SELECTION OF THE HERD BULL 167 



common for the leading breeders to use a young bull in a 

 limited way, then loan him or lease him to the owner of some 

 grade herd until the results of his breeding can be ascer- 

 tained. In this way the exceptional bulls that transmit the 

 qualities desired can be found before it is too late. On the 

 other hand, a valuable herd will not be damaged by the use of 

 an animal that sires inferior animals. Essentially the above 

 plan is now followed by the author with the University of 

 Missouri Herd. 



One of the unnecessary losses among dairymen is the 

 constant sacrifice of bulls when mature and at their best. 

 The average dairyman buys a young bull, uses him two years, 

 and offers him for sale without waiting to learn of the quality 

 of his daughters. His neighbor, instead of buying the old 

 bull, buys a young one, and the older one that may be worth 

 a fortune to the community is sold for beef while the neighbor 

 is experimenting with the young one. 



Age of Bull to Select. It is an unsettled question whether 

 an old bull is any more prepotent than a young. This claim 

 is made by many, but with no real evidence upon which to 

 base the claim. In Holland a breeding bull is seldom kept 

 past three or four years of age. In this country a young bull 

 is generally preferred by the average dairyman, mostly 

 because a young one is easier handled and shipped than an 

 aged one, and perhaps because on account of improper care 

 the aged animal often is an uncertain breeder. 



There is one danger connected with the aged bull that 

 should be understood and guarded against. This is the pos- 

 sible introduction of contagious abortion into the herd. The 

 greatest precautions should be taken on this point, and unless 

 the buyer is satisfied the bull has not been contaminated with 



