DEHORNING, SPAYING, AND CASTRATING CATTLE 395 



The improvement of the carcass; (2) more rapid fat- 

 tening; (3) greater tractability, and (4) to make pos- 

 sible and practical the feeding and grazing of males and 

 females in the same feed lots and pastures. These ob- 

 jects are of much moment to the growers of beef. 



When males intended for beef are not castrated at 

 a somewhat early age, they develop undue strength of 

 bone and muscle in certain parts of the carcass, especially 

 in the head and neck. Such development is obtained at 

 the expense of development in other parts of the carcass 

 through the operation of that law of breeding known as 

 correlation. The increased development referred to has 

 but slight monetary value when sold as meat, as the 

 parts in which such increase is most pronounced are 

 relatively low-priced on the block. Early castration 

 diverts the energies of the system to the greater relative 

 development of other parts of the system in which the 

 meat is relativel}' more valuable. 



The castrated males also make greater development 

 in a given time and fatten more readily when being pre- 

 pared for the block. That it should be so is what is to 

 be expected. First, the essential organs of generation 

 cease to draw upon the energies of the system after cas- 

 tration, and. second, disturbing influences that come 

 to uncastrated males through sexual desire are entirely 

 absent. When such animals are fattened, the food is 

 not used to little purpose in depositing fat in the parts 

 of the carcass that are possessed of little value. 



Males castrated are immediately improved in their 

 tractability. The moment that castration is completed, 

 the headstrong, determined spirit so often shown in bulls 

 is broken, and, though formerly vicious, they, as a rule, 

 become docile. The management of a herd of bulls run- 

 ning together in the herd or feed lot would be a constant 

 menace to the attendant. When these are castrated, the 

 danger is, as a rule, entirely eliminated. 



