136 



TYPES AND MARKET CLASSES OF LIVE STOCK 



istic of quick fleshing usually accompanies good milking, but 

 not persistent milking of course. Beef -bred cows are not, as a 

 rule, all-the-year milkers, nor is it desirable that they should be. 

 Milk enough is vital to success, and breeders of beef cattle can- 

 not afford to neglect it any more than they can afford to make 

 it a leading object of their breeding. So get lady cows, femi- 

 nine type, with good udders, and they can be found in all the 

 beef breeds. Let the steery cow alone as you would the bull 

 that lacks masculinity." 



The cows which raise good calves should be retained in the 

 herd as long as they are useful, and those which fail to produce 



Fig. 39. An Excellent Breeding Cow. 



Blackbird Perfection 2d., Aberdeen-Angus cow owned by Iowa State 

 College. Beefy throughout, yet not milkless. She has good udder develop- 

 ment and can raise her calf. 



good offspring should be sent to the butcher no matter how 

 attractive they may be individually. The attractive fat cow 

 that gives no milk and raises a small, scrawny calf is not worthy 

 of a place in the herd, whereas some of the good mothers may 

 nurse down pretty thin and look rather unattractive after they 

 have suckled their calves for a time. When a cattle breeder 

 designates his plainest-looking cows as the best producers in his 

 herd, he is often fully justified in doing so. Save those that 

 are best by test, and replace the unprofitable cows with the 

 best of the crop of heifers. 



