. He should 

 be tied up at a week old, and taught to lead young. He should be 



