894 VETEEINAEY HYGIENE 



animals should commence and cease breeding is also oi 

 importance. 



In the case of the male parent it is a pretty general 

 custom to allow him to serve a small number of females at 

 quite an early age, and gradually increase the number, 

 and we think that this is the best system, provided that 

 great care is taken to prevent him doing too much until he 

 is fully developed. As regards breeding from old sires, it is 

 very generally accepted that the progeny of very old animals 

 is always liable to be small and weedy, and we think it a 

 mistake to breed from animals which are losing their 

 vigour. A great deal of harm may be done to the constitu- 

 tions of the stock as a whole by the use of such a sire before 

 it succeeds in attracting attention. Statistics tend to show 

 that very young animals may not be very certain stock- 

 getters, but in our experience the offspring is as a rule very 

 good. 



In the case of the female also we think it is a good 

 system to get her to breed at quite an early age, provided 

 that she can be maintained in extra good condition 

 throughout the period of pregnancy and subsequently. 



This system has the advantage of fully developing the 

 genital organs at an early age, when the frame is capable 

 of considerable modification, and thus stamping the 

 maternal character on the animal. 



Females which have bred at an early age are usually 

 themselves very certain breeders afterwards, and, provided 

 that the condition is well maintained throughout, we do 

 not think that they are liable to be stunted in growth. In 

 the case of mares we would recommend a year's rest from 

 breeding after the first foal, during which time they could 

 be trained and complete their development. 



We have already referred to the practice of breeding 

 from old, worn-out mares, but must again emphasize the 

 fallacy of the system, as it is one of the greatest evils in 

 breeding. 



It is a very common practice among hunting men to send 

 a favoarite old hunter mare to the stud after she has carried 



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