BREEDING CATTLE. 605 



taught to eat herbage as soon as he will take to it, say at four or six 

 weeks. At nine months, a ring should be put in his nose. The 

 ring should be of copper, with a width inside of two and one half 

 inches. As bulls are treated when young, so will be the duration 

 of their usefulness. A yearling should only be used on extraordi- 

 nary occasions, when a calf of his particular strain of blood may be 

 required, and cannot be obtained by a postponement of his services. 

 At the age of two years, he may serve fifty to a hundred cows dur- 

 ing the season, not exceeding eight or ten services a week. At 

 three years he may have full service, a hundred cows or more, with- 

 out injury, and so on till he is twelve years old, or until his virility 

 ceases. When the power of conception becomes uncertain, the bull 

 should be put aside, as otherwise his uncertainty may descend to 

 his stock. The bull should be always kept on substantial, nutritious 

 food, and never suffered to become poor or fat, but always in good 

 working order, in which condition he is a surer sire than if 

 pampered or over-fed. When in service, if confined in a stable, he 

 should have daily exercise, as it adds to his activity, stimulates his 

 virility, and better insures the certainty of his procreation. 



Treatment of Breeding Cows to Secure Good 

 Kesults When the cow comes in heat, care should be taken not 

 to allow it association with inferior brutes, an ox or steer, for in- 

 stance. She should be familiarized to the sight of the best of her 

 kind. When the services of the bull are called in, she should be 

 allowed to see the male animal fully and deliberately when intro- 

 duced to him, and apart from the company of other cows. A single 

 or at most a repeated service is sufficient, and immediately after the 

 service she should be confined in her stall or a small enclosure by 

 herself, till the heat passes off. If she is let out with other cattle, 

 they only tease and worry her to no good, but frequently with posi- 

 tive injury. If the calf is to be bred for veal, or the cow is mated 

 only for the milk supply, this is of no consequence; but when cattle 

 of extra value are to be reared, this is of importance. 



Duration of Pregnancy The time of the pregnancy of 

 the cow is not always uniform. Nine months is commonly the 

 estimated time. It almost always runs so long, but usually longer, 

 sometimes to even ten months. Two hundred and eighty days is 

 given by some writers as the average time ; others state it at two 

 hundred and eighty -four. Allen, writing on American cattle, says 

 he kept an accurate account in the cases of fifty cows, including 

 thoroughbred Short-horns, Herefords and Devons, and their grades, 

 and found the time to range from two hundred and sixty -eight to 

 two hundred and ninety-one days, the average being two hundred 

 and eighty -four days. 



Care of Dam During Pregnancy As the cow ap- 

 proaches maturity, she should be well kept, and if the climate 

 demands it, have good shelter and a warm bed. If she has become 

 reduced by scant feed, or profuse milking, she should have additional 



