76 JUDGING AND SELECTION OF LIVE STOCK 



naturally thrifty blood lines are essentially of no value. 

 Whether this condition is termed individuality or natural 

 thrift, it is of extreme importance in selecting any animal. 

 The close, compact horse with the smooth, symmetrical, 

 round-turned body is naturally an easy keeper. Such an 

 animal carries its own stamp of individuality or natural 

 thrift. While the breeder should naturally be interested 

 in the pedigree, the individual, herd or breed attainments 

 should not be disregarded. 



Age Limitations. Age qualifications are important, especi- 

 ally with breeding animals which are to be retained for a 

 considerable time in the herd. Many breeders make the 

 mistake of selling their best animals because they have 

 supposedly passed their real period of usefulness. A breeding 

 animal is valuable as long as it continues to produce meri- 

 torious animals, no matter what the age attained. Master- 

 piece, for example, one of the great boars of the Berkshire 

 breed, was used actively until nine years of age. After the 

 breeding value of an animal is clearly established it is 

 unwise to discard it from the herd merely because of 

 advancing age. 



It is always preferable to purchase an animal in its prime 

 as soon after its breeding qualities have been tested as 

 possible. If the animal proves to be a valuable breeder the 

 purchaser . has the opportunity of getting the full benefit 

 of the offspring possessing the blood lines of the individual. 

 This is extremely important, as a few good animals from one 

 extraordinary breeder are far more valuable than a much 

 larger number from one or more inferior individuals. Ex- 

 perience has taught that a promising animal should never 

 be sacrificed without having given it a reasonable trial in the 

 breeding herd. Some excellent examples may be cited where 

 dairy cows have not only themselves been placed in the 

 advanced registry when seventeen or eighteen years of age, 

 but they also have progeny which won distinction either as 

 breeders or because of their ease of meeting advanced registry 

 qualifications. These facts strongly indicate that a breeding 

 animal should not be sacrificed as long as the previous 

 valuable records are being duplicated, regardless of the age 

 of the animal. 



