208 Types and Market Classes of Live Stock 



It is considerable trouble to rear calves on skim milk, but it is 

 being done with good results on many farms. The skim milk should 

 be supplemented by oats, bran, corn meal, hay, and good pasture until 

 weaning time, and the calf should be wintered on grain, silage, and hay. 

 When weaned and placed on regular rations, skim-milk calves usually 

 advance rapidly and often overtake calves reared on whole milk to 

 such an extent that they cannot be distinguished from the latter. 



Dual-purpose type. — Descriptions of the beef and dairy types 

 having been given in detail, dual-purpose type may be described in 

 few words by comparisons. The true dual-purpose type of animal is 

 distinguished from the beef animal by certain well-marked differences 

 in form and appearance. The dual-purpose animal is not so wide as 

 the beef animal, nor so smooth, and the fleshing is not so thick. The 

 neck is longer, the withers are not so wide and rounding, the middle is 

 less blocky and compact, and the legs are longer. The udder receives 

 considerable attention and should be large, of good texture, and of 

 good shape. The dual-purpose cow should bear indications of credit- 

 able performance at the pail. 



Compared with the dairy type, the dual-purpose animal shows 

 more squareness and fullness of forequarters, more width and compact- 

 ness of body, more fleshing and smoothness. The spring of rib is more 

 pronounced, the back is wider, the withers are thicker, the shoulder is 

 heavier fleshed and smoother, and the thigh and twist are much more 

 heavily fleshed. Dual-purpose cows that give a generous milk flow 

 will carry less flesh during the milking period, but when dry they take 

 on flesh readily. Their calves have a reasonably good fleshing when 

 fed for market, especially if sired by a beef-type bull. 



When dual-purpose cattle are brought into the ring at fairs and 

 expositions, it is readily observable that marked variations in type 

 exist, ranging from near the dairy type to the lower limits of beef type. 

 What is regarded as a typical dual-purpose animal by one man will 

 not always suit another, but will be criticised as leaning too much 

 toward the beef type or the dairy type. Some men accept a beef cow 

 with a larger udder than usual as a typical dual-purpose animal; others 

 have in mind a dairy cow showing more beefiness than common. In 

 the show rings of this country much dissatisfaction has arisen over the 

 judging of dual-purpose cattle; some judges have apparently awarded 

 the prizes upon the beef qualities of the animals shown, while other 

 judges have leaned almost as much the other way. A judge at one show 

 will select certain animals as prize winners, and at another show, with 

 the same cattle on exhibition, an almost complete reversal will be made 

 in the awards — hence the dissatisfaction. As time goes on, breeders 

 are getting closer together in their ideals of a dual-purpose animal, 



