CHAPTER IV 



Nervous Temperament 



The term nervous temperament used in referring- to the 

 disposition of the cow means the inherent propensity to work, 

 to eat food, digest it and convert e\'ery available ounce of 

 it not required for maintenance into milk products. Nervous 

 temperament does not imply that the cow is nervous in the 

 generall}- accepted meaning of the term, nor does it mean 

 that she is excitable, fretful or hard to manage, but that 

 she is especially strong in the development of the nervous 

 system. It naturally follows that such an animal is always 

 alert, active and responds readily to all surroundings, whether 

 they be favorable or adverse. 



It is this nervous temperament that enables the dairy 

 cow to endure for a long period greater work than her form, 

 appearance and size would indicate. It is the quality that 

 gives the Arabian horse the endurance which enables him to 

 make long journeys with little food and water, and the same 

 characteristic is termed stamina when found in the horse 

 bred for speed. In the dairy cow this trait stimulates the 

 function of milk making. 



Lymphatic Temperament 



There is another temperament that is found in beef 

 breeds — and often — in fact, too often — in individuals of the 

 dairy breeds, termed the lymphatic temperament. Such an 

 animal is sluggish in disposition, inclined toward laziness, 

 with an inborn tendency to convert its food into fat and self- 

 ishly distribute it over its body. This temperament is one 

 of the essentials to look for in selecting profitable feeding 

 steers and is a point well recognized bv experienced cattle 

 feeders, for they know that the steer which fattens readily is 

 the one that gorges himself at the feed bunk, lies down and 

 chews his cud contentedly with absolutely no consideration 

 for what goes on around him until another feeding time 

 rolls around and he hears the nubbins being broken over the 

 side of the feed bunk, when he arises, stretches himself and 

 lazily and deliberately walks over to his source of food supply. 



Cows of this disposition are an unprofitable kind, indeed, 

 when compared with the ones that at feeding time stand 

 at the gate or in their stalls and bawl for their feed or at the 



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