Obesity 195 



lustre, the animal is bright and alert, and is fertile. I think 

 that obesity as a cause of sterility in cattle has been over- 

 emphasized, though I admit the importance of controlling it 

 by properly adjusted rations, combined with exercise. 



A distinction needs to be made between obesity and over- 

 feeding. While obesity is sometimes due to overfeeding, 

 especially when combined with idleness, overfeeding may 

 cause a serious impediment to sex functions without pro- 

 ducing marked obesity. I have seen bulls which were fed 

 an excessively large amount of very poor, hard, woody hay. 

 The manager, wishing to prevent them from getting over- 

 fat, was feeding coarse hay in the dairy. After the cows 

 had picked out the best portions, the refuse, consisting of 

 weeds and very coarse stems of hay, was fed to the bulls, 

 with a view to affording an abundant bulk of food having a 

 very low nutritive value. The abdomen of each bull, 

 though they were in moderate flesh, became excessively 

 large. Some individuals lost almost completely their sexual 

 desire. While ruminants are adapted to using large vol- 

 umes of dry fodder, the hygienic maximum is readily ex- 

 ceeded, especially in herd bulls closely confined. 



Even when such overfeeding with a poor quality of fod- 

 der does not seriously depress the sexual functions, it not 

 infrequently interferes with the physical ability to copulate. 

 The immense weight of the load in the rumen, with its pres- 

 sure against the diaphragm and lungs, renders the bull 

 slow, awkward, and short of breath. I have seen such bulls 

 fail utterly to copulate. The great intra-abdominal weight 

 and tension made mounting very difficult, and the enormous 

 belly served to prevent coitus, since the pressure of the tense 

 abdomen upon the rump of the cow forced the abdominal 

 viscera against the diaphragm so that the bull was quickly 

 out of breath and exhausted. 



A breeding male should be fed like any other animal which 

 one desires to keep in vigorous condition. The bulk of the 

 food and the amount of nutriment contained should be ad- 

 justed to the needs of the individual, having due respect for 

 size, age, and the exercise or work provided. 



