466 



CATTLE AND DAIRY FARMING. 



SIZE AND WEIGHT. 



Size and weight of all breeds of cattle vary considerably ; the Mess- 

 kirch breed are no exception to this rule. Animals which get good and 

 abundant food will be much heavier in weight than those whose food is 

 insuflQcient. The following table will show the average sizes obtained 

 by actual measurement: 



Kind. 



Cows. 



Oxen 



Female calves (yearlings) 



Kumber 

 of animals. 



Average 

 height. 



Ft. in. 

 4 2 

 4 4 

 3 10 



Average 

 length. 



Ft. in. 



6 1 



5 



4 6 



The measurement of eighty animals at maturity gave average height, 

 4 feet 1 inch ; length, 4 feet 10 inches. 

 The weight is as follows : 



Pounds. 



Calves at the time of their birth ". 70 to 85 



Animals of one year 430 070 



Animals of two years ; 776 1,030 



Cows reach a weight of 900 1,400 



Oxen reach a weight of : 1,100 1,300 



Bulls reach a weight of 1,800 2,400 



MEASUEES OF SEPARATE LIMBS. 



The length of the neck is on an average 1 foot 2 inches. The skin of 

 the neck is fine and wrinkled. The withers are large and round, and 

 are in a horizontal direction with healthy animals. The loins have an 

 average length of -14 inches. 



Average meamrement of different parts of animals. 



BREEDING AND FEEDING. 



By far the greater number of the calves that are born each vear are 



oSto'tr^'?,*' *^^^™^y J^'gh «« ^^^^ tbe butchers are of?en 

 obliged to take their supply from other sections. Some of the male 

 calves are sold after twelve or fifteen months for breeding; the maiSy 

 of the males, however, are castrated after six or eight weeks and sold 

 after two years or kept for labor. 



Most of the Messkirch stock-breeders let the calves (male as well as 

 female) suck during six or eight weeks. After that time the caTf" gets 



