Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1878-01-24

like Mr.. Sherman's letter, as be seems to be
seeking after truth in the art of breeding,
rather than theory. or the support OF s the
DRY. Having had some experience in breed
ing farm stock, and having a theory of my
W Tor perhaps [ should say. noticing prac-
Teal results in my W herd}, | will state
them, so that if any person who is engaged
in the breeding of cattle can derive any ben
eft therefrom. my time in writ ne will not
be lost; and if not, it may be the means of
causing some one better qualified to give
his experience.
In 1912, | purchased my first Shorthorn
bull to improve my dairy stock, and, as was
natural TO most young farmers, [ was desir-
Gus of raising as many heifer calves as pos
sible, but how to accomplish it / did not
know-and | might add that.Ld do not know
even 10Y The bull came on the farm June
14th, having been on the road four days On
foot, consequently he had been reduced in
flesh in vigor during that time, although
perhaps scarcely perceptible III his appear
ance. On his arrival at the farm there4was
a COW in heat, and they were coupled the
cow being fresh, the bull tired. The result
was a heiter calf. The bull had been Kept
up and fed meal before / purchased him, but
being a very.quiet animal. although three
years old, / turned him into the pasture
with the cows, and did not have any grain
fed him during the remainder of the season.
lie fell off somewhat in flesh. which de-
n,,oocaJ LiS uifror ,yhi1a fhn NV orc pf
course increasing in vigor, especially the
heifers thai were not giving milk. The fol-
lowing spring | had ten heifer calves and
two bull calves. The bull served some for
ty COWS in 1872, q large proportion of which
were heifers. The bull was sskept on the
farm for Il number of years, and during the
winter, with ordinary feeding, he would III
variably gain in flesh, while in the working
season on grass he would fall off in flesh,
bit in no year so decidedly as .thefrst year
he came on the farm. During the years he
was kept / always had more heifer calves
than bulls. My theory since has been, that
tobbreed beiters. the COWS must be well fed
and ia full gigor, while the bull should not
be so well fed, but be gradually reduced in
flesh during the serving season. La no case
however has there been any absolute GER
,tainty what the sex would be, and as all
ready stated, no definite knowledge has
has been obtained that could be relied on,
but in many cases the sex produced was in
direct opposition to the theory.
The theory that in order to produce a fe-
male. the COW should be served rs soon as
she comes in heat, has been tested very
thoroughly by the writer, and after years OF
persistent trial | haze been forced to give
up the idea Of the breeding of exc at will
conceded that there are nearly an equal
number CT the two sexes usually born OF the
| different varieties of animals as bred on the
farm, SO that no great preponderance of Ell
ther sex III Il series Of years is usually OBJ
servable. This being the fact, it would
seem that an allwise Creator had established
certain immutable laws that could not be
changed, and therefore the sexes would con
tinue to sustain the same relations to each
other in the future rs in the past.
III. MI. Stuyvcsants theory proves true
when tried by breeders at large, it would
seem that there Was provisions made by the
Creator Tor eqaalizing the sexes, so that by
careful observation the different sexes,
could be produced at will in those animals
that usually bring forth only 4 single young
1T q birth. II The writer fully understands
Mr. stnyvesant's theory, it is that by serv-
ing at The first heat in u female the pro
I 11ra viii liza n unafo tho gacnn,I uptlnr El,e