EXPERIENCE WITH THE COLLEGE HERD 25 



weakness, losing appetite and ambition, besides dropping off in 

 milk and general appearance. Belle, — at the time, the heav- 

 iest milker, — seemed to lose the most blood during the night, 

 and her milk flow was reduced from 34.4 pounds to 5.5 

 pounds the following day, but gradually recovered. Her 

 horns were very large, and difficult to cut. Another Ayr- 

 shire (Maid of Chaos) again started to bleed on the following 

 day, but it was easily checked. The loss of blood did not seem 

 to weaken her. 



It is now ten months since the operations. All of the ani- 

 mals regained their original vigor in a sliort time. The gen- 

 eral air and disposition of the herd is changed. The former 

 worry and uneasiness, as well as the fierceness previously 

 shown just before feeding times, have disappeared. 



CONCLUSIONS 



As has already been indicated, it is believed that dehorning 

 not only eliminates the danger to life, and is therefore of the ut- 

 most importance ; but it has its economic bearing as well. It 

 is well understood, that where milch cows are gently cared for, 

 and not over exercised, other things being equal, more milk is 

 produced. For the same reason it is evident that beef animals 

 will gain more rapidly where hornless, the nourishment ex- 

 hausted in fighting tendencies being stored up as flesh. Ani- 

 mals are more cheaply transported by live weight, when de- 

 horned, as more can be accommodated in less space and with less 

 danger. 



I have yet to see the average herd of horned animals without 

 its recognized leaders and masters ; it is nothing more than the 

 atavismic tendencies toward the instincts of the wild animal. 

 Domestication has modified these instincts, but will not over- 

 come them imtil the implements of warfare are laid aside. 

 Even under domestication, the horns therefore still play an im- 

 portant part in the survival of the fittest. 



With our four breeds, it was distinctly shown that such ani- 

 mals, as for example, the Ayrshires, which are noted and bred 

 for their fine horns, suffered the most from dehorning. Next 

 come the Shorthorns or Durhams and the Holsteins, the 



