The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-08-08
THE STOCK BULL,
His Importance to the Breeder-HOw He
Should be Treated and Handled.

His Importance to the Breeder-How He
Should be Treated and Handled.
A large part of the success of a breeder
of any kind of cattle depends on the bull
which he places at the head of his herd,
on the quality of the animal and his care
and management. A man may add a
fine COW to his herd and her individual
calves will slowly improve it, but the
influence of fine bull is Immediately
perceptible in the calves from the whole
herd, and fair percentage should be
superior to their dams. While individ-
al merit is necessary in the bull, that
which lies back of him in his ancestry
on both sides is equally so. Particular
attention should he given to the dam Of
the bull, for he is more likely to impress
her qualities on his offspring than those
of any individual animal, not excepting
his own. The care of stock bull
should begin with his birth. He should
be kept growing steadily and fed that
kind of food which will produce good
growth of bone and muscle without be-
coming fat. Milk, new or SKINNED,
ground oats, bran or middlings and good
hay and grass are the best foods for a
bull that is intended for long life of
usefulness. Also he should have exer-
else by run in a pasture or yard until
he is IS months or two years old.
He should have kind treatment, but
no familiar petting. Never on any ac-
count allow any one to play with him.
The bull should be kept in the barn
where he is near the cows, and as near
as possible to one of the main passage
ways. If near the cows he is contented
and more quiet, and if he stands where
he constantly sees the men passing him
he becomes familiar with them and is
not so liable to become vicious. But on
no account should the men pay any at
tention to him in passing, either to
quarrel with him or to caress him. Let
them understand they are to let him
alone and pay no attention whatever to
him. He should be frequently let loose
in the yard with the cows, and after
two years old it Is better to hood him
when turned loose. He then gets the
exercise without endangering any lives
or molesting the fence. In this way
the bull may be kept many years with
out finding out his strength, is much
healthier and safer and a surer stock
getter, and is, l believe, much more
liable to be the sire of quiet, pleasant
offspring. In serving cows one service
is enough, even better for the COW than
two, and certainly better for the bull.
A cow with one service is more liable to
have a calf than if more are allowed. A
yearling bull may serve three or four
COWS week with no injury to himself
if allowed only one service to the COW
and day or two between cows. l do
not believe two or three-year-old bull
would be limited if treated i'll this way,
and his calves will be uniformly strong.
1t is the injudicious treatment and
worse than unnecessary overwork that
Injuries the vitality of the bull and
causes him to sire weak calves and TO
have an early decline of power. A
little good Judgment and common sense
would keep almost any bull in active
usefulness as long as it seemed desirable
to retain him.-C NJ. Winslow, in Far
and Home