The Animal as a Business Factor 409 



SELECTION OF ANIMALS 



The object to be sought in feeding animals is the 

 conversion of a unit of food into the largest possible 

 quantitj' of the product best adapted to the producer's 

 commercial opportunities, and here the limitations of 

 the animal are often the limitation of the farmer's 

 profits. Within each species varietal and individual 

 differences determine the rate of production and also 

 whether the food shall be transformed into poor milk 

 or rich milk, inferior beef and mutton or superior 

 meat products, fine wool or coarse, trotters or draft 

 horses, and small eggs or large ones. 



The selection of animals should have reference to 

 three general factors, which largely fix the rate and 

 character of production, — viz., breed, individuality 

 and age. 



The selection of cows. — The breed and individuality 

 of the cow largelj- determine the quality of her product 

 and the quantity of production from a unit of food. 

 Neither heavy feeding nor skill in compounding rations 

 can be made the means of causing her to overstep her 

 constitutional limitations. 



The selection of cows simply with reference to breed 

 is a question of adaptability. If the production of 

 milk at the minimum food cost per unit of volume is 

 the result most desired, the dairy breeds characterized 

 by milk with a low proportion of solids should be 

 chosen, but if the object is to merely secure butter -fat 

 with the lowest possible food expenditure, the so-called 

 butter breeds are iu general to be preferred. 



