170 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION 



The consideration of the feeding capacity of an animal is 

 very important, for if we have a cow which is perfect in every 

 other point but which is deficient in her abiHty to consume large 

 quantities of feed, we cannot expect her to be an economical 

 producer. Since a given amount of feed is required to main- 

 tain the body weight of the animal, only what feed she con- 

 sumes in addition is available for milk production. After we 

 have gone to the expense of maintaining the animal machine 

 we find that the cow is more efficient which consumes twice as 

 much feed as it requires to maintain itself, as compared with the 

 cow which consumes only 50 per cent more than her mainte- 

 nance requirement, providing in each case the surplus feed is 

 converted into milk and butterfat. 



To be a good feeder, a cow needs room for a large devel- 

 opment of digestive organs. A large barrel indicates feeding 

 capacity. In order to have good barrel development the ribs 

 should be well sprung and should carry considerable depth. 

 The back should be wide over the loins, the hips wide apart and 

 from hips to the lower line of the flank there should be great 

 depth. "A wide forehead, a comparatively long face, broad 

 muzzle, good sized mouth, and strong sinewy jaws" are also 

 indications of a good feeder. 



The dairy cow must have not only good constitution and 

 large feeding capacity, but in addition must possess what is 

 known as dairy temperament. Some indications of dairy tem- 

 perament are: lack of meatiness after the animal has been in 

 milk for a few months as evidenced by the prominent ribs, hip 

 bones, backbone and the ''triple wedge." The wedges are 

 brought out by the body being wider at the hips than at the 

 withers; the floor of the chest as viewed from the front should 

 be wider than the top of the withers, and the body as viewed 

 from the side should be deeper from the hips to the underside 

 of the udder than at the fore quarters. 



As the brain is the center of the nervous system, a broad, 

 full forehead is desirable. An eye that is active, yet mild, dis- 

 tinguishes the animals of nervous temperament from the phleg- 

 matic meat type. 



The points of constitution, general health, feeding capacity, 

 and dairy temperament have been emphasized. Without the 



