Idleness and Overfeeding 199 



them in high condition, they are frequently closely confined 

 and fed in such a manner as to produce the greatest amount 

 of fat, in the hope that they may make a better showing and 

 more certainly win a prize. It is an unfortunate fact that 

 many of the most richly bred animals, designed for breeding 

 purposes, which capture the most coveted prizes at the 

 livestock fairs, have their breeding powers either tempo- 

 rarily or permanently destroyed in the process of feeding 

 them for the show. There is no effective method for over- 

 coming this except by the exercise of greater intelligence 

 on the part of the owners of show animals, which may be 

 furthered by judges in livestock exhibitions paying less at- 

 tention to the amount of fat and more to the form and gen- 

 eral vigor of the animal, in the allotment of premiums. In 

 order to show breeding animals with safety, it is absolutely 

 essential that abundant exercise should accompany the pre- 

 paring process, if the sexual vigor of the animal is to be 

 safely preserved. 



The result is not the same with all individuals. There 

 are some which can withstand almost unlimited abuse in 

 this direction and continue to breed regularly, while others 

 are very susceptible and soon become temporarily or per- 

 manently sterile. Once this sterility is established, the only 

 thing that can be done is to correct errors in care by moder- 

 ating the diet and enforcing vigorous exercise, which will 

 sometimes, though not always, restore the sexual powers. 



In a general way, the food of a breeding male needs to 

 be rich in protein, as compared with the amount of hydro- 

 carbons and carbohydrates. The commonest foods, when 

 well grown and cured, are the best for the breeding animal, 

 such as bright, aromatic hay and clean, well developed oats, 

 along with grass, to which may be added, in the winter, 

 roots and tubers. Rarely, if ever, is it necessary or even 

 advisable or permissible to add to the food any sexual stimu- 

 lant like pepper or mustard. 



It should be observed that interferences with reproduc- 

 tion by confinement, overwork, overfeeding, starvation, and 

 other imprudent details of handling exert their pernicious 



