. Manual of farm animals; a practical guide to the choosing, breeding, and keep of horses, cattle, sheep, and swine. Animal industry; Horses; Cattle; Sheep; Swine. BREEDING BEEF CATTLE 313 THE BEEF COW While all common cows must be bred in order that they may freshen, yet the cows to which we look to replenish the herd should be carefully selected. The heifer calves from the best cows should be retained for breeding. By using a good pure-bred sire and retaining the best heifers to replenish the herd, in a few generations one can have a herd of cows equal to any pure-bred herd for the productio
. Manual of farm animals; a practical guide to the choosing, breeding, and keep of horses, cattle, sheep, and swine. Animal industry; Horses; Cattle; Sheep; Swine. BREEDING BEEF CATTLE 313 THE BEEF COW While all common cows must be bred in order that they may freshen, yet the cows to which we look to replenish the herd should be carefully selected. The heifer calves from the best cows should be retained for breeding. By using a good pure-bred sire and retaining the best heifers to replenish the herd, in a few generations one can have a herd of cows equal to any pure-bred herd for the production of feeding cattle. The production-period in cattle. — As in the dairy cow, the most fertile period is two to eight years of age. In exceptional cases this period may be extended both ways (see page 246). Season of the year to breed.—While it seems desirable to have dairy calves dropped in the fall, it is equally desirable to have beef calves dropped in the spring. With dairy cattle, a some- what larger flow can be ob- tained when calves come in the fall. With beef cattle the milk flow is not so important. Cows may be wintered more cheaply when not in milk, requiring less room, less careful attention, and less food. Calves dropped in the spring get a good start on pasture. They need be car- . , , . , Fig. 98. — Galloway Heifers. True ried over but one winter, as to type. Owned by C. S. Hechtner. they can be fattened or finished the following fall when approximately eighteen months of age, if it is so desired; or if desired to fatten them during the winter, they can be finished the second winter and put on the market at two years of age. Fall-dropped calves are more trouble to care for during the winter, although the advo- cates of fall-dropped beef calves say that better steers can be produced and developed by fall calving, as the cow in the fall. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability -
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