Maintaining the Herd 55 



in their full productive capacity; if there is abundant 

 opportunity for selection and purchase near at hand; 

 if there is a reasonably good market for cows that are 

 undesirable, and if one has reasonable skill in select- 

 ing, and good ability in bargaining, a herd of high- 

 productive capacity may be more easily and more 

 cheaply maintained in this way than by attempting to 

 raise young animals to replace those that are worn out. 



The other method of maintaining the herd is, of 

 course, by raising calves to supply the place of old 

 cows that are no longer profitable. Such a fierd will 

 always contain a considerable number of young ani- 

 mals that have not yet reached full development, and, 

 therefore, such a herd will seldom equal in average 

 production per animal a herd that is maintained wholly 

 by purchase. At the same time, a greater degree of 

 uniformity of type may be maintained where the ani- 

 mals are raised. If land is abundant and cheap, the 

 cost of raising a calf, up to the time that she becomes 

 a fully developed cow, will be less than that of pur- 

 chasing a similar animal outright. Through force of 

 circumstances by far the greater number of dairymen 

 must rely on raising the calves necessary to maintain 

 the herd. This being the case, the ordinary dairyman 

 will need to provide himself with the services of a bull 

 suitable to produce useful dairy cows. In most cases 

 he will need to own this bull, so that the question of 

 the selection and care of the breeding bull has an 

 important bearing upon the maintenance of the dairy 

 herd. 



Selection of the bull. It goes without question that 



