=) “pla ade etal
“s
APRDAD 2
’ a .
wel? *
>
mle
es i.
rerrttistersdlcs
by ee oor
rs
’
‘pate
i)
A
_
Dol
"
of
“ =)
é
eat
2
se 924
:
SEES
Koo
ond
est
“-
-
>
, ©
ie *eleee
Flees e Oe
oe
\
e928 ee
-*
+
.
K
4
~*s t ” ae
+
Sy tine 4
hil
e539 25
pte.
fo os
oth
AJ
9,
es
S ~
ere
ty
= Utah
‘Ln: ie
%*,
ce
tere
set
SEW
pects
ay
>
;
oh
COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT:
A
|
RV
wi \,
te
pay
uy
Beginnings in Animal Husbandry
FARM SCIENCE SERIES
Beginnings in Animal Husbandry
By C. S. PLums, Ohio State University
Field Crops
By A. D. Wiutson, University of Minnesota
and C. W. WarsBurTon, U. S. Department of
Agriculture
Soils and Soil Fertility
By A. R. Wuitson, University of Wisconsin
and H. L. WALSTER, University of Wisconsin
Agricultural Engineering
By J. B. Davipson, Iowa State College of Agri-
culture and Mechanic Arts
Popular Fruit Growing
By S. B. Green, University of Minnesota
Vegetable Gardening
By S. B. Green, University of Minnesota
(OTHER VOLUMES IN PREPARATION)
BOOKS WRITTEN BY CHARLES S. PLUMB
A BIOGRAPHICAL DIRECTORY OF AMERICAN AGRICULTURAL SCIENTISTS
Edited and published at Knoxville, Tenn., 1889; pp. 100;
flexible cloth. The supply of these is exhausted.
INDIAN CorRN CULTURE
Chicago: The Breeders’ Gazette Print, 1895. Cloth;
pp. 248; figs. 63.
LITTLE SKETCHES OF Famous BEEF CATTLE
Columbus, Ohio: Published by the author, 1904. Cloth;
pp. 99. | 7
TYPES AND BREEDS OF FaRM ANIMALS
Boston: Gian & Co., 1906. Cloth; pp. 563; figs. 255.
A PartTIAL INDEX TO ANIMAL HUSBANDRY LITERATURE
Columbus, Ohio: Published by the author, 1911. Cloth;
pp. 94.
=
=
we —.
° >
te ee Fog
ee be!
Photograph by courtesy McLay Bros.
“For should I speake rather like a Philosopher than a Christian, I
could not but agnize nature to bee admirable in all her workes,
wherein man doth owe unto her infinite, and those very great
thankes, in that shee hath accommodated and plentifully furnished
him with all things needfull for his use, as also in that shee hath
propagated (among all other) the horse, the most usefull for the
service of man, and who best acknowledgeth his Master.”
—Thomas de Grey, 1651.
~ BEGINNINGS IN
ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
By |
CHARLES §$: PLUMB
PROFESSOR OF ANIMAL HUSBANDRY IN THE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE
OF THE Ouro STaTE UNIVERSITY
(Evie pins CO A
a a tre 7
a> = ri -
-_ —*
“— '
— r
COPYRIGHT, 1912
By CHARLES S. PLUMB
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED _
»
* > /
Orage e
fs
.
of
>. j a
es + > ae
; PS at _ eee
FOREWORD
Agricultural education in America is comparatively new.
Previous to 1870 but few colleges of agriculture existed in
this country. During the period between 1870 and about
1890, interest was awakened in this field of education. Many
of the agricultural colleges graduated their first classes along
in the seventies. Excepting a few men who had been trained
in chemistry, as applied to agriculture, there were almost
no instructors who had received what we now regard as an
agricultural education. ‘The instruction known as agricul-
tural, then consisted of lectures on familiar farm practices,
frequently supplemented by manual labor on the part of the
_ student. Text books were few, and the preparation of new
ones was slow.
Agricultural education under these conditions lagged,
and how to encourage interest became a serious problem
with the colleges. Educators insisted that the teaching
should be largely based on pure science, and it was often
difficult for the students to see the application.
Recognizing this lack of interest, a few Western colleges
conceived the plan of giving short winter courses of a popular
nature, in which practical laboratory instruction should be
given. Work in dairying, horticulture, and live stock judg-
ing first received attention. This practical training was
most favorably regarded by the students. These winter
courses grew rapidly in popularity, and paved the way for
more attractive forms of instruction for the regular students.
Through this medium of the short winter course, both inter-
est and attendance in the agricultural colleges rapidly grew.
New courses of study were established, more buildings and
equipment were required, and then agricultural education
sprang into popularity. The production of new types of
text books, on subjects heretofore undiscussed in pedagogical
form, logically followed in this evolution in agricultural edu-
cation.
During this movement in behalf of rural uplift, a few
progressive men urged the importance of agricultural educa-
tion in the country schools of higher grade. This resulted
in establishing agricultural schools of secondary grade in
different parts of the United States, both North and South.
During the past few years, country life has become popular.
As a result, there is a widespread movement in behalf of
agricultural education, and the subject is now being taught
in its various phases in many schools all over the land.
Recognizing the need of an elementary text book for
young people, the author has seen fit to prepare this volume
on animal husbandry, the first of its kind devoted to this
special field. It is his earnest hope that such lessons as either
teacher or pupii shall find within these pages, may result in
a desire for yet wider knowledge of and a more sympathetic
interest in our farm animals.
CHARLES 8. PLUMB.
Ohio State University,
Columbus, Ohio,
November 1, 1912.
CHAPTER
I.
ET.
III.
IV.
V.
‘i.
AT.
VIII.
XXVIT.
XXVIII.
CONTENTS
THE IMPORTANCE OF ANIMAL HUSBANDRY .
THE BREEDS OF HORSES
THe BREEDS OF CATTLE
THE BREEDS OF SHEEP
Tuer Breeps OF SWINE
ANIMAL TYPE AND ITS Tir Ouran
REASONS AND METHODS IN JUDGING LIVE met
THE PoINTs OF THE HORSE
JUDGING THE HorRSE
THE JUDGING OF CATTLE
. THE JUDGING OF SHEEP .
. ‘THE JUDGING OF SWINE .
Herepity: Its MEANING AND Hharioret
SELECTION AND ITS IMPORTANCE
PEDIGREES AND THEIR VALUE
SUGGESTIONS TO YOUNG BREEDERS ;
THE COMPOSITION OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS
THE INFLUENCE OF Foops ON THE Bopy
FEEDING STANDARDS: ‘THEIR ORIGIN AND USE
How To CALCULATE A RATION
CoaRSE FEEDS AND THEIR VALUE ;
CONCENTRATED FEEDS AND THEIR VALUE .
THE CaRE OF FARM ANIMALS .
TYPES AND BREEDS OF POULTRY
JUDGING POULTRY AND POULTRY Pacoueat
Eaas AND INCUBATION
THE FEEDING OF POULTRY
PouLtTrRY HovusEes AND EQUIPMENT
PaGB
14.
23
46 ~
74
99
114
125
138
158
173~
196
209
221
230
240
248
257
265
274
281
288
303
313
325
340
349
360
374
BEGINNINGS IN
ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
CHAPTER I
THE IMPORTANCE OF ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
The study of domestic animals may be considered both
a pleasure and a duty. A pleasure, because of the natural-
born interest man feels in all animals; and a duty, on account
of the service horses, cattle, sheep, and swine play in the
world’s affairs. Between many people, and even nations,
Vig. 1. A view at the Royal Agricultural Society Show of England. Photo-
graph by the author.
and their domestic animals, we find an affectionate, sympa-
thetic relationship. The people of Great Britain, the world’s
leading stockmen, from the King and Queen to the humblest
laborer, show a keen and kindly interest in everything
relating to farm live stock. One of the most interesting
12 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
sights to be seen in Europe is the annual show of the Royal
Agricultural Society of England, where live stock is made
the leading feature, and where vast throngs of people go to
inspect and talk over the animals and watch the judges at
their work. The average Britisher is a lover of animals,
and expresses a common, inherited sentiment. This dis-
position on the part of a people, develops the finer, more
sympathetic qualities, and broadens and strengthens char-
acter. In the same way, the boy or girl who shows a devo-
tion to the animal given to his or her care, becomes finer,
more sympathetic, and broader minded, andisrendered more
resourceful and capable. From another point of view, ani-
mals play a most important part on account of their uses for
food and labor. Therefore, the study of animals as relating
to farm economy and the markets of the world becomes a
most important matter.
The commercial value of the live stock industry is so
great that only a brief reference can be made to it here.
One is unable to comprehend the magnitude of the figures
which relate to either numbers or values of farm animals.
The thirteenth United States census, for 1910, reports
the following numbers and values as applied to animals on
our farms for that year.
Cass oF Stock NUMBER VALUE
RE 8 a 19,731,000 $2,076,000,000
Mules and asses...... 4,184,000 13,092,000
Rema SS os eS 61,226,000 1,485,000,000
= oO a a a ete 52,448,000 209,536,000
Pe, eee eo ae | 58,186,000 615,170,000
i i 195,775,000 $4,398,798,000
By these figures we see that we had in 1910 almost 200
“million animals on our farms, and that they were valued at
over four billion dollars, a sum far too big to comprehend.
THE IMPORTANCE OF LIVE STOCK 13
The significant thing is simply to realize the vastness of our
live-stock industry, and the enormous sum of money here
invested, besides the value of the animals themselves. The
greatest live-stock producing section of the country includes
the states of New York, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan,
Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota,
South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, and Texas. The two
states of most importance in numbers of each kind of live
stock in the United States in 1910, are as follows:
iotsed 2s. 2... lowar first, with. ); 0. 2.0% 1,489,000
Illinois second, with.. .... 1,450,000
Cattle... . ee Be ) tems first, with......... 6,722.000
(lowa. second, with........ 4,468,000
oo JWyoming first, with ...... 5,397,000
\Montana second, with... .5,381,000
Ni we os ‘Tes Rieger, WIGD ks ss ox be 7,527,000
Illinois second, with...... 4,684,000
We see from the above that Iowa ranks first in numbers
of horses and swine, and second in cattle, which gives this
state the leading position in live-stock production; Illinois
holds a close second place.
The importance of our live stock may also be seen from
another point of view in connection with our local markets.
The city of Chicago is the largest live-stock market in the
world. The Union Stock Yards of that city cover 500
acres, and received in 1911 a total of 1614 millions of farm
animals, valued at about 340 millions of dollars. Nearly
272,000 car loads of live stock were received in these yards in
1911. This is equal to 745 cars a day. At an average
length of 34 feet to a car, these cars would make one
solid train of live stock about 434 miles long. There are
300 miles of railway in and about the yards to handle all
this great traffic. Some 50,000 people live about the yards
and get their daily incomes from them. Here are immense
14 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
slaughter houses and meat packing plants, from which meats
are shipped to all parts of the world. The Union Stock
Yards and packing houses are noted features of the great
city of Chicago, and are daily visited by tourists from all
over America and many other countries. In 1909 there
were 1641 slaughtering and meat-packing plants in the
United States, in which were killed and prepared for food,
over a billion dollars worth of farm animals. ‘These figures
are given simply to show something of the importance of the
Fig. 2. A view in the Union Stock Yards, Chicago. Photograph by courtesy
The Farmer.
live-stock trade and of the part it must play in American
agriculture.
The first use of animals by man dates back to the days
when there was no civilization, when no written records
were made, and the people lived as ignorant savages. This
was in prehistoric times, when the only implements used
were very crude ones made by hand, of stone, iron, or copper.
That animals lived with man in these prehistoric days, we
know, because the bones of man, and those of horses, cattle,
THE IMPORTANCE OF LIVE STOCK 15
and other animals have been found mingled together in the
remains of prehistoric villages in Europe. As man ascended
in the scale of civilization, we find that animals became more
and more associated with him in his daily life. The oldest
historical works make frequent reference to farm animals.
If one consults the Bible he will find in the Book of Genesis,
- dating back over 2000 years before Christ, repeated reterence
to herdsmen and horses and asses, cattle, sheep, and goats.
In fact, these people of early days were farmers, and depended
largely on their live stock. |
The importance of domestic animals to man is to be seen
in several ways. ‘There are some features of special interest
to the student; namely, (a) the use of animals for clothing;
(b) for food; (c) for labor, and (d) in relation to maintaining
soil fertility. -Each of these is of sufficient importance to
justify special consideration.
The use of animals for clothing refers to the skin, hair
and wool or other hairy covering. Earliest man is supposed
to have used the skins of animals for clothing, especially in
the cooler regions or colder parts of the year.
For thousands of years people have woven cloth from
wool, and the hair of camels and goats. At the present day
the making of cloth from wool is a great industry in different
parts of the world. Millions of sheep even now have their
chief value in the wool that they produce. The leading
industry of a number of English and American towns and
cities is the converting of wool into clothing; so we find there
great mills employing thousands of people.
The use of animals for food is of first importance. It is
for this that cattle, sheep, and swine have been domesti-
cated; and the final end of all farm animals except the horse,
ass, and mule, must be for human food. Meat is a concen-
trated food, rich in the substances that give strong physical
16 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
development. It is said that the meat-eating nations rule
the world; and when we realize that the people of North
America, Great Britain, France, and Germany are the
greatest consumers of this food, we are inclined to believe
the statement to be true. The average person in the United
States eats about 180 pounds of meat a year. With a
population approaching one hundred million people, it ean
be easily understood that an enormous number of animals
must be slaughtered for food each year.
Fig. 3. Fattening cattle in a Western feed lot. Photograph by courtesy
The Farmer.
There is also another important source of food from ani-
mals, that of milk and its products. Cattle have been so
improved since domestication began, that today we have cows
producing remarkable yields of milk. A yield of 5000 pounds
of milk a year is very common; a large number of cows
have produced 10,000 pounds; a yield of 15,000 pounds of
milk in a year from a single animal is no longer remarkable.
Milk is a very nutritious liquid food, and supplies a place
in human diet as does no other substance. From milk is
‘4
By
¢
i
.
oF ae,
THE IMPORTANCE OF LIVE STOCK 17
manufactured cheese, a valuable food that in Europe very
generally takes the place of meat among the laboring classes.
Butter, also a product of milk, is so greatly in demand that
thousands of creameries engage in its production. In 1910,
there were twenty million cows and heifers kept in the
United States, primarily for milk. Five states had over one
million dairy cows each.
The use of animals for labor, no doubt dates from pre-
“historic days when man subdued the horse. With the culti-
Fig. 4. A miniature ox team in West Virginia. Photograph by Warren Booker.
vation of the fields, both cattle and horses became beasts of
burden and laborers in the fields. Cattle are commonly
used for labor in parts of Europe, even dairy cows some-
times being employed to draw loads. Oxen were much used
in pioneer days for draft work in America, but have been
generally discarded on account of their slowness, yet even
today they may be seen serving in place of horses in some
parts of our country. In the pioneer settlement of America,
the ox team proved a very important means of transporta-
18 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
tion through the forests and across the wide Western prairies.
The great endurance, steady habits, and ease of keep, make
the ox a favorite with the pioneer.
In countries other than our own, where railways do not
exist, the transportation of freight must be done by animals,
or on the shoulders of men. In many countries the people
use the backs of animals for this purpose. In northern
Africa, the camel is known as ‘‘the ship of the desert,” for
on his back is carried both man and freight from the interior
to the coast. In parts of Asia, the elephant becomes a
mighty beast of burden, performing wonderful draft service.
The little donkey, regarded in America as simply a play-
thing for children, is widely used over the world as a burden
bearer. Thus we see that domestic animals, even today,
play a very important part in moving merchandise and per-
forming labor. Although modern methods of transporta-
tion care for enormous quantities of freight, the fact is that
the demand for the work horse does not diminish. The
draft work on our farms mustbe very largely accomplished
by the horse; while even in the city, in spite of the expensive
motor truck, the horse is considered indispensable in a
large amount of business. Professor T. F. Hunt states*
that in England it is estimated that two horses will cultivate
80 acres of light and sandy soil, or 60 acres of heavy, or clay,
soil. In the United States, it appears that one horse or mule
of working age is kept for every 30 acres of improved land;
but in level prairie sections, far more service than this indi-
cates 1s expected.
The use of domestic animals in maintaining soil fertil-
ity has long been recognized as of great importance. The
earliest writers on agriculture, who lived just prior to the
Christian era, about two thousand years ago, wrote more or
*Cyclopedia of Agriculture, Vol. III, 1908, p. 11.
THE IMPORTANCE OF LIVE STOCK 19
less of the value of manures in keeping the soil fertile. The
farmer of those days learned from experience that if he took
a crop from the land one year, that the next harvest from
the same soil would be smaller unless manure was
‘used to replace the fertility removed in the crop. Thus we
see that 20 centuries ago the farmer learned that he must
replace fertility in his soil if he expected to reap abun-
dant harvests. To secure this necessary fertility, he used
the manure provided by farm animals, and much was written
about the value of the excrement from different kinds of
animals, and the preservation of manures.
In very recent times, artificial fertilizers have come into
extensive use. But in spite of this fact, the natural manures
of animals have been absolutely necessary to keep up the
fertility of the soil of most regions where high-class farming
is practiced. There are lands in Europe today, said to have
been cultivated for 2000 years, that grow great crops, made
possible by the use of animal manures. This statement
may be accepted as a fact, that, except in the case of some
great river valleys, like the Nile, which are enriched by annual
overflow, no agricultural region has continued to grow abun-
dant harvests without the aid of manure from domestic ani-
mals. Each year the wheat fields of Canada and the corn
fields of the Mississippi Valley yield in reduced amounts per
acre, unless fertility replaces that removed by the crop.
Experience has also shown that where farmers keep the most
live stock, there the crops are most abundant and the people
most prosperous.
We purchase commercial fertilizers to restore fertility
to the soil; but these lack one thing of great importance
found in stable manures, and that is vegetable matter, which
is as necessary to the soil as is the chemical nutriment. The
rotted manure in the soil makes it more porous and mellow
20) BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
and permits the entrance of air and the growth of roots
through it more freely than occurs where no vegetable
mould is present. Interesting experiments conducted for
more than 70 continuous years on the same land, in England,
at Rothamsted experiment station, showed that wheat
grown on unmanured land yielded just about 12 bushels per
acre, while a yield of about 40 bushels occurred where
stable manure was used. A ton of average stable manure is
considered to contain about $2.50 worth of plant food.
Professor Roberts has figured” that the average value of the
manure produced by a cow each day is eight cents, while
that of a horse is worth about a half cent less. The value of
stable manure, however, depends upon the feed the animal
gets. Feed rich in grain makes a more valuable manure
than that from hay only, and so will return more fertility
to the soil.
The animal is a machine for changing coarse into fine
material. The ideal kind of farming combines the growing of
grass and grain and the feeding of these to the animals of
the farm. These raw crops are thus converted into
concentrated and high priced products, as represented in
meat, milk, butter, cheese, or breeding stock. A large per-
centage of the food consumed returns to the farm to keep
up its fertility. Some forms of stock farming remove but very:
little of the actual soil fertility. One reason why dairy-
cattle farming meets with so much favor is because of the
small amount of fertility sold from the farm in milk or
butter. Professor Vivian states’ that the fertilizing value
of a ton of butter is but 44 cents, and that 5000 pounds of
milk contain but $4.89 worth of fertility. As much as 80
*Bulletin 56, Cornell University experiment station.
TFirst Principles of Soil Fertility, 1908, p. 120-121.
THE IMPORTANCE OF LIVE STOCK 21
or 85 per cent of the value of the food or crop becomes animal
excrement, and thus is returned to the soil for its up-building.
When, as in case of dairy-cattle farming, much more grain
is fed than is grown on the farm, then the land steadily im-
proves in its producing capacity. The best examples of
intelligent general farming are to be found where herds
and flocks are kept as important features of a well-balanced
farm system. Where the special business is stock farming,
then the final product in its concentrated form will yield far
. Fig. 5. oe oe Reo mountainside, with no vegetation but grass. Photo-
graph by the author.
more important and profitable returns in the long run
; than will any other method. One hundred acres of grain
: _ shipped a thousand miles require a large expenditure of labor
and money, while this same crop, in the form of a con-
centrated product like butter or meat, may be transported
at relatively much less expense.
Stock farming is adapted to the cheaper and rougher
lands. Much land that might not be used for other purposes
can be devoted to pasturing farm animals. The grass on the
a i i
_—
22 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
hills is usually finer and sweeter than on the lowlands. In
various parts of the world where the land is naturally poor
or of a rough character, stock farming is an important indus-
try. In fact, no other kind of farming is so well adapted to
these conditions. On the Cheviot Hills of Scotland, the
principal industry is that of sheep raising, grass and sheep
being the two. crops. In Switzerland, high up on the moun-
tain sides are pastures which annually furnish feed for many
dairy cows. On the rough, cheap hillsides of New England,
dairy cattle are the most important source of income to the
farmer. On the high, grassy hills of eastern Ohio, western
Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, are to be found the largest
flocks of sheep in this country east of the Missouri River.
In the Southwest and far West of the United States, on
the cheaper rolling or broken lands, will be found extensive
herds and flocks. In the Northwest, among the cut-over
lands that have been deprived of their timber by the lumber-
men, dairy cattle and dairymen are being developed on a
greater scale than elsewhere in America. In fact the farmer
generally plans on the use of his cheaper, poorer lands as
pasture for stock. Rightly handled, these lands in most
cases greatly increase in producing capacity and value. In-
asmuch as live stock also finds an appropriate place on the
more fertile and level farms, we must recognize the fact that
animals are adapted to greater extremes of soil and land con-
ditions than are the staple crops. Thus animals in a world-
wide sense, become subjects of great importance and interest.
SS OTe lO S.C
CHAPTER II
THE BREEDS OF HORSES
The origin of the horse was for many years not well under-
stood. It used to be thought that the domestic horse
was descended from the wild ass that lived in Africa and Asia.
It is now pretty well agreed that the horse of today is
descended from animals that lived in past geological times.
Fossil remains of horses have been found in different parts of
North and South America and in Europe. These are known
as prehistoric horses, because they lived on the earth before
man left any recorded history.
The prehistoric horse in the earliest geological times, say
three million years ago, was very small. He was probably
about as big as a fox terrier, and is known as the ‘‘dawn
horse.”’ During the development of the earth’s surface, the
prehistoric horse passed through gradual and very important
changes. There was an increase in size, and his body, legs,
and head became more and more like those of the modern
horse. Many parts of the skeletons of these early horses
have been found in North America, especially in the far
West, in Wyoming and the Bad Lands of that section.
Scientific men have put the fossil parts of these horses
together so completely that their development is clearly under-
stood. From this first period up to the last, skeletons more
or less complete have been found, showing the gradual
increase in size and change of character through which this
prehistoric horse passed.
So we know that the horse has lived in America for
millions of years. Just when the first domesticated ones
Ss
YIN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
GINNING:
7
4
BE
24
‘AIOYSIFT [RANVVN Jo wunesnyY uvowoury Asoyinoo Ag ‘oes1OY ps90}-o[Zuis
ULOPOU oY} OF UOJ Ppo90}-9014} OIOJSIYoId OY} WOIJ OSIOY OY} JO 4OoJ OY} UI SOsUBYO OY} JO OMTOS BMOYS
\ | anaotd Yoon Mi ‘ Qeabo aaa
‘iia: a
DAH
sy
‘9 ‘S1y
naw Nisin
tis
ffi ae pe bers eS
Xs
THE BREEDS OF HORSES
bo
Or
.
developed here, however, we do not know unless from those
brought here from Europe by Columbus and the early
explorers.
How human beings came to use the horse, we do not
know. It is thought that man first used wild ones for food,
Fig. 7. A wild pony captured in central Asia, owned by the New York Zoo-
logical Park. Photograph by courtesy Dr. W. T. Hornaday, Director.
and later for carrying burdens. We have some forms of
ponies at the present time that are supposed to be closely
related in appearance to the more recent prehistoric horse.
Some years ago in central Asia, true wild horses of pony size
26 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
were discovered by a famous Russian explorer. These and
the rough ponies of Iceland and northern Europe are prob-
ably closely related to the latest form of prehistoric horses.
The development of the breeds of horses has been due
to different conditions. Climate, food, and man, have
each had a very important influence. A mild climate and
abundant food no doubt caused the horse to become gradu-
ally larger than where the climate was cold and food not
abundant. The Shetland pony comes from a region in the
North Sea where the weather is very severe and food is never
plentiful. So this pony on its native island is very small.
In his American home, however, on the Western prairie,
where food is abundant, and the climate mild, he develops
into a greater size. The horses from hot climates have
always been more active than those from cold. Thus in
northern Africa, the Arab horse has developed into an animal
full of grace and activity. So we see that breeds probably
eradually developed in certain localities, and that different
causes helped to bring about the final result. There are
many breeds of horses and ponies in different parts of the
world. The following, however, are the only onescommon
in America, that should especially interest us.
The Arab horse originated in the desert region of northern
Africa, where he has been known since long before the time
of Christ. The Arab is a saddle horse, but usually is a pony
in size. The horses from Arabia and the Orient have had a
great deal to do with the improvement of the horse in Europe.
Between 1700 and 1800, many Oriental horses were taken to
England. Their blood was mingled with the horses of that
country, and especially with the race horse type, by which
a great improvement in form and speed was secured. Arab ©
horses should be from 14 to 141% hands high, have beauti-
ful, intelligent heads; backs especially suited to the saddle;
THE BREEDS OF HORSES 27
and have strong, muscular quarters and legs. The pure
Arabian may be gray, white, bay, chestnut, or black. He
is not of special value in America. He was first brought
here about 150 years ago, though but few pure-bred ones
are here now. ‘The white or spotted horses often seen with
circuses, are rarely pure-bred, and perhaps come from
Turkey, Barbary, or elsewhere in the Orient, or have been
‘foaled in America.
The Thoroughbred horse is of British breeding. In
early days in England the horse was used largely for war.
He had to be strong, in order to carry men who wore heavy
coats of mail. After armor became unpopular, the people
began to make more use of horses for other purposes. King
James the First, at the beginning of the 17th century,
established the race track, and since then horse racing has
been very popular in that country and in France. It was
then that the development of the Thoroughbred began.
The people wanted a race horse. They took their native
light horses that showed speed and improved them by the use
of Arab, Turk, and other racing blood imported from Africa,
Turkey, and France. The people became much interested
in breeding these running horses, and as a result, developed
the Thoroughbred into the fastest and best-bred horse in the
world. Three imported Oriental horses, the Darley Arabian,
the Byerly Turk, and the Godolphin Barb played a most
important part in improving the early race-horse stock in
England. Descended from these were three English-bred
horses, Herod, Eclipse, and Matchem, that are very famous
ancestors of modern Thoroughbreds. This breed of horses
has a fine, lean, medium-sized head; a long, slender, neck; a
narrow, deep chest; a long, sloping shoulder; a short, strong
back; very long, muscular hind parts; and legs that are short,
lean, and strong, with the best of feet. The skin is thin, and
28 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
the hair fine and silky. The most desired height is 15 to
1514 hands, and the most common colors are bay, brown,
chestnut, or black, though there are other colors. A fine
disposition and great courage are features of this noted breed.
The Thoroughbred was first brought to America in 1730,
and since then until recently, large numbers have been
imported. This horse is raced under the saddle with a man
called a jockey on his back. The fastest record of a race of
any sort was made by Salvator, who in New Jersey in 1890
ran a mile in 1:35%.
Thoroughbreds have
sold for enormous sums,
Flying Fox having
brought the _ highest
price ever paid for a
horse, of $187,500. The
Thoroughbred has been
much bred in America
in the past to improve
our racing stock, but at
present he is little used,
Wie: fe. Photograph by the author = eXcept in TUNING Rages
where gambling is en-
couraged. As betting at horse races is a violation of the
law in most states today, this has done much to discourage
the breeding of Thoroughbreds in America. In England
and France, conditions are different. This breed has had
a great history, and it is unfortunate that it cannot be
popular in America, except as connected with gambling.
The American Saddle Horse is a breed that has developed
in the United States, especially in Virginia, Kentucky, Ten-
nessee, and Missouri. Its ancestry comes with the mingling
of the blood of the Thoroughbred and well made, easy-
THE BREEDS OF HORSES 29
moving, native saddle stock. A Thoroughbred horse
named Denmark, sired by an imported horse, was one of the
most famous early sires of this breed. The American Saddle
Horse shows much style in carriage of head and arch of neck
and tail. He stands from 15 to 1514 hands high, and often
“2 . ‘
eee
-
-
teres
as
in Ae
‘
Fig. 9. Kentucky’s Choice, a model American Saddle Horse. Photograph
by courtesy The Farmer.
weighs about 1000 pounds. His most frequent colors are
bay, brown, or black. This breed of horses is growing
more and more into favor on account of its extremely easy
gait. Saddlers may be divided into two classes. One has
30 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
the walk-trot-canter gaits common with all saddle horses.
The other class has five gaits, the walk-trot-canter, the rack,
and the running walk or fox trot, gaits especially found with
this breed. If a horse can show these five gaits, he is called
agaited horse. If he has only the first three, he is known as -
plain gaited. American saddle horses are in great demand,
and when of high class, and educated to show their gaits well,
bring high prices.
The American Trotter or Pacer has its parentage dating
from the light-weight trotting and running horses of Great
Britain first brought to America. One of these, a Thorough-
bred named Messenger, imported in 1788, through his great-
grandson, Hambletonian10, did much for trotting blood.
For many years we have had in this country a class of
horses of the light harness type, that are commonly
known as trotters. They were so called because, when they
moved faster than a walk, their gait was a trot, a movement
of the front foot on one side and the hind foot on the
opposite side at about the same time. The pacer moves
back or forward at the same time, the feet on the same side
of the body. The pace is about three seconds faster
as a gait than the trot. Occasionally a horse may be taught
to trot or pace as desired. Some famousrace horses have both
trotting and pacing records. The trotter or pacer is not a
true example of a breed, because he has been mixed so much
in the past in this country, with all kinds of blood ancestry.
The principal idea seems to have been to get speed. Trotters
of this sort are often referred to as “‘Standard Bred.” That
means that they have official records of 2:30 (2 minutes,
30 seconds), or better, or are from stock registered in the °
American Trotting Register. A nice type of trotter or pacer
should weigh around 1000 pounds, and have a lean, intelli-
gent head; a refined and graceful neck; sloping, well laid
THE BREEDS OF HORSES ol
shoulders; be narrow on top over the shoulders; have a strong,
fairly level back; a muscular rump with tail set high; a deep,
round body; and legs short, clean, and fine boned and good
feet. This horse picks up his feet with snap, and moves off
smoothly and easily. The coat is of different colors, with
bay or brown most common. ‘The disposition is generally
good, though it naturally varies. This American-bred horse
is the fastest trotter in the world. Uhlan holds the world’s
trotting record for the mile, in the time of 1:58 (one minute,
58 seconds); and Dan
Patch the pacing record
of 1:5514 for the same dis-
tance. During 100 years,
from August 25, 1810,
when a horse named Bos-
ton trotted a mile in
2:48144, to October 9,
1912, when Uhlan trotted
a mile in 1:58, the mile
trotting record was re-
duced 50 seconds, or an 4
average of about one-half Fig. 10. Uhlan, a trotter with record
second a year. Lou Dil- Boe Photograph by courtesy The
lon, a _ beautiful little
mare, long held the trotting record in a race against time,
making a mile, in 1903, in 1:5814. This record, however,
was made with the aid of a shield to keep the wind from
affecting her speed. There are many kinds of records, as
half-mile, mile, two-mile, fastest new performer, fastest
mare, etc. Thousands of horses have trotted a mile in 2:30,
or better, and many even as fast as 2:10.
There are a number of famous trotting and pacing fami-
lies, of which the Hambletonian, Mambrino, Clay, Pilot,
~]
bo
BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
and Morgan are the best known. Among the most famous
trotters that have lived in recent years are the following:
Maud 8. 2:0824, Nancy Hanks 2:04, Cresceus 2:0214, The
Harvester 2:01, Lou Dillon 1:584%, and Uhlan 1:58.
Among pacers are Hal Pointer 2:0514, Star Pointer 1:5914,
Minor Heir 1:59, and Dan Patch 1:55144. Trotters and
pacers have sold for very high prices. Arion, the trotter, sold
sae aging comets
—- a
t yeh oc ees
Fig. 11. Angus Pointer, a 2:00 pacer. Photograph by the author.
for $150,000, and Dan Patch, the pacer, was purchased for
$60,000. Trotting and pacing horses have no great value
outside of purposes for which horses of light weight can be used,
such as driving, racing, and in certain kinds of business where
no special draft power is required. Our people would be
much better off today if we raised but a limited number of
un
THE BREEDS OF HORSES
C3
Cec
horses of this kind which we often call roadsters, and only
the higher grades of these.
The Hackney horse is a breed a was first produced in
eastern England, especially in Suffolk and Norfolk counties.
In these regions the trotting gait has long been popular. The
)
word Hackney means ‘nag,’ and the term has been used
Fig. 12. Kathleen, a model Hackney mare, Photograph by courtesy
F. C Stevens.
there for centuries. The claim is made that this breed began
important development about 1755, with a horse called
Shales. He traced back to the Darley Arabian, to which the
Thoroughbred is related. The Hackney is very common in
England, but not in America. It isabreed that varies quite
34 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
a good deal in size, ranging from a pony to a good-sized
carriage horse. When of suitable size, standing about 16
hands high, it is what is known as a heavy harness or ecar-
riage horse. A Hackney of good type, is very attractive of
head, has a long,-arching neck, a fuller chest than a trotter, is
strong and short of back, has a long, full rounded hind
quarter; a beautiful round,smooth body, and stands squarely
Fig. 13. The Harvester, the noted trotter, with Ed. Geers, his very famous
trainer, in the sulky. Photograph by the author.
on short, clean-cut legs and good feet. Chestnut is a very
popular color, as is bay and brown. ‘This horse is noted for
the powerful manner in which he moves the legs in the trot.
He has a bold stride, lifting the knees higher than does any
other breed, and carrying the hind legs forward with dis-
tinct power. The Hackney gait is a model in the opinion
of many lovers of high-class carriage horses. If he is what is
THE BREEDS OF HORSES
CO
Ot
termed a high actor, that is, moves his knees up high rather
than far forward, he will have a short stride which is some-
what slow, and is termed a ‘‘trappy gait.’””’ The Hackney in
his native land is rather noted as a horse with considerable
speed, and most excellent records have been made in driving
over country roads. ‘This is the most popular breed in the
stables of wealthy men who keep fine carriage teams, but
in recent years the automobile has greatly injured the busi-
ness of breeding such horses. The Hackney has been exten-
sively distributed over
Europe, North and South
America and Australia.
The French Coach
horse originated in
France. The people of
that country have for
centuries shown much in-
terest in horse breeding.
The famous Napoleon,
over a hundred years ago,
took an active interest
‘in developing high-class Fig. 14. Decorateur, a French Coach
eee POP Of ero “Photogreph by Eat Mick.
France are great lovers
of racing, and this breed came into prominence for that pur-
pose. Some of the speed of the French Coach is inherited
from the Thoroughbred and Hackney, many of which have
been taken from England to France. The French govern-
ment encouraged the people to breed these horses, partly for
the army, and partly to give France a valuable carriage
horse. The French government has extensive stables of
valuable horses, and has produced in these many very fine
animals. French Coach horses are usually bay, brown, or
36 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
chestnut, though there are other colors. These horses are
much like the other typical carriage horses in style and
appearance, and do not have quite so trappy a gait as the
Hackney. There are very few pure-bred horses of the
French Coach breed in America, although they have been
imported for many years. Probably more have been brought
to Ohio and Illinois than elsewhere.
The German Coach horse comes from northwest Ger-
many. In this region the breed has been kept for centuries.
The government takes an interest in the improvement of the
horse, in much the same way as in France. The German
Coach horse is somewhat larger than the other carriage
breeds of horses, and lacks the speed and action of either the
Hackney or French Coach. These horses are usually bay,
black, or brown in color, and stand from 16 to 16% hands
high. Not many horses of this breed are being brought to
America today. Men who formerly bought carriage horses
for driving, now use automobiles instead.
The Percheron horse is also of French origin. There is
a small section of France called La Perche, which is about
100 miles southwest of Paris. It is a beautiful, rolling coun-
try, where the farmers have fine water, sweet grass, and fer-
tile fields. In this region the Percheron originated. The
breed is probably about 100 years old, but it has passed
through important changes during that time. Fifty years
ago Percherons were not as big as now, and they could trot
quite fast along the highways. The demands of Americans
during the past 25 years have caused the French to develop
a larger size in these horses. It is now the most popular
draft breed in America. Mature stallions weigh from 1700.
to 2000 pounds, and mature mares from 1500 to 1800 pounds.
The height is from 16 to 17 hands. The color is usually
either gray of some shade, or black, though bay or brown
THE BREEDS OF HORSES 37
occurs occasionally. These horses are very massive appear-
ing, when of the best type, having big bodies, strong wide
backs, powerful hind quarters, muscular legs, and splendid
feet. The legs are free from long hairs, this being one of the
smooth-legged breeds. The Percheron foot is especially
shapely, of fine texture and proper size. Good specimens of
Fig. 15. Hautbois (74026), a splendid type, of Percheron stallion. First
rize in 1911 at International Live Stock Exposition. Imported by McLaugh-
in Bros. Photograph by the author.
the Percheron have a very active gait and move off well
with a load. We have no other draft breed in America
that begins to have as many representatives as does this.
Most of the draft horses seen in this country are largely of
Percheron breeding.
38 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
The first French draft horses of importance brought to
America came to Ohio in 1851. A horse named Louis
Napoleon, that was later taken to Illinois, became famous for
his fine colts. Since then, up to the present time, many
draft horses have been brought from France to America,
and especially to the states of the corn belt north of the Ohio
River. Very high prices have been paid for these horses,
and in 1909, one of them, Carnot, a noted prize winner in
Fig. 16. Theresa (49283), a Percheron mare. Photograph by the author at
how of Percheron Society of France, 1908.
France and America, sold for $10,000. Many work horses
with considerable Percheron blood have sold for from $400
to $500. In 1900 such a work horse, weighing 1910 pounds,
sold at auction in St. Louis for $730. A _ real high-class
matched team of this kind, weighing around 3500 to 3600
pounds, will bring a big price in the market.
THE BREEDS OF HORSES 39
The Clydesdale horse is a breed that was developed
in southwestern Scotland, where it has been known since
about 1715. The Clydesdale is not quite so large as the
largest draft breeds. It has certain features that perhaps are
notable. To begin with the feet, they must be large, round,
and wide behind at the heel, with a good, elastic frog. The
bones of the legs should be hard and not round and meaty,
but the arms and quarters must be heavily muscled. The
Fig. 17. A Clydesdale horse at more Se ee in Scotland. Photograph by
Scotchman thinks his horse has the best of feet and legs,
and when either walking or trotting, that he has the best
movement of any draft horse. Itisafact that many Clydesdale
horses move with splendid action, and carry their feet with
snap and trueness. This is a hairy-legged breed, with long
hair on the back of both front and hind legs from the knee
and the hock down. The body of the Clydesdale often lacks
4() BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
massiveness, so that these horses appear shallow of body and
long of leg. This is the principal criticism of this breed
today. The shoulders usually slope well into the back,
which accounts for the easy movement of this horse. The
color is usually bay or brown, with white markings on the
face and on the lower part of the legs. There are also chest-
nut, black, and grays occasionally to be found. The height
is about 16% hands for the matured males. Typical Clydes-
dale mares weigh from 1600 to 1700 pounds, and the males
two or three hundred pounds more.
Clydesdales were first brought to America in 1842, bei
taken to Canada, where they are quite common today. The
breed has a wide distribution in the United States, though
not in large numbers in any one state. Wherever the
Scotch farmer has settled, we are likely to find these horses.
The stallion Baron o’Buchlyvie in 1911 sold for $47,500.
The Shire horse i$ an English breed of much the same
general character as the Clydesdale. It has been bred for
many years in England, and is as popular with the English-
man as the Clydesdale is with the Scotchman. These horses
differ in certain important respects, though they have the
same color and markings, as a rule, and both have the hairy
legs. The Shire is a somewhat larger and more massive
breed than the Clydesdale, and has awider back and deeper,
heavier body. For many years the Shire was considered
very slow in movement, and lacked good action and quality.
In recent years, English breeders have done much to improve
them, and the criticisms of slow movement and coarseness
are not as correct as they once were. The criticism due to
_ the hairy legs is still made, and this breed, like the Clydesdale,
is not at all common in America. These horses have been
brought to America in small numbers since about 1836,
when one was brought to Canada. Perhaps more of
THE BREEDS OF HORSES 41
these horses are in Illinois and Iowa than in any of the other
states. In 1910 a Shire stallion named Dan Pateh sold
at Chicago for $10,000.
The Belgian horse comes from one of the smallest coun-
tries in Europe. Belgium has done much to improve the
bs Sebi
RES
“3 Bee
Fig. 18. Rosco V (12554), a yearling Shire horse, owned by Illinois University.
Photograph by courtesy Prof. J. L. Edmonds.
draft horse, and the Government has paid out large sums of
money to develop the breed. The people take much interest in
the work, and the draft horse shows of this breed alone at
Brussels are among the very greatest exhibitions in Europe.
Draft horses have been bred in Belgium a very long time, but
42 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
they have been most improved since about 1850. The
Belgian is a very compact, wide, deep, short-legged sort of
draft horse. He has a small head, perhaps, for his size; has
a broad chest; very wide, short back; a deep body; a rump
which may be quite wide and muscular, yet somewhat steep;
very heavily muscled, short legs; and medium-sized feet
which have been criticised sometimes as being too small for
Fig. 19. A Belgian mare. Photograph by courtsey A. Van Schelle
of Belgium.
such a heavy horse. The legs are free, from hair, like the
Percheron. The Belgians show considerable activity when in
motion, and are powerful draft animals for their weight,
which ranges from 1600 to 2000 pounds, usually, according
to sex. They stand about 16 hands high. In disposition
these horses are very gentle and can be easily handled. Their
THE BREEDS OF HORSES 43
color is usually bay, brown, chestnut, or roan. These horses
were first brought to America in 1866. In recent years, a
great many Belgians have been imported, and the breed has
grown much in favor, being second in this regard, probably,
tothe Percheron. It is getting quite afoothold in the Middle-
western states. |
The Shetland pony has its native home on the Shetland
Islands, about 200 miles north of Scotland. These are very
rocky islands, and produce but little feed for live stock. The
climate is very cold and rough, and the winters are most
severe. There are about 120 islands, and Mainland is the
largest. These ponies
have been bred here per-
haps for centuries. They
vary quite a good deal in
type. The best sort of
Shetland stands from 36
to 42 inches high, and is
a shaggy, drafty-looking
little pony, especially in
the winter. ‘These ponies Fig. 20. A Shetland Pony. First prize at
should really Hoxie ture Glasgow. Photograph by the author.
draft horses, with full chests, wide backs, long ribs, and
long, wide, level rumps. The head should not be too fine,
and should have a broad forehead, and a nice, open, clear
eye, showing the pleasant disposition usual with ponies of
this breed. There are different colors, but bay, brown, and
black are most frequent. Shetland ponies are common all
over eastern America, and are great favorites with children.
They are very patient and are safe pets. In England, large
numbers have been used in the coal mines to haul coal cars.
The Ass is commonly referred to in America as the
jack, this being the male, while the female is known as the
44 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
jennet. This animal is descended from the wild ass of
Africa and Asia. There are several breeds of the domestic .
ass, most of which were introduced to America from Spain.
During the Revolutionary War, George Washington was pre-
sented with a male and female ass by the King of Spain.
The jack usually stands about 15 hands high, and the
jennets 144%. The hair is usually brown or black with
a creamy shade around the muzzle or along the underside of
the body. ‘The ass has long, large ears, rather a large head
Fig. 21. A donkey and load of peat in Ireland. Photograph by the author.
for the body, a short, stubby mane, a round but not very
large body, rather large legs, and small feet. The tail is
fine, with simply a brush at the end. This animal is slow
of movement, very patient, and is a beast of burden
used mostly among poor people of southern Europe and parts
of Africa and Asia. In America it is but little used except-
ing for breeding.
The Mule is the offspring of an ass and mare. Mules
differ much in size and value, and have features of both
THE BREEDS OF HORSES 45
parents. The head, mane, tail, and feet resemble those of
the ass. The mules also bray like the ass. Mules show more
fineness of bone and more activity than the ass, and are used
entirely for draft purposes. Large, strong heavy mules are
worth more money than the small ones. The best mules
-resemble the high class draft horse in form. In the mule
markets, these animals are classed according to their size
and use, as plantation, lumber, railroad, mine, and levee
mules. St. Louis is the largest mule market in America.
The average price for mules is higher than that for horses.
Mules are invaluable for draft purposes, and are commonly
used all over the Southern states. They are more easily
kept than horses, and possess more endurance and are
always patient.
QUESTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
1. What was the earliest form of the horse, and where was he found?
2. Give some of the conditions that influenced the development of
3. Why were Herod, Eclipse, and Matchem famous?
4, What is the difference between a trotter and a pacer?
5. Describe a Hackney horse and‘his gait.
6. What conditions promoted the coach horse in France?
7. Describe a modern Percheron. -°
8. In what respect does the Scotchman think the Clydesdale a
superior horse?
9. How do the Clydesdale and Belgian differ in color?
10. Tell of the Shetland Islands and their ponies.
11. Describe the special features of the ass.
12. What breeds of horses are found in your neighborhood?
13. Learn, if possible, of the most important draft horse that has
been known in your community. Why was he important?
14. Learn of the breeding, if any, of the saddle horses in use in
your neighborhood.
15. Who owns the largest mule in your neighborhood? Can you
give his height and weight?
CHAPTER III
THE BREEDS OF CATTLE
The first early cattle of which we have any information
existed in Europe in prehistoric times. The bones and skele-
tons of two very different types of cattle have been found
in Great Britain and parts of Europe. One of these was very
much larger than the cattle of today, and has been ealled
the Giant Ox. The other is much smaller and finer of bone.
The skeletons of these two forms are quite similar to the
cattle of our own time. Many bones of these animals have
been found, and it is believed that even in the stone and the
bronze age the people had cattle more or less domesticated.
Pliny and the earliest historians refer to-swift and fierce wild
bulls, called Uri, that were found in the forests and meadows
of Germany and other parts of Europe at the beginning of
the Christian era. The early Romans captured specimens
of these wild bulls and took them to Rome and used them in
their brutal festivities.
Wild White Cattle have been known in England, Scot-
land, and Wales since earliest historical times. These cattle
lived in great parks. They had upright horns, were covered
with shaggy hair, and were pure white in color, except the
hair about the ears and muzzle, which was usually a dark
red or black. A number of small herds of these cattle are
kept today in Great Britain, one of which is at Chillingham
Park in northeastern England. This herd numbers only
60 or 70 animals, which run wild on an immense estate.
They have never been tamed, but live by themselves back
among the hills in the forests and meadows. It is believed
gh?
7
ud
-
bats
THE BREEDS OF CATTLE 47
that these wild cattle are descended from the Giant Ox, and
are the connecting link between the prehistoric form and
our domesticated cattle of the present time.
Shorthorn Cattle. This noted breed, commonly called
Durham cattle years ago, originated in northeast England,
in the counties of Durham and York. The river Tees flows
through apretty valley, and for some distance isthe boundary
line between these two counties. This region, many years
ago, was called the Teeswater country, and the large cattle
Fig. 22. A herd of Wild White Cattle at Vaynol Park, Wales. Photograph
by the author.
found here in northern Yorkshire were known as ‘‘ Teeswater
Cattle.”” In southern Yorkshire, in what is called Holder-
ness, was another kind of cattle having some things in com-
mon with the Teeswater. Many of these were black.
There were also red or red-and-white cattle in other sections
not far from here. Some cattle of superior milking qualities
were brought over from Holland, also, in the middle of the
18th century. From these various sources came the Short-
horn. In this section of England the grazing was fine; and
48 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
the city of Darlington, by the river Tees in Durham, became
in time a great cattle market.
The improvement of the Shorthorn began over a century
ago. ‘Two brothers, Charles and Robert Colling, who lived
on separate farms north of Darlington, did much to improve
the native stock between 1775 and 1820. Some have called
them the founders of the Shorthorn breed, though this is
probably not correct. They developed their cattle so that
Fig. 23. Ringmaster, champion Shorthorn bull at the International Live
Stock Exposition, 1911. Owned by White and Smith of Minnesota. Photo-
graph from The Farmer.
they matured earlier, fed better, and had less waste at
slaughter than the cattle with which they began.
Thomas Bates lived in this same region, east of Darling-
ton, and he bred a type of large, handsome cattle, noted for
both beef and milk production. His cattle have been criti-
cised for lack of vigor. He produced the Duchess, Waterloo,
Wild Eyes, Oxford, and other families. Bates died in 1849.
THE BREEDS OF CATTLE 49
Thomas Booth, another great breeder, began to keep
Shorthorns about 1780 on a farm southeast of Darlington,
in Yorkshire. He had two sons, John and Richard, who
also became famous breeders. Their cattle had thicker
chests, were somewhat rougher in form, and perhaps better
feeders than the Bates cattle, and became very popular.
The Booths produced the Anna, Isabella, Bracelet, Moss
Rose, and some other families. The Collings, Bates, and
Fig. 24. Czarina 2nd. A thick fleshed type of Shorthorn cow. Owned by
Chio State University. Photograph by F. H. Haskett.
the Booths were famous as among the greatest improvers
of Shorthorn cattle that have ever lived in England.
Up in Scotland, in Aberdeenshire, where the winters are
‘cold and rough, and the soil not the richest, lived a quiet
man by the name of Amos Cruickshank. He developed what
are known today as “‘Scotch Shorthorns.”’
for their early maturity, compact forms, strong constitutions,
and fine killing qualities. Scotch cattle seemed to produce
They are noted
50 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
less milk than those bred by Bates, but were thicker fleshed,
so that butchers liked them better. Cruickshank produced
quite a number of the most popular families of today, among
which the Violet, Venus, Orange Blossom, Brawith Bud,
Spicy, and Lovely may be mentioned. Cruickshank died
in 1895. He is regarded as the greatest breeder of Short-
horns in the history of Scotland.
Fig. 25. A Shorthorn steer owned by the Ohio State University. Photo-
graph by the author.
The distribution of Shorthorns is world-wide. It is the
most common breed of English speaking countries, and more
great improvers of live stock have been found among Short-
horn breeders than any other one breed. So common is the
Shorthorn, and so well is it suited to different conditions,
that long ago it was nicknamed ‘‘The Universal Intruder.”
The introduction of the Shorthorn to America occurred
in 1783, when a few were imported into Virginia by Gough
THE BREEDS OF CATTLE 51
and Miller. These men imported still others about 1792.
From this time on the Shorthorn continued to be brought to
the American states long the Atlantic Coast. In 1834 a very
important shipment came to Ohio, selected for the Ohio
Importing Company. Since then many thousands of Short-
horns have been imported, and are found distributed widely
in North and South America.
The Shorthorn characteristics are very distinct. The
color is red, red-and-white, pure white, or a mingling of red
and white forming what is called a roan. It is one of our
largest breeds, and bulls
at maturity should weigh
around 2000 pounds, and
the cows about 1400
pounds. These cattle
have white, waxy-colored
horns of medium size.
The heads are very shape-
ly, and the muzzle is pre-
ferably flesh color, dark
noses not meeting with Fig.26. A good type of milking Shorthorn.
Photograph by courtesy The Farmer.
approval. They should
have broad backs, large bodies and unusually w ell dev eloped
hind quarters. Shorthorns have been criticised for having
plain shoulders and for being rather long of leg. In dispo-
_ sition, the Shorthorn is unexcelled. This is the largest milk-
producing breed of beef cattle, many cows yielding from
6000 to 7000 pounds of milk. Rose of Glenside, in one
year made over 18,000 pounds of milk, containing 735
pounds of butter-fat,—a wonderful record. Shorthorn milk
usually contains almost 4 per cent butter-fat, and is of
standard quality. Cattle of this breed fatten well, and pro-
duce a very high class beef. They are usually prominent
52 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
at shows where cattle are exhibited. The future develop-
ment of this breed will not be so great as in the past, per-
haps, owing to the increased demand for special milk breeds;
but from the beef standpoint, the Shorthorn may be expected
to remain popular for a long time to come.
The Hereford breed of cattle originated in the county of
Hereford, in southwest England. There are many beauti-
Fig. 27. Shadeland Leo, a Hereford bull owned by Purdue University.
Photograph by the author. .
ful meadows and grassy hills in this region. The cattle
graze here the year round and are rarely kept under roof.
We know but little of the origin of this breed. Cattle have
thrived in this part of England for centuries. One noted
English judge of live stock over a hundred years ago, gave
the opinion that the Hereford might have been the first breed
THE BREEDS OF CATTLE 53
on the island. Some time before 1671, white faced cattle
were brought from Holland to Hereford, and some think the
Herefords get their white faces from these cattle. Late in
the eighteenth century, the common color of the breed was
red with a white face. As with the Shorthorn, a number of
men became noted Hereford improvers and did much for
these cattle. The Tomkins family is the most famous of
early days. There was Benjamin the Elder, who died in
1789, and Benjamin the Younger, who died in 1815. These
men produced many famous animals and did much for the
Fig. 28. An exhibitor’s herd of Herefords at the fair. Photograph by courtsey
The Farmer.
breed. William Galliers, John Price, and John Hewer
also did much to improve the Hereford. John Hewer sought
for more size, quality, and uniformity of color. He bred
many famous animals during the middle of the last century.
Herefords were first brought to America by that famous
statesman, Henry Clay, of Kentucky. He took much
interest in pure-bred live stock. Mr. W. H. Sotham, a
native of Hereford, who emigrated to America in 1840,
brought some of these cattle to Albany, New York. Mr.
54 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
Sotham did much to make the breed popular in this country
during the middle of the nineteenth century.
About 1875, men in Illinois, Indiana, and the West, who
owned a great deal of land, became interested in the Here-
ford. Since then these cattle have become very popular
in the grazing sections of the West, and are found in large
numbers beyond the Mississippi. The Hereford is a large
breed, carrying as much size and weight as the Shorthorn.
The color is its most striking feature, the head being white,
Fig. 29. Black’s Ohio Champion, a grade Hereford steer, owned by
Ohio State University. Photograph by the author.
as is often also the top of the neck, the breast, brush of the
tail, and legs below the knees and hocks, the rest of the body
being red. They are often called ‘‘White Faces.” These
cattle have wide backs, deep bodies, and short legs. ‘They
have beautiful smooth shoulders, but the hind quarters are
liable to be somewhat narrow, lacking the fullness of the
Shorthorn. They are noted feeders, and have no superiors
as grazers, thriving well with the least shelter and grain. In
disposition they are rather nervous as compared with the
es
THE BREEDS OF CATTLE 55
Shorthorn. They are inferior milkers, though producing a
fair grade of milk.. The quality of “rustling,” as they say
in the West, fine constitution, and ability to make early
beef, has made the breed extremely popular in the far West.
These cattle are also popular in South America and Aus-
Fig. 30. Lucy’s Prince 46183, a famous prize-winning Aberdeen Angus bull
and sire, owned by Bradfute & Son, of Ohio. Photograph by the author.
tralia, on account of requiring but little attention on the
range. In our fat-stock shows, Herefords have made good
records, for they produce excellent beef and kill out well.
The Aberdeen Angus is a Scotch breed of cattle that was
first developed in and about the county of Aberdeen, in
56 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
northeast Scotland. This section is about a thousand miles
north of the latitude of Chicago. The winter climate of
this region is rather severe, and the soil is not the best, though
the grazing is good. Some think these animals are descended
from the Wild White Cattle. It is a hornless breed. They
first became celebrated through Hugh Watson, a tenant
farmer at Keillor. He loved his cattle and studied carefully
the improvement of his herd. As a result he produced more
early maturing, heavier fleshed, and more compact cattle
than had before been
known in Scotland. He
had a cow named “Old
Grannie”’ that lived to be
36 years old, and was the
mother of 25 calves, a
wonderful record for a cow
of any breed. William
McCombie was another
famous breeder of Aber-
deen Angus cattle. He
Fig. 31. Foxy, 2nd prize Aberdeen Angus improved on the work of
Shown by Ohio State University Povo. Watson, and his cattle
ey, Sa became celebrated for the
prizes they won in the shows of Scotland and France. Sir
George McPherson Grant, who died in 1907, was the most
noted breeder of recent days, and from his herd came some
of the greatest cattle of the breed.
The first Aberdeen Angus cattle were imported to Amer-
ica in 1873, by George Grant, of Kansas. Later in the
seventies a few head were taken to Canada, New York,
Illinois and other states of the central West. It is only in
rather recent years that these cattle have become popular
in America. Aberdeen Angus are black in color, though
=
THE BREEDS OF CATTLE 57
occasionally red will occur. They are inclined to be a trifle
prominent in the shoulder, having only moderately wide
backs, the loin not being so broad as that of the Shorthorn
or Hereford. The hind quarters usually are rather round
and full, though the tail-head may be a bit prominent.
These cattle stand on short legs, and are very compact.
They graze well, mature very early, fatten smoothly, produce
meat of the choicest grade, and kill out with the least waste
possible. In the fat-stock shows in recent years, no other
breed has won so many grand championships. At our great
International Live Stock
Exposition at Chicago,
the Aberdeen Angus has
won a very large percent-
age of the most important
prizes where breeds com-
peted against one another.
In slaughter tests they
have dressed out 72 per
cent carcass to offal,
which is a very high
record. Some of the cows
are good milkers and pro-
duce an excellent grade of
milk. In disposition, they are nervous and are more like the
Hereford than Shorthorn. Aberdeen Angus cattle are not
extensively bred east of the Mississippi, and do not seem to
gain in popularity there, any more than does the Hereford.
Iowa contains more important herds than any other state.
The Galloway is a beef breed that originated in southwest
Scotland in what is known as the Galloway country. Itisa
hilly region, with plenty of grass, and has a somewhat cool
and rather moist climate. These cattle have been bred
Fig. 32. A Galloway steer. Photograph by
the author.
58 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
here for centuries. They are black, though other colors
formerly occurred, are polled, have long, shaggy coats of
hair, and are hardy and rather wild by nature. They are
not quite as large nor so compact of body as the Aberdeen
Angus, and do not fatten so easily. They produce a very
high grade of beef, fine of grain and inclined to be free from
extra fat, such as is often found in highly fed Shorthorns or
Herefords. The Galloway is a breed that can endure severe
winter conditions better than most others, on account of the
protection of a thick hide and a long, thick, silky coat of
hair. Very beautiful robes are made from Galloway hides
with the winter coat of hair. This breed was first brought
to America about 1850, or perhaps some years before. It is
not popular and the herds are rather scattered, more being
in the northwestern states and in Canada than elsewhere.
The exhibit of the breed at the fat-stock shows and fairs is
usually small compared with the Shorthorn, Hereford, and
Aberdeen Angus. |
The Jersey is strictly a dairy breed of cattle that origi-
nated on the island of Jersey. There is a small group of what
is known as the Channel Islands lying in the English Chan-
nel, not far from the Normandy coast of France. Jersey
contains about 40,000 acres, Guernsey about 12,000, and
Alderney very much less. The climate here is quite mild
and balmy much of the year. The cattle live out of doors
_ during a very long season, each one grazing tethered by a
chain and rope fastened to an iron pin in the ground. The
herds are small, and these and potatoes are the chief sources
of income on Jersey. There are perhaps 12,000 head on the
island.
Jersey cattle are supposed to have originated from stock
in the neighboring districts of France. They have been kept
pure of blood for much over a century. As early as 1763
THE BREEDS OF CATTLE 59
the people on the island adopted laws to regulate the impor-
tation of cattle from France. For a very long time no for-
eign cattle have been allowed to enter Jersey, except such as
were butchered within 24 hours after landing. In 1833
the people organized a society to improve the agriculture of
the island, and the next year they drew up a scale of points
for the bulls and cows. This was the first scale of points
made for a breed of live stock. Since then it has been
Fig. 33. Raleigh’s Fairy Boy 83767, an imported Jersey bull, champion
of the breed at National Dairy Show and elsewhere, 1910. Owned by C. I.
Hudson, of New York State. Photograph by the author.
changed and improved a number of times. The people
made notable progress in improving their cattle, and no
doubt the competition of the show ring and the butter and
milk tests which were established, inspired them to study
to secure this improvement.
The Jersey was first brought to America about 1850,
Connecticut and Massachusetts men being the importers.
Since then large numbers have been brought to this country,
60 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
and have been widely distributed over the United States and
Canada, so that now this is the most common dairy breed
of cattle known.
The Jersey is of medium size, though many seem small.
Mature bulls should weigh around 1300 pounds, and the
cows 850 pounds. ‘These cattle are rather lean and angular
in form, having attractive heads, medium long necks, thin
withers, prominent shoulders, fairly deep bodies, and thin,
narrow hind quarters. The thighs should be thin enough
and the hocks stand far enough apart to provide room for a
good sized udder on mature cows. The modern so-called
island type of Jersey has a beautiful udder, well developed
in front, with the teats well placed. Many Jerseys of Ameri-
can breeding have poor front udders, and they are criticised
for having small and poorly placed teats. The color is
fawn, but of various shades, some being the color of the deer;
others very dark and some much lighter yellow. White
occurs, though it is not popular, and but few animals have
white markings. The most striking features in the appear-
ance of the Jersey are the color; the wedge form; the short,
dished face; the prominent, beautiful eye; the fine bone, and
the deer-like character of the calves. The disposition of the
cows is very good, but the bulls at maturity are liable to be
nervous and are often cross. Jerseys mature very young,
compared with other breeds.
The Jerseys have always been noted for their milk, which
is rich in butter-fat, and is usually yellow in color. The
skin of these cattle show something of this rich yellow color,
especially in the small, wax-colored horns, in the ears, and
about the udder. The Jersey produces a fair amount of
milk, and many cows have made over 5000 pounds a year
each. Quite a number have produced over 10,000 pounds,
and Jacoba Irene produced over 17,000 pounds in a year.
i
THE BREEDS OF CATTLE 61
Jersey milk usually contains 414% to 5 per cent of fat, and
makes a high grade of butter. Many cows have produced
enough milk in a week to yield 14 or more pounds of butter.
A number have records of over 20 pounds in a week. Many
Jerseys have produced enough milk within a year to yield
500 pounds of butter, and some have even exceeded this.
Fig. 34. Golden Sultana, a very beautiful Jersey cow, imported by T. 8.
Cooper & Sons. Photograph by the author.
In one year Jacoba Irene made 953 pounds of milk fat, which
is a wonderful record. Jerseys are commonin the more
thickly populated states, and are great favorites at the fairs.
In the breed tests of dairy cattle held at the great exposi-
tions, the Jerseys have usually ranked at the top, especially
at Chicago in 1893, and at St. Louis in 1904. Cattle of this
breed have brought very high prices. In 1911, the bull
62 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
Noble of Oaklands sold for $15,000, and the cow Lady Viola
for $7,500, the highest prices for a male and female of this
breed.
The Holstein-Friesian breed of cattle came originally
from Holland. Here the people have kept dairy cows for
centuries. The country is very low, much of it lying below
sea level, the water being held back by dykes. There are
many meadows that are separated by canals. On long,
narrow strips of pasture, with water on each side, one sees
beautiful herds of black and white cattle, a most common
summer sight in Holland. We do not know the origin of
these cattle. They are perhaps descended from the Giant
Ox. The present cattle are usually black and white, though
red and white rarely occur. Cattle were brought to America
from Holland by the early Dutch settlers of New York and
vicinity. In 1795 the Holland Land Company sent some
cattle to central New York. Later on, Dutch cattle were
taken to Vermont and other Eastern states. Along in the
middle and later part of the last century many were imported
into America. This is our largest breed of dairy cattle, and
mature bulls often weigh from 2000 to 2500 pounds, and
cows from 1200 to 1500 pounds or more.
The most striking features of the Holstein-Friesian are
the large size, the black-and-white spotted color, and the big
udders of many of the cows. The heads incline to be a trifle
long and narrow, the horns seem small for such a large breed,
the body is capacious, the rump is long and frequently steep,
and the thighs are large and in many cases tend to besome-
what thick and beefy. The udder is a notable feature of the
cows, some being immense in size and capacity. Several
cows have produced over 100 pounds of milk each in a day,
and yearly records up to even more than 25,000 pounds of
milk are established. The milk contains usually a small per
22 ‘AOUUYM “TO 3,dng
ona Asoqyinoo Aq ydevisojyoyg ‘winjAsy uBszIgQoIP, UlEeqWON eq} Aq poUMO BMOD UPBISOLIY-Uloys[OHFY Jo dnois yw “eg “Bq
Q
—
BS
)
a
ie)
R,
i)
R
THE BREED
64 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
cent of fat, 3 per cent being common, and 4 per cent unusual.
The breeders are now endeavoring to produce cows that
yield a milk richer in fat, and with considerable success.
On account of the large amount of milk produced, the
butter-fat even in a day, may amount to a very impor-
tant total. The cow, Banostine Belle DeKol, produced
27,400 pounds of milk in a year, containing 1058 pounds of
Fig. 36. Pietertje Maid Ormsby 78051, a Holstein-Friesian cow that pro-
Hicad: 145 % lbs. butter-fat in 30 days, a world’s record. Owned by J. B. Irwin,
of Minnesota. Photograph from the owner.
butter-fat, a world’s record. A very large number of Hol-
stein-Friesian cattle are registered in the Advanced Registry
(A. R. O.) of the Holstein-Friesian Association of North
America, for having produced at least a certain amount of
milk or butter-fat within a definite period under the super-
intendence of a representative of an experiment station or
agricultural college. This breed is widely distributed in
America, though it is best known in the more thickly settled
THE BREEDS OF CATTLE 65
Eastern states and in the Middle West and Northwest, and
is constantly growing in favor. The great feeding and pro-
ducing capacity of the cows and their quiet disposition
have added much to their popularity. The bulls are like
all dairy bulls, and tend to be nervous and often mean in
disposition. There are three recognized types of this breed,
—(a) the thin-fleshed, wedge-shaped type; (b) those
that carry somewhat more flesh; and (c) those that are rather
Fig. 37. Jewel of Home Farm. A Holstein-Friesian bull, famous as a prize
winner, owned by W. B. Barney, of Iowa. Photograph by the author.
broad over the withers and thick in the quarters, and show
more beefiness than dairy cattle men usually admire. Many
people approve the medium between the two extremes, if
the cow is a satisfactoryeproducer of milk. A bull of beefy
form, with a thick pair of thighs, is not to be commended.
Holstein-Friesian cattle mature somewhat slowly as com-
pared with the Jersey.
66 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
Guernsey cattle originated on the island of Guernsey,
another of the Channel Islands, and come from much the
same ancestry as.the Jersey. The people of Guernsey
adopted plans of keeping out foreign cattle similar to those
of Jersey. However, the earlier Guernsey cattle show less
careful breeding, and as a whole, have not been selected and
improved as much as those on Jersey. (Guernsey is a tri-
angular, hilly island, of about 12,000 acres in area, and
supports a population of perhaps 40,000 people. The cli-
mate is balmy and healthful. The people make a specialty
of flowers, vegetables, and cattle. The island of Alderney is
officially a part of Guernsey, and the cattle on this island are
the same as the Guernseys, being so considered by Guernsey
and by American breeders. In early days, though not at
present, all the cattle from the Channel Islands in England
and America were called Alderneys.
Guernsey cattle resemble Jerseys, but are somewhat larger
and are usually yellowish or reddish fawn in color. White
spots are very common. As with the Jerseys, a very light
creamy ring of hair is found about the muzzle, and a similar
or light shade of fawn occurs around the eyes. A flesh-
colored muzzle is preferred by breeders, a dark one not
meeting with approval. Mature bulls weigh about 1500
pounds, and cows 1050 pounds or so. Guernseys are usually
of a quiet disposition, and the bulls are perhaps less nervous
than are Jersey males. They are often rather plain of head
and rough of shoulder and appear coarser than the Jersey.
They are noted for the yellow color of the skin and secretions,
the milk being especially high in color. CGuernsey breeders
rarely color their butter, depending on its natural color.
The cows give a high-class milk, which often tests above
5 per cent fat. Of the common dairy breeds, this and the
THE BREEDS OF CATTLE 67
Jersey yield the richest milk, the advantage, if any, being
with the Guernsey. |
The American Guernsey Cattle Club was the first breed
association to establish what are known as official tests for
milk and butter production, conducted by disinterested
experiment station or agricultural college employees. Since
the Club began this work, the Guernsey has made a remark-
able showing. Some of the largest butter-fat records made
Fig. 38. Spottswood Daisy Pearl 17696, the champion Guernsey
cow, with record of 957 pounds of butter-fat in one year. Owned by O. C.
Barber, of Ohio. Photograph from the owner
by cows of any breed have come from the Guernsey. Dolly
Dimple produced over 18,000 pounds of milk in a year,
containing 907 pounds of fat; and Spottswood Daisy Pearl
finished a year’s record in January, 1912, of 957 pounds of
butter-fat. For the number of Guernseys in America, an
unusually fine showing has been made in official tests.
Guernseys were first brought to this country about 1850,
and were established in the vicinity of Philadelphia and New
68 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
York. Even now the breed is of somewhat limited distri-
bution, being found largely in the Eastern states. There are
many herds in Wisconsin, and some important ones are in
Iowa, Illinois, and Ohio. These cattle have never secured
a strong foothold in the South, where Jerseys are very
common. ‘There are many fine Guernsey herds in Eng-
land, where the breed has made an excellent record.
=<, - -
eee =
= sn pe a =
tng Sipe Se toy, en
as rn ae
P= 2
Fig. 39. Bargenoch Bonnie Scotland, an Ayrshire bull, owned by John Sherwin,
Cleveland, O. Photograph by the author.
The Ayrshire is a Scotch breed that originated in the
region Robert Burns has made famous, the county of Ayr
in southwest Scotland. It has rather a cold, damp climate
in winter, but there is good grazing in summer. Except
near the sea, the country is more or less hilly. The Ayrshire
is a dairy breed, and one of the youngest of the prominent
breeds. Cattle were taken to the Ayrshire country from
various places, for Shorthorns, Highland, Dutch, Guernsey,
THE BREEDS OF CATTLE 69
Devon, and Hereford cattle are said to have been owned
by the farmers of that region. From the mingling of color
of these breeds we get the red, brown, and white markings
that are features of the Ayrshire. At the beginning of the
nineteenth century there were cows in southwest Scotland
that were famous milkers, and by offering prizes for compe-
tition, the Scotch people
have still more encour-
aged large milk produc-
tion. The mature Ayr-
shire bull weighs about
1500 and the cows nearly
1100 pounds. While a
true dairy breed, the Ayr-
shire inclines to be a trifle
fleshy, with more thick-
ness over the _ withers,
along the back, and about
the thighs, than have the
Jersey or Guernsey. Some
of the bulls are quite too
beefy for the best dairy
form, and these cattle fat-
ten the best of any dairy
breed.
a Fig. 40. A fine example of breed char-
Very striking features acter as seen in an Ayrshire head. Photo-
graph from Mr. C. M Winslow.
of the Ayrshire are the
head, with its rather long, large, and erect horns, the red and
white, or brown and white color, with white most abundant,
the capacious body, and beautiful udder. No other breed of
dairy cows has such a uniformly well-developed udder as
the Ayrshire, the forepart being much extended, and the
rear udder carried well up behind. At a big show these dairy
70 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
cattle, without exception, make the most uniform and
attractive exhibit of all breeds. The milk is of a good, -
standard quality, testing usually from 31% to 4 per cent fat.
It makes excellent cheese, and most of the famous cheddar
cheese of Scotland is made of Ayrshire milk.
Ayrshires have not been extensively tested in America,
but cows easily produce 6000 to 7000 pounds of milk a year.
The cow Netherhall Brownie 9th, in 365 days ending in 1911,
made over 18,000 pounds of milk, which contained 821
pounds of butter-fat. This is the best record for a cow of the
breed. Ayrshires are not common in America, except in
Canada and the northeastern United States. A few herds
are found here and there in the Western states, as far as the
Pacific slope. Cattle of this breed are well distributed in
northern Europe, in South Africa and Australia. Ayrshires
are hardy and do well in the cooler sections of the world
where the winters are long. They were first imported into
America probably in 1822, and have been brought here in a
modest way at various periods ever since. They do not
bring as high prices, as a rule, as Jerseys, Guernseys, or Hol-
stein-Friesians.
Less common breeds of cattle found in America are the
Devon, Red Polled, Brown Swiss, Dutch Belted, Kerry,
Dexter, and French Canadian. The following are some of
their more important characteristics:
The Devon is red in color, and originated in Devon,
southwest England. It is a breed that is found to be either
beefy, or dual-purpose in form. It is a very old breed, and
was brought to America by the early settlers of this country.
Devons are not popular, and but few herds exist. It has
lost ground in this country while other breeds have gained.
The Red Polled, as its name shows, is red, and without
horns. The breed originated in Suffolk and Norfolk coun-
THE BREEDS OF CATTLE 71
ties in eastern England. Red mulley cattle have been known
in America since the early settlement of the country, but the
first importation of the breed recorded was in 1873. These
cattle are considered good for both beef and milk produc-
tion. The cows make a very good grade of milk, but as a
rule are not heavy producers, although some excellent milk
records have been made. Red Polled cattle are most com-
mon in the Middle-western states.
Fig.41. McAlpine, a Brown Swiss cow, first in class at Illinois State Fair.
Owned by Mr. E. M. Barton, of Illinois. Photograph by the author.
Brown Swiss cattle originated in Switzerland. In color
they are usually a dark brown, with lighter or cream-colored
hair about the muzzle and along the top of the back. They
incline to be heavy of head and neck, and coarse-boned; are
likely to be somewhat fleshy, and often have rather meaty
thighs. The*cows produce a very good grade of milk. While
they often impress one as dual-purpose cattle, the association
promoting them has officially declared the Brown Swiss to
72 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
be a dairy breed. These cattle are not popular in America,
and but few herds are found in any part of the country, these
being mostly confined to New York and the Middle West.
The Dutch Belted breed of cattle was developed in Hol-
land. It is of the dairy type, and is noted for its black color,
marked off by a white stripe or blanket of varying width
which extends entirely around the body between the hips
and shoulders. It has not made much of a reputation for
milk or butter-fat production, and so far as public evidence
oes, it is one of the poorest dairy breeds. There are very
few herds in America, and they attract more attention from
their peculiar markings than for actual merit.
The Kerry is an Irish breed that has long been bred in
Ireland. It is black in color, though white sometimes occurs
about the udder of the cow. It is of small size, and will
exist where most breeds would starve, hence is the poor man’s
cow of Ireland. It is strictly a dairy type, and produces an
excellent milk, testing about 4 per cent fat. Some of the
cows give a large yield of milk, considering their size. There
are but few Kerries in America. They are just beginning
to attract attention as economical milk producers.
The Dexter is another Irish breed, of uncertain ancestry
but closely related to the Kerry. ‘These cattle may be black
or red in color, and are the smallest breed found in America.
Many of the mature bulls and cows stand only 36 to 40 inches
high. The cows often produce excellent yields of milk,
testing above 4 per cent fat. Cases are on record of cows of
this breed, weighing around 500 pounds, that have produced
in a year over 8000 pounds of milk. These diminutive cattle
may never be popular for general dairying in America, but
they will grow in favor for family use. |
The French Canadian is a breed that has had special
development for 200 years or so in Quebec, Canada. These
THE BREEDS OF CATTLE 7
cattle are black or very dark fawn in color, and probably had
their origin in France, from the same source as the Channel
Island cattle. This is one of the small breeds, the mature
cow weighing about 700 pounds. French Canadian milk
tests slightly above 4 per cent in fat. Some large milk
records are reported from Canada, but the specimens of the
breed to be found in the United States do not seem to be
important producers. It is regarded as a very hardy breed.
There are few herds in the United States, these being located
in the northeastern portion, though especially in New York.
IF YOU WERE ASKED THE QUESTION, COULD YOU TELL
1. About the Wild White Cattle?
2. Who Bates and Cruickshank were, and what they did?
3. The characteristics of Shorthorns?
4. When Herefords were first brought to America and by whom?
5. Who ‘Old Grannie”’ was?
6. How Aberdeen Angus cattle rank for beef?
7. About Jersey and the other Channel Islands?
8. How a Jersey cow should be described?
9. Who Jacoba Irene was?
10. How Holsteins rank as milkers?
11. Where Guernsey cattle are most common in America?
12. The characteristics of the Ayrshire?
13. Who keeps pure-bred cattle in your neighborhood, the breeds
owned, and which is the most popular?
14..The name of any noted bull or cow in your state, and why
celebrated?
15. The best milk or butter record of a cow in your township?
16. Whose cows make the best showing at the creamery?
17. What kind of cattle are kept at the county infirmary, or poor
farm?
CHAPTER IV
THE BREEDS OF SHEEP
The origin of the domestic sheep is generally believed to
be from several kinds of wild sheep found in different parts
of the world. One of these is found in the hilly or mountain-
ous parts of Asia, and is known as the Argali. It is much
larger than our domestic sheep, has big horns, and a coat of
black or dark-red hair, below which is a covering of white
wool. Another form, called the Musmon, is found in the
more mountainous parts of Greece and adjacent sections of
Europe. Rocky Mountain Sheep are another sort living
on the higher mountains of North America. Wild sheep
have always been found in the elevated parts of Africa and
eastern Asia. All of these sheep have certain features in
common. ’
Just how long the sheep have been subject to the control
of man we do not know. Neither have we any information
as to the wild family from which the domestic form has come.
Scientific men have had different views on this subject.
Bones of sheep have been found among the remains of the
lake dwellers of Switzerland, a people who lived before the
dawn of history. The very earliest writings, including the
Bible, show man to have had large flocks of domestic sheep,
and to have valued highly both wool and meat.
Three distinct classes or groups of sheep may be ae
depending largely upon the character of the fleece. These
are fine or short, medium, and long or coarse wools. These
classes are somewhat due to the sorting over of the fleeces
by the wool merchant, who finds that each class serves a
THE BREEDS OF SHEEP 75
special purpose in his business. Another grouping is also
sometimes made, consisting of the fine-wool, or Merino
class, and the mutton breeds. However, this last arrange-
ment is more commonly referred to by shepherds than by
wool dealers. There are many different breeds of sheep,
some of which are but little known in America, and the fol-
lowing are the only ones of importance in this country.
The Merino is a very old breed that had its important
early development in Spain. Here for centuries the Monks
and wealthy people owned large flocks that were noted for
their very fine wool. As long ago as the first century, the
sheep of Spain were famous, and 700 years ago the manu-
facture of wool into beautiful cloth was a great industry
in that country. When the people of the other European
countries learned of the fine wool that was produced there,
they sent to Spain and obtained some of the Spanish sheep.
Specially selected flocks were taken to Germany and France
in the latter part of the eighteenth century.
The first Merinos were brought to the United States
in 1793. Three head were smuggled out of Spain by William
Foster of Boston. He gave them to a friend, who killed them
-for meat, not knowing how valuable they were, until
he later paid $1000 for a ram of the same breed. Seth
Adams of Massachusetts, later of Ohio, imported a pair
in 1801, and in 1802 Colonel Humphreys of Connecticut
brought to America nearly 100 head. These Humphrey
sheep proved very valuable, and from them some of the best
flocks in America started. Much interest followed these two
importations. Soon other people began to import Merinos
into the United States, and very high prices were paid for
them. During 18 months ending in 1811, nearly 20,000
of these sheep were brought to this country. The people
became almost crazy over Merinos, and paid very high
76 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
prices, some selling for as high as $1500 each. As our
country developed, the Merino became widely distributed
and but few of any other kind were kept for many years.
During this time our people cared but little for mutton, but
high prices were paid for wool, for which the Merino was
especially valued. These sheep grew greatly in popularity
in all wool-producing countries, so that even today there are
more sheep of this breed than any other, for immense flocks
Fig. 42.
A Merino ram owned by S. M. Cleaver, of Ohio. Photo-
graph by the author.
are found in Australia, South America, and over much of
the United States. However, the production of wool is
growing less profitable, so that shepherds are gradually
changing to the mutton breeds, or are giving up their
flocks altogether.
A number of different Merino families have been devel-
oped in America. They all had their origin in the sheep of
Spanish breeding, but in the hands of certain men, each
THE BREEDS OF SHEEP 77
gradually developed special features. In this way families
of Merinos were established. For a great many years all
sheep that had heavy folds over the body were known as
Spanish Merinos. Later the people came to refer to sheep
of this class that had been produced in America, as American
_Merinos. In time, a larger sheep, with few folds or none,
developed, that produced a longer and somewhat coarser
grade of wool especially suited for certain cloth manufacture.
These became known as Delaine Merinos. These sheep also
produced a good grade of mutton. Among the Delaines are
some family branches of interest, though not widely bred, as
for example, the Dickinson and the Blacktop. Most of
the Delaine improvement of importance took place in western
Pennsylvania and in Ohio.
Some of the most important features of the Merino may
be considered here. These sheep produce the finest wool
known. It is so fine that over 1000 fibers may be laid side
by side within an inch space. The fleece covers the entire
body, often coming down over the face to the nostrils, and
covering the legs even to the toes. If the sheep has folds
or wrinkles over the body, we expect to get the finest and
_ shortest wool. The less folds over the body, as a rule, the
larger the sheep and the longer and coarser the fleece. Aver-
age Merino wool is about 21% inches long.
On the outside of the fleece we usually find more or less
grease or oil, or yolk, as it is called, mixed with dirt, most of
which easily washes out, even in cold water. The cloth
manufacturer removes this by scouring. Some fleeces in
this operation lose 75 per cent of their weight. Wool
buyers do not like a very heavy amount of oil, on account
of this shrinkage when the wool is scoured. A common
weight for a fleece is eight or ten pounds, but some have
weighed over 40 pounds when taken from the sheep. Rams
78 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
weigh at maturity 130 pounds or more, and the ewes around
100 pounds. Those with folds weigh the least, while the
smooth-bodied ones are larger. Merino sheep are very hardy
and thrive on ordinary pasture. They run together in flocks
much better than any other breed, and so are easily managed
by shepherds and dogs when on great ranges or pastures.
Large numbers of sheep that have Merino blood in them
come into the markets, but really are of mutton parentage.
They make excellent mutton, and are liked by butchers
because they are neither too large nor too fat. More pure-
bred flocks are found today in Ohio than in any other state,
although New York, Pennsylvania, and Michigan have
flocks also. West of the Mississippi there are large numbers
of these sheep on the range.
The Rambouillet sheep is a breed of Merinos that has
been especially developed by the French Government. In
1786 King Louis XVI of France sent a man to Spain to bring
back a selection of Merinos. These were brought to one
of the royal farms about 40 miles west of Paris, at a town
named Rambouillet. Here on this estate the government
has bred the descendants of these sheep for 125 years. ‘They
were introduced into America in 1840, and for many years
were known as French Merinos. About 1890 the name
Rambouillet came into use, and now the term French Merino
is rarely used. ‘These sheep have all the common features
of the smooth-bodied Merino. However, it is the very
largest family of this breed, and has been at times called
the ‘Elephant Merino.” The ram weighs about 185
pounds at maturity, though some have weighed 250 pounds,
and the ewes weigh around 150 pounds. This family is
known as a mutton Merino, and a mutton form is an impor-
tant feature. Thus one may expect a broad back and a
thick leg of mutton in a good specimen of the Rambouillet.
THE BREEDS OF SHEEP 79
One or two folds or more are not considered objectionable
when found about the neck and breast, but the body should
be smooth. The fleece of 12 months’ growth should be
about three inches long, and compact over the body, with
but little oil or dirt on the outside. Well-bred Rambouillet
flocks shear about 10 or 12 pounds of wool per head. These
sheep have grown in popularity in recent years, for they
mature early, are hardy, and seem well suited to most parts
of the United States where sheep husbandry thrives. On
the Western range, and on the Pacific slope are found some
of the very best and largest flocks in America. Many choice
flocks are also owned in
Ohio. Rambouillet sheep
have been bred to a con-
siderable extent in north-
ern Germany, and very
large numbers are now
found in the Argentine, in
South America.
The Southdown is one
of the oldest breeds of
B Fig. 43. A Rambouillet ram lamb, bred
sheep. Its native home by Tlinois University. Photograph from
is on the Southdown hills 7" “°° ©°"*
in Sussex county in southeast England. ‘These hills are of
white chalk, and are covered with soil on which grass and
the small grains do very well. About 1775 a man named
John Ellman, who lived in Sussex, began to improve the
native sheep and kept at this work for over 50 years.
Through his efforts the Southdown developed into the
best mutton sheep known, having splendid vigor, fatten-
ing easily, maturing rapidly, and producing a carcass
with but little waste at slaughter. While the fleece was
not heavy, its quality was fine. Following Mr. Ellman
SO BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
came Jonas Webb, who lived north of London, at Babra-
ham, near the city of Cambridge. He was also one of
the greatest English breeders. His Southdowns had more
size and were a still better mutton sheep than were
Ellman’s. As a mutton sheep, the Southdown has occupied
a most important place for a century or more, being still
considered the model sheep for that purpose. It has been
used to help improve more breeds than has any other.
Southdowns were first imported into America about 1800,
and since then many others have been brought here.
The Southdown has been noted for its short, neat head,
which is more or less covered with wool down over the red- -
dish-brown face. It has a short, thick neck, broad chest,
wide back, thick meaty leg of mutton, and short red-brown
legs. No other breed matures earlier, and it is not lacking
in hardiness. Southdowns are well suited to grazing on the
better class of pastures, but are not so good for the range and
poor pastures as are some others. The flesh is very fine of
grain and is not inclined to be overfat. Butchers especially
admire this sheep because it kills out so well, with small
amount of loss. The Southdown, or sheep with more or
less of Southdown blood,‘have won more prizes in fat-stock
shows where the carcasses were considered, than has any
other breed. At our great International Live Stock Ex-
position, the Southdown has usually won the grand-cham-
pionship on the dressed carcass exhibit. Mature rams weigh
about 175 pounds, and the ewes 135 pounds. These sheep have
been criticised as being too small for the American farmer.
The average fleece is short and light of weight, though of fine
quality, and this has also made the breed generally unpopu-
lar in America, although it is looked upon with more favor
in the Southern states. In spite of these criticisms, the
‘(qo svuor jo UOSpuBIs B ‘UIBYBIqeYg 38 JosvueU MOM ‘Qqa A "N “ff WMOsy Ydvasojoyd “peaty
AjoOMIIOF QCQoAy SvUOL JOYA ‘WIBYBIGeg 3B peiq SVM WRI SIFT “ZO6L ‘OsBoIYD) ‘UOI}ISOdXY YOOIG BAV] JBUOIBULeUY 48
pus pux[sugq jo Moyg Ajol00g [BINy[NoWsay [BAOY 9Y} 9B WBI UMOPY NOG uoIduleyo ‘jauO[Oy UlBYyBigqeg ‘PPh ‘Ay
81
THE BREEDS OF SHEEP
82 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
breed commands universal respect, and flocks of South-
downs are found all over the civilized world.
The Shropshire sheep originated from a number of dif-
ferent types native in and about the county of that name in
western England. This is a rather hilly region, with many
fine pastures, and is well suited to these animals. A num-
ber of different men were interested in the improvement of
Fig. 45. A group of Shropshire sheep on farm of H. M. Brown, of Ohio.
hotograph from W. E. Duckwall.
the Shropshire, prominent among whom were Messrs. Meire
and Adney. Some of the early sheep were very coarse and
had horns, and Mr. Meire worked to improve the quality,
to get rid of the horns, and to develop a better mutton sheep.
In this he succeeded. Shropshires became somewhat —
prominent in England about 1853, when they were first
exhibited at the Royal Agricultural Society Show. About
THE BREEDS OF SHEEP 83
1880 much attention was given the breed, and large exhibi-
tions were made at English shows. These sheep were first
imported into America in 1860, by Samuel Sutton, of Mary-
‘land. Twenty years later they were imported in larger
numbers, and since then thousands have been brought to
the United States, where this is the most popular of all the
mutton breeds. In size the Shropshire is medium, the
mature rams weighing about 225 pounds and the ewes about
160 pounds. The head often has a covering of wool, or
‘cap,’ down to the nose, which is covered with dark brown
or nearly black hair. The back is broad, the leg of mutton
very good, and the body is usually deep, showing good feed-
ing capacity. ‘The legs are dark brown in color like the face,
and are covered with wool to the knees in front and to the
ankles behind. The quality of mutton is most excellent, being
second to the Southdown only. The fleece is usually about
34% inches long, and is of very good quality. A twelve
months’ growth from fair specimens of the breed weighs about
9 or 10 pounds. The combination of good size of body and
weight of fleece has done much to make this breed popular
with American farmers, as a great general-purpose sheep.
Besides this, Shropshires are the most prolific breed we have,
many ewes having twin lambs. Flocks are very common
all over the so-called corn belt of the United States, espe-
cially east of the Mississippi and in Canada. The American
Shropshire Sheep Association is the largest organization of
its kind in the world, and has done much to promote the
breed.
The Oxford Down sheep comes from the county of Oxford,
in south-central England. It is a beautiful rolling country,
with good pastures, and where wheat and small grains thrive.
This is one of our youngest breeds of sheep, and comes from
a combination of Cotswold and Hampshire blood. About
84 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
1833 a man named Druce began to breed these sheep, and
finally produced one of the largest English mutton breeds.
For a long time the wool, though abundant, was rather
inferior, but the size and the mutton quality of the sheep
made it popular. A few of these sheep were brought to
Delaware in 1846, and since then the breed has been much
improved and has been gaining in popularity in America.
As already stated, it is a large breed, the rams at maturity
Fig. 46. A group of Oxford Down sheep on the farm of George Adams,
England. Notice the style of hurdles used for temporary fencing. Photo-
graph by the author.
often weighing 275 pounds or more, and the ewes about 200
pounds. The color of the hair on the face, ears, and legs is
a very dark brown, quite like the Shropshire. Oxfords are
not so heavily wooled over the head, and often the face is
rather free of wool, and the ears incline to be rather smooth
and large. Typical specimens have quite wide backs, fairly
good legs of mutton, and deep bodies. During recent
years the breed has been much improved, the flesh growing
THE BREEDS OF SHEEP 85
finer in quality, and the fat being laid on more smoothly.
The fleece, which frequently weighs 12 pounds, is longer,
more open, and coarser, than that of the Shropshire. This is
a breed that has made a favorable impression on farmers in
the states of the Middle West, where fairly early maturity,
size, and heavy fleece are wanted. The ewes are quite
prolific, and though not equalling the Shropshires, make a
very good showing. The Oxford may be regarded as one
of the most promising breeds for future development.
Recently flocks have been extensively distributed to many
sheep-growing countries. There are more of these sheep
in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois,
and Wisconsin than else-
where in America.
The Hampshire Down
sheep, like the Southdown
and Oxford Down breeds,
originated in southern
England and under much |
the same conditions of cli- |
mate and soil. ‘Their
ancestors were of two Fig. 47. A Hampshire ram, grand-
kinds, one with white faces 1904.” Photograph from Chilmark’ Farms,
and horns, and the other a a
with dark faces and horns. Southdown blood was mingled
with these two, from which came the more improved
Hampshire, without horns and with an almost black
face, ears, and legs. A man named Humphrey was
the most important early improver of these sheep, and later,
James Rawlence did much for them. The Hampshire is one
of the largest breeds, mature rams often weighing 250 pounds,
and ewes nearly 200 pounds. The head is one of the strik-
ing features of the breed. The nostrils, lips, and face are
86 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
quite black; the nose is very strong, or Roman in character;
and the ears are dark, very large, and incline forward in a
heavy style. Wool rarely extends much beyond the fore-
head. The body is large, and the form is of the usual mut-
ton type. Hampshire sheep often seem somewhat coarse of
bone and large of limb. The fleece is about 4 inches long,
inclines to be coarse and open, and usually does not shear
much above 7 pounds with 12 months’ growth. Hampshires
have long been popular for early or spring lambs, which are
considered of excellent quality. The breed is undoubtedly
erowing in favor, and during the past few years large importa-
tions have been brought to the United States. .In the more
fertile sections where feed is abundant, the Hampshire
makes an excellent showing, as it does in its native home in
England. The breed is widely distributed in North and
South America, in Europe and Australia. In the United
States, the important flocks are kept mostly in the Northern
states east of the Mississippi.
The Dorset Horn sheep receives its name from the
county of Dorset, in southern England, where it has long
been bred. It is an improved form of two native, horned, .
white-faced breeds found in Dorset and Somerset counties.
The modern Dorset Horn belongs to the middle-wool class,
and is of medium to large size, rams weighing about 225
pounds and ewes 165. Both sexes have horns, those of the
ram at maturity being large and having spiral turns, while
those of the ewes are small, and bend in a simple curve
around toward the face. The head, ears, and legs have a
covering of white hair, and the nostrils are of flesh color.
The neck is often short, the back wide, and the body of large ~
capacity, with a fair leg of mutton. Dorsets are popular
as lambs, and for mutton, although the quality of the mutton
is not of the best. The lambs feed well and lay on flesh
THE BREEDS OF SHEEP
ral
~J
rapidly. As wool producers, this is a breed that should do
better... The fleece tends to be short and the weight light,
ranging around 6 pounds for average animals. These sheep
were first brought to America in 1885, and while there are
_Fig. 48. A pen of Horned Dorset ewes, champions at the show of the Royal
Agricultural Society of England. Photograph from the National Stockman
and Farmer.
numerous flocks in the Eastern states, the breed can hardly
be called popular as yet.
The Cheviot sheep comes from the Cheviot Hills in the
border country between England and Scotland. Here the
land rises into high grass-topped mountains nearly 4000
88 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
feet above the sea. Grass is the universal crop, and here
this breed of sheep has been raised for long beyond a cen-
tury, and gradually improved during the passing years.
Today the Cheviot is a medium-wool, fair-sized sheep, the
rams weighing around 200 pounds at maturity, and the
ewes 150 pounds. ‘This is one of our most beautiful breeds.
The head is entirely free of wool, and the face and ears are
covered with white hair, with black specks occasionally
Fig. 49. Cheviot rams on pasture in Scotland. Owned by John Elliott.
Photograph by the author.
occurring. The nostrils are black, the nose tends to be a bit
Roman, the eye is large and prominent, and the erect ear
is usually pricked up as though listening. The Cheviot
inclines to be somewhat narrow of back, with a moderate
depth of body and fair leg of mutton, though in recent years
it has been much improved. The fleece covers the body to
the back of the ears and down to the knees and hocks, the
rest of the leg being covered with white hair. The fleece
tends to be somewhat open and is usually about 3% inches
THE BREEDS OF SHEEP 89
long and a year’s growth weighs 6 or 7 pounds. The fiber
inclines to be coarser than that of the Shropshire, American
breeders using the latter for a standard.
Cheviots are very hardy, and in their native home on the
mountains rely altogether on grass the entire year. They
are active and independent, and do not flock as do other
breeds. For this reason the breed has never been suited to
the range country. The quality of Cheviot mutton is very
superior, having very fine grain, and lacking surplus fat.
In mutton carcass contests in the English and Scotch shows,
the Cheviot has always held a high place. It is not widely
distributed outside of its native home, though found in the
United States in New York, Ohio, Indiana, and in other
states of the Middle West.
The Suffolk sheep comes from the county after which it
is named, in southeastern England. It belongs to the
medium-wool class, and is chiefly a mutton breed. The head,
ears, and legs of the Suffolk are distinctly black in color.
This gives a group of these sheep a very striking appearance.
Mature rams weigh about 250 pounds and the ewes 175
pounds. The fleece is not heavy. Suffolks are not exten-
sively bred in England, and but few of them are to be found
in America. In fact, they are very rare here, and are not
often seen at our sheep shows, neither have they been much
advertised in America. |
The Tunis sheep takes its name from Tunis, in northern
Africa, where it is supposed to have originated. In 1799,
General Eaton, United States Consul at Tunis, received a
gift of a number of these sheep, two of which survived a
voyage to America. Other importations followed this one
of General Eaton. These early importations were kept in
the Eastern and Southern states, and little was done to
improve them. They are peculiar in having a large, fat
90 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
tail, and have often been called ‘“‘Fat Tailed Sheep.” In
recent years, especially since about 1893, they have been
bred in small flocks, in different parts of the country, but
especially in Indiana. They are of medium size, with
brown, or mottled brown and white faces, and brown legs.
The tail is cut off soon after birth, as with other lambs, but
the hind parts of the Tunis are somewhat heavier than
corresponding parts of other breeds. The Tunis makes an
excellent feeder, and lambs of this breed have sold for high
prices on the market, and have met with much favor from
stock buyers. The fleece is of good quality, averaging about
3 inches long, and frequently
containing red or brown fibers.
But few of these sheep are to
be seen, and fairs generally
make no arrangement for them
in the premium lists.
The Leicester sheep (pro-
nounced Lester) originated in
central England in the county
of that name. Here Robert
Fig. 50. A Border Leicester ram. Bakewell, one of the most
eee ae oe ae famous live-stock breeders in
English history, developed and improved the native stock
into the New Leicester. This was really the first improved
breed of sheep known in England, and for a great many
years it was extremely popular. Some of these sheep were
brought to America, it is said, before the War of the Revo-
lution. In 1800, New Leicester sheep were known about
Philadelphia. In the early part of the nineteenth century,
many were imported and sold for high prices. This is a
large breed, and belongs to the long, or coarse-wool class.
The entire head and ears are covered with white hair, the
mi oo
THE BREEDS OF SHEEP 91
wool not growing beyond the back of the head. The ears
are large but thin, and are usually carried in an erect posi-
tion. The nostrils are black, the nose is somewhat promi-
nent, and the eye bold and attractive. The Leicester has a
full, wide breast; broad, flat back; wide rump; and fair leg
of mutton. The body form is broad rather than deep, and
sometimes these sheep appear long of leg. They fatten
rapidly, and the rams at maturity weigh around 250 pounds,
and the ewes 175 pounds or more. As mutton producers,
they are not popular because they lay on too much fat.
They require good pastures, and are not the hardiest sheep in
the world. This, with their size, accounts for there being so
few of them today either in America or elsewhere. The
Leicester is the smallest of the long-wool breeds, and has
a curly fleece that does not shear very heavily, 7 to 9 pounds
-being about a year’s growth. Once a popular breed, this'is
now the least known in America of all the so-called common
breeds of sheep. In northern England, in the border coun-
try, is an improved form or family known as the Border —
Leicester, which is the more common type today. This
family has a more vigorous constitution and has a clear white
face, while the old breed has a bluish tint to the skin.
The Cotswold sheep gets its name from the fact that in
early times in England these sheep were sheltered in what
were called ‘Cots,’ and were pastured on the treeless hills
known as ‘Wolds.” That was in southwest England,
where this breed has been kept for centuries. It is written
that in 1464 King Edward IV gave permission to transport
some Cotswold sheep to Spain. About 100 years or more
ago, Cotswold and Leicester flocks were mixed a great deal
in blood, by which it is said the former was improved. ‘These
sheep were brought to America as early as 1832, and at one
time were very popular, especially in the states east of
92 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
Illinois and north of Tennessee. ‘This is a large, long-wooled
breed, larger than the Leicester, mature rams weighing from
250 to 275 pounds, and ewes 200 to 225 pounds. The head
is somewhat large, and is usually white, though it may be
gray or brown in tint. The nose is rather prominent, and
the ears incline to be large and are carried somewhat heavily.
If the forehead of the Cotswold is protected, long curly locks
of wool hang down in front, often hiding the eyes. This
breed has a broad breast, wide, flat back and broad rump,
and shows a_ greater
width than depth of
body in the best speci-
mens. While the Cots-
wold feeds very well, if
on good pasture and
under favorable condi-
tions, it is not a breed
suited to scant pastures.
The well-fattened carcass
is too large, coarse, and
fat for the present de-
mand. The fleece is
Fig. 51. A Cog Photograph by coarser and the curly
iocks larger than with
the Leicester. Good Cotswold wool is noted for its lustre,
having a shiny, glistening quality, rather peculiar to this
and the Lincoln breed, and is much valued by the English
breeders. A twelve months’ fleece is usually from 8 to 10
inches long, and weighs about. 10: pounds. There are not
many Cotswold flocks in the United States, and the breed
is more popular in Canada than here. The demands for a
smaller sheep and a different grade of wool make it difficult
for this breed to become popular in America. |
8
THE BREEDS OF SHEEP 93
The Lincoln sheep comes from the county of that name
on the east coast of England. This is a very old breed, and
its improvement began while Bakewell was improving the
Leicester. Some Lincoln sheep were brought to America
before 1800, and they have been imported in a small way
ever since. This is a large breed, being somewhat larger
than the Cotswold, and having much in common with the
latter. The head is large, and is gray or white in color, or
gray mixed with white. The wool does not cover the entire
Fig. 52.
b=]
iS
#
D
=
Oo
ar |
ct
is]
p
Qu
=
DM
lo)
=
ie)
me
Lom]
fe)
iar |
iq?)
be]
=
—
°
=)
09
~ bwhddbd wlr
FEET, medium size, slope like pastern; horn dense;
bees (ore Reel with... iter oot. Mar crate
LeGs, properly placed, and not too close together....
BODY:
tye eee eee ee Oe,
REO Soe. wpe es ye eae ee
iror large: heal wales)... oo, wee eee
LrGs, properly placed for rapid speed, not too close
COCR? Ses Shs Win ok Le ee eee
ACTION:
WatLK, elastic, quick, balanced.:.................).
Trot, rapid, straight, with long stride.............. 1
OC fF Ww Wad WwW nwo eo whe BWA
e
ne ee ee ee ee ree
os
JUDGING THE HORSE | 161
ness and lightness of limb are much valued by buyers of this
class of horses. Strength and quality go with legs of this
kind.
The body of the carriage horse will appear deep but not
thick, and will at its best have a sleek, well-rounded appear-
ance. By standing off at one side, the judge will get a better
view of proportions, and the fullness of chest, and depth of
both front and hind flanks will be easily seen. A view from
squarely in front will show the prominence of breast, and the
thickness and depth of body below the placing of neck,
which should be smoothly blended into the body. There
is quite a good deal of variation in the withers of driving
horses. They should not be very sharp, but fairly well
muscled and not appear too prominent. Notice if the back
is strong and well carried, with the loins broad and not much
depressed below the level of the croup. The well-turned
carriage horse will show a fullness of body from various
points of view. The greater speed he is capable of making,
the more muscular and angular he will appear. This is
illustrated by comparing a carriage horse and a working
trotter, each being about the same size, but used for a dif-
ferent purpose.
The hind quarters of the carriage horse show power.
As one stands at one side, the length of croup, and its posi-
tion is easily seen. A long, strong, high rather than low
croup is desired, with the tail having a free, easy, and some-
what high carriage. The length from the hips to the point
of the hocks should be considerable.
The distance from the hind flank diagonally across to the
setting on of the tail also should be comparatively long. As
one stands behind, he should be able to observe some thick-
ness below the tail, where the hind legs merge together into
the thick, muscular quarters. A driving horse is not likely
162 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
to be too thick in the quarters. As one views the horse from
behind, the legs should reach back, with the hocks separated
about four inches, and the lower thighs showing a strong
muscular development from both rear and side views. At
the stifle jomt, where the upper and lower thigh connect,
fullness rather than depression should occur. The hocks
should be inspected from the front, at one side, and from
behind. It is important that they be clean, well-turned, and
straight. Careful examination should be made of this part,
for the hocks require much study. ‘The occurrence of bone
and bog spavins here, and often a puffy condition that
is objectionable, may escape notice.
The legs of the horse must be inspected from in front and
from one side. A true carriage, in any event, is important.
Standing in front enables one to see the straightness of limb,
and in a way that shows the relation of each leg to its mate.
From this view we judge whether the ankles will interfere
when the horse is in motion, or whether or not a true gait is
possible. From one side we note the position of the legs, to
determine balance of action. If front and hind legs are
tucked too much beneath the body, they are liable to come
in contact with each other when in rapid action. If there is
too much stretch and separation between the limbs in front
and behind, then the action will lack power. In a natural
pose at rest, the front legs will incline very slightly under
the body, with the hind legs correspondingly extended behind.
The picture on page 145, although of a draft horse, il-
lustrates this position.
A foot inspection of the horse begins with the foot at
rest and in a natural position. Thus one is able to note the
form, the placing on the ground, shape of heel, and the upper
condition of foot, with its relation to the pastern and to the
fetlock joint. The foot, however, should be examined on its
JUDGING THE HORSE 163
under side, and so must be raised for inspection. The fore
foot is usually started easily by running the hand nearest
the horse down the shoulder and arm to the back of the
cannon, and pressing on the tendons with the ends of the
fingers, raising the leg at the same time, using the other
hand to catch hold of the hoof as it is raised by the horse.
With one hand the hoof may be easily held, while with the
Fig. 87. Examining the front foot of horse, showing method of holding.
Photograph by the author.
other, any accumulated material under the foot may be
removed by the use of a small pick of some sort. One may
then easily examine the lower part of the foot. The hind foot
is examined somewhat differently. If wishing to inspect the
left hind foot, the left hand is placed on the croup and quictly
slipped down over the thigh to the muscle just above the
hock, where a firm pressure with the fingers is given. At the
same time the right hand is placed upon the pastern, and the
164 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
~ foot and leg firmly but quietly raised upward and backward,
reaching away from the body. This brings the hoof in
front of the examiner, with its lower surface facing to the
rear, and at about knee height. No great effort should be
made in raising the feet, for the horse will easily support him-
self on his three other limbs. Young horses require more
patience than old ones
in foot examination, but
after a few shoeings,
with horses of good dis-
position no trouble may
be expected. It is wise
to move with care about
the hind legs, especially
directly in the rear, to
avoid the chance of being
kicked.
The study of action .
is most important with
the driving horse. How
high a valuation should
be given to the gait will
Fig. 88. Showing correct position for depend upon the use of
pier ae eRe the hind foot. Photo- the horse, and the kind
of shoes he has on his
feet. All carriage horses, and race horses in particular,
are so shod as to regulate their action, if used by men
who know the relation of form and weight of shoe to foot
and leg movement. A fancy driver should.show a snappy,
stylish action, with the knees and hocks carried rather high -
and strong. A roadster will show a longer, more powerful,
yet plainer gait, with not so high or short movement. W hen
action is being inspected, the horse should first be led at a —
JUDGING THE HORSE 165
walk in a_ direct line toward and then away from the
judge, who should carefully note the trueness of
movement of the limbs and the way the feet are carried.
Next, the horse should pass by at a walk, so that the inspec-
tion may be made from one side, to observe the freedom of
Fig. 89. Queen Pandora, an example of knee action. Owned by Mrs. C. C.
Fillers. Photograph by courtesy of Bit and Spur.
Fig. 90. An example of a long, powerful stride in case of a light harness horse,
Notice but one foot is touching the ground,
166 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
Fig. 91. Study the action as the horse comes toward you standing directly
in front.
Fig. 92. Study the action as the horse leaves you, standing directly behind.
Fig. 93. As the horse goes by at one side, note the knee and hock action.
Photographs by courtesy of Purdue University School of Agriculture,
JUDGING THE HORSE 167
: movement, and flexing of knees and hocks. The next step
will be to require the horse to go and come at a gait faster
than a walk, the judge assuming the same positions as
before while the walking gait was being studied. Seeing the
horse at the walk and trot, or other rapid movement, will
enable him to draw a conclusion as to the merits of the gait.
As 20 points are credited to the action of the carriage horse
on the score card, it may be seen that this feature is highly
valued. Persons differ in their appreciation of action, and
some are naturally much better judges than others. How-
ever, if one will study the action from the three points of view
mentioned, «one willsoon begin to see how horses differ in this
regard.
The judging of the draft horse is conducted in the same
manner, in many respects, as with the carriage horse. The
general methods of study are the same. The purposes of
the drafter, however, are different, and one must have in
mind at all times draft size and conformation. The follow-
ing score card on page 168 is arranged for a study of the
horse of draft type.
In the study of draft conformation, emphasis must be
placed on two features, weight and conformation. The size
must be large and massive, and the nearer the weight to
1800 or 2000 pounds, the truer will be the draft form. An
examination from any point of view will show this horse to
be deep and thick, both at the ends and in the middle, witha
compact, powerful body set on rather short legs. ‘There are
some details the student should keep in mind in this exami-
nation.
The head and neck will show considerable size, without
the delicate chiseling of head of the lighter horse. ‘The neck
will be heavily muscled and moderately short.
168 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
Drart Horse Score Carp
Seale of points
GENERAL APPEARANCE:
NOTE HEIGHT...... weight...... 1600 lbs, or more
Form, low set, massive in proportion...............
Qua.ity, showing refinement in head, clean bone and
Solita, fine Ban AE der. nas se ee ee
HEAD AND NECK:
Heap, lean, medium size; forehead broad; eyes bright
and prominent; nostrils large; lips even; muzzle
fine; ears medium size and well carried; disposi-
tion active and pleasant: occ. coi se no eee
NEckK, strongly muscled, carried high, not thick at
threat “late 2s i. eh soe eee. wae ee
FORE QUARTERS:
SHOULDERS, sloping, smooth, well setin back.........
ARMS, short and wide; forearm, long, widely muscular
KNEES, wide in front, ‘straight, deep through........
CANNONS, short, inclined to be flat, lean............
FETLOCKS, wide, straight; pasterns oblique, strong ..
Fret, large, round, uniform; horn dense; frog large;
heel wige ti. oe eee ee ee
BODY:
Crear geen, wiee, Taw. cy Sovak coe eee
Back, broad, short, level; ribs long, well sprung; loin
Wie: Abrams 2555 SR eed w cc ee ee
WAWpERLINE, NABES IAW so oa... 6 sg wee a ne AR ee
HIND QUARTERS:
RISER, SHIGOON IGGL ois a on 6 CR OO ee
Crovp, long, level, wide; tail attached high..........
TuicHs, long, muscular; quarters heavily muscled;
lower thighs wide, strong. .
Hocks, wide, deep, clean cut, straight, well supported
CANNONS, short, wide, strong..
FETLOCKS, wide, straight; pasterns ‘oblique, ‘strong. .
Feet, large, round, uniform; horn dense; frog large:
BEE WIE oo. ar ee seo alot in cde Came se a eee
Lzes, short, carried in good form...............+.+:
ACTION:
Ware ire. “elacshic, eels. oie: «sy» 6ccie eee
‘T not, active for weight, rerular $3.2. JS eS e
Toval. seere 2 82... bet ws oe ee eee
IN AMERS Ch Ne eo oS ce oc ee he ee eR BREED.....
CP WIT cS ko eb ko ewe go Dw bs pam b Sm alle ele leig mo 6 ei: ae veel ne
Seetbaieies W e oe, cl Os Oe a os a Sawer kee ee DATE. 2... oe ces cee
Perfect d
score
PO UN WNOD FPN FORD WH FO WNHNWNH NW CO
Stu-
score
Cor-
ent’s | rected
score
_ JUDGING THE HORSE 169
The shoulders of the draft horse are usually less sloping
than those of the lighter type, and are not laid back in quite
as smoothly. The slower, more moderate draft action is
associated with this upright form of shoulder.
The cannons of the drafter incline to be somewhat thick
and round, especially in front. There is no danger of their
being too flat or too short, and
emphasis should be placed on
this.
The pasterns of the draft
horse often appear short and
rather erect. ‘To give the easiest
movement, they should have fair
length, and a slope of about 45
degrees. Some draft breeds have
a longer pastern than do others,
as for example the Clydesdale,
which is noted for length and
springy character in this respect.
A short, stubby pastern is very
undesirable, and goes with a
hard gait that punishes the feet
and causes trouble. Win 94. Kk diets. bottle
The feet of the draft horse ¢y°ellent position from, the front,
must show considerable size.
The forefeet in particular should not look too small in pro-
portion to the rest of the body, and it is well to emphasize
the quality of the hoof. The feet of horses of this type,
especially those in front, are subject to severe strains, due
to the great weight placed on them and the hard work on the
road. This part should be most carefully examined. ‘The
old English saying, ‘‘No feet, no horse,’ has no greater
application than with the drafter.
170 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
The hind quarters of the draft horse especially signify
power. ‘Therefore great length and breadth of the croup
provide for thick powerful muscles. As one looks at this
part, he should be impressed with the power there available.
A common feature of the draft horse at this point is steepness
of croup. This is easily seen whether one stands at one side
or looks from behind. We do not have much information
on the difference in power be-
tween horses with steep croups
and those having them more
level, but it is generally agreed
that the most beautiful confor-
mation goes with the more level
condition. The greater the
length and the more heavily the
muscling from the hips to the
hock, the more powerful will be
the croup conformation.
The legs of the drafter should
not appear too wide apart at
either hock or knee. Too much
spread is a greater indication of
weakness than is closeness. The
Fig. 95. A draft horse from : :
the rear, with the legs too wide limbs should come down In a
apart. Photograph by theauthor. ell_nlaced position, 40. Siam
under somewhat at each corner of the body, as it were.
In viewing the horse from in front, one is inclined to look
for too great width, such as goes with a stiff or clumsy gait.
The action of the draft horse is studied in the same way
as with the driver. More value, however, is in this case
given to the walk than to a faster gait. A heavy draft horse
is rarely required to move faster than a walk. However, he
should have a quick walk, and be able to move four miles an
ary
: :
JUDGING THE HORSE 171
hour in a free, easy manner. Many heavy horses tend to carry
the feet to one side somewhat when in motion. This is in
a measure due to the straight, open-topped shoulder. When
watching the horse in action, look for a strong, only moder-
ately high knee and hock movement, but do not look for
much speed. The heavy horse, however, inclines to drag
his feet, and this should
be watched for. As one
stands behind, he should
easily see the glisten of
the shoe as each foot is
raised. There are just
as wide extremes in ac-
tion among draft horses
as among carriage horses,
but not so much should
be expected from the
former as the latter.
Opportunities to study
horses are frequent, eith-
er in the country or in
town. If one is observ-
ant of the horses that
are constantly passing,
much information of val-
ue will reward the effort.
Comparisons may be
repeatedly made, for
Fig. 96. Powerful draft horse confor-
mation from behind. The camera being nea-
rer the hind legs than the front ones, the for-
mer appear much too long and out of propor-
tion. Photograph by courtesy The Farmer.
two-horse teams always provide such an opportunity, while
in many public places two or more horses are frequently
standing side by side, interesting subjects for comparison.
172 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
AS A JUDGE OF HORSES, WHAT
. Features are given the most credit in the carriage horse score
card
. Kind of head and neck should the carriage horse have?
. Is the best method of inspecting the legs?
. Manner of front foot examination is desirable?
Kind of action will be shown by a fancy driver?
Important differences exist in carriage and draft-horse score
Orr wn Ye
mM
~ ~. oe. 3 22
Treats, 3 to 4 inches long, well placed; an easy milker 4
MILK VEsNS, large, long, tortuous or winding, entering
large wells ass ete watcha aus ees els kee ee oe 8
Total qaiinies be oh ed cien , abe oe blr ee 100
JUDGING DAIRY CATTLE 187
The head should be lean and shapely. In general, the
wide muzzle, short face, strong jaw, prominent eye, and
broad forehead are desired. In most cases, a ‘‘dished”’ face
is popular. This feature is a slight depression of the head at
the lower part of the forehead and between the eyes. Yet
all breeds do not have it. The dish-face is very character-
istic of the Jersey, but is not so pronounced in the Holstein-
Friesian. A broad muzzle, short face, and strong, wide
jaw, indicate a vigorous feeder. The eye should be prominent
yet show a mild disposi-
tion, as indicated by clear-
ness of the whites and
quietness of expression.
Dairy bulls often have
eyes that indicate very
clearly their character.
The ears should be medi-
um of size and thin of
texture, and be neatly
attached to the head. A
yellow or orange color
within the ear is desirable.
The horns, when present, Fig. 109. A type of head of dairy eow—
should show refinement, Courtesy of CM Winslow, Pe
and not be large and
heavy at the union with the head. A small horn its
preferred on the females, and some of the best known
dairy sires have had rather small horns. A thin, mus-
cular, somewhat long neck on the cow, and a strong,
heavily muscled, rather crested neck onthe males, are desir-
able. When the neck blends well with the head, there is
no unnatural fullness at the throat. The union of the neck
with the shoulders should also be smooth. Dairy animals
188 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
sometimes have a heavy dewlap, which is rather objec-
tionable.
The shoulders of the dairy animal incline to be somewhat
prominent and are often rough. This is in most cases due
to the lack of covering of flesh. The smoothness of the
shoulder found in the beef animal is not to be expected with
the dairy type, but the blades should extend well into the
back and not be coarse. The withers above the shoulders
should be lean and somewhat sharp. In fact, dairy cattle
judges place a premium on
thin, sharp withers. Many
ereat producing cows, how-
ever, have some thickness or
fleshiness at this point. Oc-
casionally, one will find dairy ©
cows with the shoulder points
| noticeably separated from the
body. This is what is called
a spread shoulder, and shows
a weakening of the muscular
attachment. Such a cow has
Fig. 110. The withers of the dairy @N undesirable appearance,
COW oe notostaph by courtesy of but otherwise is not seriously
affected.
The body of the dairy cow should be deep at the chest,
yet not thick. As one views the animal from one side, the
depth from the top of withers to bottom of the chest should
be much greater than the length of leg. From a front view,
the chest appears somewhat narrow. Not much depression
back of the shoulders below the withers, at the point known
as the ‘‘crops,” is desired, for this indicates weakness in
heart girth. The same criticism will apply at the fore flank.
The back should be well and strongly carried, with the spine
JUDGING DAIRY CATTLE 189
easily seen above and beyond the shoulders. A _ strong-
ly arched rib will give a wide back and a muscular loin,
which are most desirable, while plenty of additional length of
rib will mean ample digestive capacity. In examining the
body with the hands, one should be able to place two fingers
held side by side easily between the last ribs of mature dairy
Fig. 111. Looking along the top of body to note conformation. Photograph
by th: author.
‘“ Pd
vy,
Z
ef
Fig. 112. Two Jersey cows, one showing constitution and depth of body,
the other a short rib and poor feeding capacity. Photograph by the author,
190 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
cattle. The opinion prevails, that with dairy animals
there should be length of body with the ribs less closely
placed together than is the case with beef cattle. Conse-
quently, a body of considerable length meets with favor.
Some judges prefer the hind flank to be somewhat high, but
this is associated with lack of depth of body, Hehe a
deficient digestive capacity.
The hind quarters of the dairy animal have been the cause
of much discussion. The hips of the cows should be some-
what prominent andlean. With the males, less prominence
of hip is desired. In the case
of each sex, much length and
breadth, with level carriage
of rump, is wanted. Below
this part, the thighs, as viewed
from one side, should appear
muscular and long. From the
rear view, the thighs should
seem thin, and placed wide
apart, giving ample room be-
tween for a large udder. We
sometimes say that the thighs
Fig.113. Showing length of rump 7 i
of the dairy cow. Photograph by are incurving, which means
courtesy Vhe Farmer.
that from the point of the rump
or pin bone, each thigh curves slightly for a distance towards
the body, before curving outward to form the top of the hock.
The tail should have a neat placing on the body, and its
fleshy part should hang in a perpendicular position to the
hocks, showing considerable space between it and the thigh
as viewed from one side. A beefy character of any part of
the hind quarter is very undesirable. The tendency is to
show fleshiness at the top of the rump over the hips and
pin bones, and on the thighs. A straight, wide carriage of
JUDGING DAIRY CATTLE 191
the legs is most essential, as has already been explained and
as will be brought out further on.
The mammary development of the cow includes the udder,
teats, and milk veins and wells. It is necessary to examine
this part carefully with both eye and hand. |
The udder consists of two large glands, suspended between
the legs. One gland is the right half of the udder, and the
Fig. 114. A beautiful udder on a great show cow of dairy type—Bosnian's
Anna, Jersey champion for 1910.. C.I. Hudson, of New York, owner. Photo-
graph by courtesy Prof. F. R. Marshall.
other the left. Each gland is also divided into two halves,
known as quarters. As we view the udder at one side, we
see the front and hind quarters of the gland. The form of
udder that is most approved follows the line of a circle in
part, although we look for the rear portion to be carried up
high beyond the line of the circle, and the fore part to extend
| Po aia)
192 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
well along under the belly, on a uniform level. Therefore
these udder lines above and below prolong beyond the circle.
Viewed from the rear, the udder should appear thick, and
should occupy completely the space between the thighs,
and extend up high along the thigh. Examination with
the hand should show no deep separation or division
between the glands or quarters, but only slight grooves. As
a rule, the hind udder is somewhat narrower than the fore
udder, due to the limited space between the thighs. Thus
Fig. 115. Four hind-end presentations, showing good and bad placings of legs.
Photograph by the author.
one may see the importance of having the thighs widely
separated to provide room for the udder. ‘The teats should
be of convenient size for grasping by the average-sized hand,
and a length of three to four inches is satisfactory. They
should be placed at a fair distance apart, such as will permit
of easy milking, without the hands being in the way of each
other. The judge should examine each teat carefully, and
see that it milks without difficulty, and is all right. The
form of the udder is rather variable. The most common
weakness is an inferior front development, with the teats of
JUDGING DAIRY CATTLE 193
this part placed much higher than those behind. The smaller
the fore udder in comparison with the hind part, the less its
producing capacity. With age, the udder frequentiy
becomes pendant; that is, hangs —___
lowdown. This is a special feature .
of those cows that become heavy
milk-producers. In acting as a
judge in the show ring, one may
find it desirable to request that
certain cows be milked. Some
cows have meaty udders of quite
limited capacity, and to make a
fair study of this gland, one
should see it both full and empty. oe TI Nest IY rat poe
When empty, the glands should fore-quarters. Photograph by the
be considerably shrunken, and
when pressed by the hands, should feel uniformly mel-
low and smooth to the touch. The judge should take it in
' ne A > . oie Wy : ,
Bed. A ey Su Ft a
Tm an vs ‘ ptt bon > 5 faa,
_ . a oy ive 4 7» Ok
' Se a Ga wiAa.
" : . > ~~ S ’ > .
t ome ’ a {4 . " *"¥,
ig a iN ~ ited ‘ ua’
NS tes oie So Ae
Fig. 117. Notice the elastic hind udder held by the man, Photograph by the
author,
194 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
his hands and press it between the palms, and examine it
generally as to its condition, noting whether smooth of tissue,
or if lumps or knots occur. Again, examination may show
imperfect quarters or defective teats.
The milk veins are located along on the belly from the udder
forward. Usually there is one vein on each side, and some-
times a shorter one between. Through these veins the blood
passes from the udder to the heart. A side view of the cow
shows something of the vein on that side. On young cows
it is smaller and less prominent than on old ones. It varies
in size, length, and form. To examine it carefully, it is
necessary to bend over enough
to look up beneath the body
and see the whole milk-vein
system. Usually the vein is
about five-eighths of an inch
wide, and after extending along
the belly half way or so from
udder to fore legs, disappears
through a hole in the belly
wall, known as the “milk well.”
Pig 118. The milk well at end of Sometimes the veins are very
large and long, and have a
more or less tortuous, or serpentine course. ‘The larger and
longer the veins, the greater the cow as a milker. Sometimes
we find the belly immediately in front of the udder covered
with small veins, and occasionally they also occur on the
udder. All these small veins are indications that the cow is
more than an average milk producer. The milk wells vary
in size, from those so small that they axe not at once dis-
covered, to those so large that the end of the finger can easily
be placed therein. We really know nothing about the value
of the veins or wells, from a scientific point of view, as indi-
JUDGING DAIRY CATTLE 195
vating milk production, but practical experience has rated
them as important according to their size and development.
Small wells are associated with similarly small veins, and
together they limit the supply of blood passing through the
udder and thus affect milk production.
SUPPOSE SOME ONE SHOULD ASK YOU
. What is meant by a “‘blocky”’ body?
. How you could tell whether a beef animal was fat or not?
. To give the indications of quality?
How much a beef animal should weigh at 30 months old?
To describe condition?
. What position the front legs should take, and why?
. How the head and
neck of the bull differ from
those of the cow?
8. Todescribe the triple-
wedge form?
9. The meaning of tem-
perament in dairy cattle?
10. To give the most
important features of the
dairy cow score card?
11. What kind of rib de-
velopment should be looked
for in the dairy cow?
12. Todescribe the most
SIO oR & we
; a Fig. 119. The kind of cow one should not
desirable form of udder‘ own. Photograph by the author.
SOME INTERESTING THINGS TO DO
13. Scoring your own or a neighbor’s beef animals,
14. Picking out the best individuals among cattle in a feed lot.
15. Comparing the best and poorest dairy cows in the herd. Why
is one best and the other poorest?
16. If you have a dairy herd at home, make a few group studies
cf four animals in each.
17. Organize a local beef or dairy cattle show.
CHAPTER XI
THE JUDGING OF SHEEP
The catching and holding of a sheep for inspection is
usually a simple matter if correctly done. To catch the
sheep, seize a hind leg at the hock or flank, and gently pull
him to the location desired.
Never grasp and pull the wool,
for the more the fleece is pull-
ed the harder the sheep will
struggle to escape. Next place
the left hand below the jaw,
palm up, and quietly hold
the head and throat, and then
reach back to the right hind
quarter with the right hand and
pull the sheep squarely in front
Rig. 120,, Baamining the Jes of of one’s legs and close to the
body. If it is desired to move
the sheep forward, it will only be necessary to press gently
forward with the right hand. If that is not enough, then
place the finger tips at and beneath the root of the tail, and
the sheep will move forward without trouble. Sheep that
are accustomed to handling, as a rule, may easily be held by
placing the left hand under the lower jaw, and _ holding
the back of the head or neck with the right hand. In
judging-work at a school, a small rope halter will be found
useful in simplifying the matter of holding and the use of
attendants. |
To examine the under side of the sheep, it is desirable
sometimes to place the animal on its rump. To do this, one
THE JUDGING OF SHEEP 197
should pass the left hand under the neck, and grasp the right
forearm. ‘Then reach forward and under the sheep with the
right hand and grasp the right hind leg at the hock; by a
slight pull of the right hand, and a push of the body against
the sheep, the animal will naturally swing down upon its
rump. When in this position, the sheep is held with the left
hand, with the sheep’s back resting against the holder’s
knees. This operation becomes easy with a little practice.
How to study the sheep. During much of the year,
except for a short time after shearing, perhaps, the bodies
of sheep are covered with wool. This varies greatly in
length, but is frequently 314 to 4 inches long. With this
covering of wool, it is impossible to judge the merits of the
animal, except with the assistance of the hands; for the fleece
covers defects that may be felt, but not so readily seen. Men
who exhibit sheep usually trim the wool, or block it out, as it
is termed, so as to make the animal look very symmetrical
and attractive. While one
should survey the general
appearance of the sheep, as
in the case of other animals,
the use of the hands is an
added necessity. While ex-
amining a mutton — sheep,
one should keep the fingers
of each hand close together,
and then press them flat
on the wool, not allowing
7 ss es Fig. 121. Studying the thickness
single fingers to stick into of flesh over the back. Photograph
the fleece. It is important to by the author.
prevent the entrance of dirt, not to open the fleece, except
at places where it naturally parts or breaks between two
locks. The back wool, especially, should be kept closed.
198 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
With the fingers one may press the wool firmly enough to
feel the flesh below, to determine the extent and uniformity
of fattening or covering over the frame, and whether the wool
hides defects of conformation, such as narrow back, droopy
rump, etc. Practice, of course, enables one in time to use
the hands with much freedom, without detriment to the
fleece, but inexperienced persons should be very careful not
to disturb the wool. The skin of a sheep should be of a
healthy pink color. It is assumed that this indicates the
animal to be in fine physical condition. However, some
breeds that are noted feeders, like the Shropshire and Oxford,
have dark-colored skins often times, and so it may be said
that we do not know the real significance of skin color.
Yet the skin in any case should look clean and ie and
not pale and bloodless.
The age of the sheep is easily determined up to four or
five years. A short time after birth, the lamb has in the
front of the lower jaw, eight small, narrow teeth, which are
commonly called the milk teeth. The front part of the upper
jaw has no teeth, but simply a tough, fleshy pad. When
about 12 months old, the two middle milk teeth drop out,
and two larger, permanent teeth occupy the place. At
about 24 months, two more teeth push out two milk teeth,
one on each side of the two that came in at 12 months. At
36 months two more come in, and at 48 months the corner
teeth are replaced by larger permanent ones. It is easy to
tell the age up to four years. After that one must do some
guessing. It is to be noted, however, that with age the teeth
usually wear down or break away in the middle first; old
teeth also slant forward more than do those of less age. It
is a good plan always to examine the teeth when judging or
buying; for they are a guide to age, and indicate the condi-
tion for feeding and future usefulness.
THE JUDGING OF SHEEP 199
A systematic inspection of the mutton sheep should take
place
after the following manner. So far as conformation
is concerned, look for the same blocky, fullness of form that
would be expected in a fat steer.
ic
2.
. With the right hand
Survey for general appearances in the usual manner as
previously described with horses and cattle.
Rest the lower jaw of the sheep in the left hand, and
place the right about the back of the head or upper
part of neck. Then raise the point of the jaw some-
what, and part the lips gently by use of the forefinger
and thumb of the left
hand. This enables one
to inspect the front
teeth, which are found
in the lower jaw only.
Inspect muzzle, face,
eyes, forehead, and ears.
View the breast and
position of fore legs
while standing in front.
~ < aay '
» Sone ey
? Har Meee . =o
Fig. 122. Feeling for covering of
et asp the neck and feel flesh about the tail-head. Photo-
for its size and attach- graph by the author.
ment at the head.
. Notice the union of neck to shoulders, the covering of
the latter and the position: of the blades.
. Place the right hand on the back, just behind the
withers, and the left hand between the legs, on the
floor of the chest. This gives one an estimate of the
depth of body.
Press the hands on the crops and front flanks, to
determine thickness of chest.
200
9.
10.
‘i.
BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
Press firmly along the back with one hand, the fingers
pointing in the direction of the neck, to determine the
covering of flesh. With both hands get the breadth
and covering of back and loin.
Place the fingers of the hands over the hips and note
their covering and distance apart.
After examining the hips, draw the hands down on to
the rump, and feel its length, breadth, position, and
covering of flesh. With the right hand, grasp the
point of rump and note
the width, position, and
covering of root of tail.
. Grasp the thigh, usually
termed leg of mutton,
with the hands, the left
hand with open thumb
taking in one side of the
leg, and the right hand
and open thumb grasping
the other side. Thus by
Fig. 123. Examining the width of freely moving the hands
loin.
is.
14.
» 16.
Photograph by the author.
about the leg, one may
determine fullness of hind flank, the thickness of
muscle, fullness of twist, and size of leg.
Place the left hand on the rump at tail and nght hand
between the thighs at the twist, and estimate the
depth of hind quarters.
With the palms of the hands facing each other, press
against the outer thigh, to determine thickness of
hind parts.
. Step back a few feet and notice position of hocks and
placing of hind legs and feet.
From one side, view position of legs and feet.
THE JUDGING OF SHEEP 201
In the examination of fat mutton sheep, no great emphasis
is placed on the covering and kind of wool. The butcher
values the wool, but in buying, it receives slight attention.
In the show ring, most mutton judges examine the wool of
fat sheep scarcely at all. If judging breeds, then the wool
must be examined as well as the frame and covering of flesh.
Seven points are allowed wool in the following score card for
fat sheep.
ScorRE CARD FOR FaT SHEEP OF MuTTON TYPE
Stu- Cor-
Scale of points Perfect dent’s rected
score | score | score
0 LS are Number of permanent front teeth.
GENERAL APPEARANCE:
WEIGHT, score according to age; 50 lbs. at 6 mos;
emit tamos. ee ee ee 6
Pau, iow set, compact, brOad .....60.8. vem ee eee es 8
mmenrer pone ana wool fine.... 2.6.2 sue i cee we 8
CONDITION, deep, even covering of firm flesh. Note
especially loin, back, Tis, TOOU Gr tall. .<.. 2s. 10
HEAD AND NECK
MvzZZLE, fine; mouth of good size; face short. 2
EYEs, full, bright; forehead broad: ears fine, well car-
RPP e ee PR Ne SEM Po tN wera, saan i oegah Shoe a. a 8 3
muon, thick, shert; throat smooth... ... 0.66.6... 65. 2
FORE QUARTERS.
BREAST AND BRISKET, broad, carried well forward. 3
SHOULDERS, smooth, well covered, epigneet on es i 4
CHEST, wide, deep; large girth. . Ae Ges S
LEGs, straight, short, set wide apart, fine. 2
BODY:
Back, level, wide, well fleshed; loin broad, thickly
IS Le MM ie Ae ee re hk a) ies as Sa ad gh aes ow 1
Riss, well arched, long, smoothly covered...........
FLanks, low, thick
HIND QUARTERS:
Hips, well placed, smooth; rump, long, level, wie
smoothly fleshed. oF 6
THIGHS, wide and thick; ‘tw ist, ‘plump and me aty. 8
Lu@s, straight, short, strong; shank fine. eee aie
WOOL:
QUALITY, fine, soft, uniform over body.............. 3
QUANTITY, dense, even, of fair length for age......... 0
ConpiITIoN, bright, clean, soft, fair amount of oil eae i.
bo = Or
Total SES ES 100 |
The study of the wool or the fleece on the body of the
sheep makes it necessary to know something of the differ-
202 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
ences in this product. Wool is a fiber, much like common
hair, and grows in the same manner. On the outside of each
wool fiber is a covering of transparent, slightly overlapping
scales. Their position has often been compared to the lap-
ping of shingles on the roof of a house. The center of the
fiber is either hollow or has a porous core. When the wool
is dyed, the dye gets under the scales and inside the tube and
is absorbed. True hair does not easily take adye. Frequently
hair is found in fleece and is called kemp. Kempy wool is
very inferior and cannot be dyed. Wools differ much in
length and diameter of fiber. The Merino has the finest
wool, and usually the larger the sheep and the more of a mut-
ton type, the coarser the fiber. The fine wool is more com-
pact over the body than the coarse, long wool. The more
dense the fleece, other things being equal, the more it will
weigh. A compact fleece also keeps out rain, snow, and dirt
better than an open one. The best and longest wool on the
body is found over the shoulder and ribs. The back and
neck wool also ranks high. That on the belly is very fair
but short, while that on the thighs is the poorest. The
finest wools are the shortest; and the coarsest, the longest.
The fine wool of the Merino is used in making choice dress
goods; the fleece of the medium sort, such as the Shropshire
produces, makes fine dress goods also; while the coarse, long,
or braid wools are used in making horse blankets, carpets,
etc. Wool should be of uniform quality over all the body.
Quality is shown in its fineness, softness, uniformity, and
color. A clear white, with a shading of creamy color, and
with considerable of what is called crimp, is most valued.
The crimp in wool is a wavy form like the edge of a very fine- |
toothed saw, that gives elastic strength to the fiber. The
choicest fine and medium wools show more or less of this
quality, but in the long, coarse wools, the crimp is long and.
S fF
THE JUDGING OF SHEEP 203
wavy and often entirely lacking. There is considerable
oil in and on the wool. Most of this comes from little oil
sacs, or glands, in the skin at the base of the wool fibers.
The oil comes from the glands
and gradually works up to the end
of the wool fiber. On some kinds
of sheep, like the Merino, the oil
accumulates dust and dirt until
it appears black and dirty on
the outside of the fleece. This
oil adds to the quality of the oe ee
wool, but it is not desirable to fig. 124. A Class A Merino ram.
have it in large amounts, be-
cause it Increases the shrinkage when the fleece is scoured;
that is, when the oil and dirt are removed. Some Merino
fleeces lose 65 per cent or more in scouring, while a Shrop-
shire may lose but 45 per cent, a very important difference,
since buyers pay for wool on the basis of its weight after
scouring.
SOME FEATURES OF THE FINE-WOOL SHEEP
Three distinct classes or types of fine-wool sheep are
recognized today in the United States. These are as follows:
Cuass A, with heavy folds on the neck, breast, sides,
rump, and thighs, and sometimes over the back.
Cuiass B, with a few folds on the neck, shoulder, and
thighs.
Cuiass C, with no folds, except in a slight way at the
brisket.
The present tendency is to breed sheep of either B or C
class. The Delaine Merino and Rambouillet belong to
these two classes, with the large majority of individuals in
204 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
Class C. The sheep in Class A have the shortest, finest,
oiliest, heaviest fleece; while in the C class we find a much
in
pa ee ee
aie ae eee ee ee
Fig. 125. Three types of Merinos; A on right, C on left, B in center.
Photograph by the author.
longer fiber and decidedly less oil, and but little black grease
on the surface. A mutton form is also a feature of the Class
C sheep.
The method of judging fine-wool sheep is somewhat dif-
ferent from that of the mutton type. In the case of classes
Fig. 126. Examining character of Fig. 127. Inspecting open locks on
wool of thigh. Photograph by the back of Merino. Photograph by the
author. author.
look for a_ light-colored oil
THE JUDGING OF SHEEP 205
A and B, the hands are scarcely used, excepting to part and
inspect the wool on different parts of the body. In other
words, the hand serves only in studying the fleece. In
examining this, the locks should be separated on the shoulder,
back, and thigh, and compared in length, quantity, and
quality. With the hands one may feel to determine the
softness and density of covering. Density may also be seen
with the eye, as shown in the covering of the head, the belly,
and legs, as well as in the general appearance of the outside
of the fleece. When wool production is of special importance,
examinations of the bare spots on the belly next to the legs,
and the general under cover-
ing, are essential. This re-
quires placing the sheep on
the rump. ‘This position al-
lows not only the wool cov-
ering to be studied, but the
fullness of breast and the
condition of the feet may
also be noted. In the exam-
ination of the fine-wool fleece,
that should be evenly diss ™ jsagtish ty the Mthon
tributed throughout the fleece.
Quite often the oil accumulates in spots or streaks,
giving an uneven character to oil distribution. ‘This
feature is most likely to happen with fleeces containing a
large amount of oil.
The score card for the Delaine or Class C Merino is here-
with given, and contains the scale of points that can be most
commonly used with fine-wool sheep.
206 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
Score CARD FOR DELAINE OR CLASS C MERINO SHEEP
St
Seale of points Perfect | dent's | rected
AGE............Numberof permanent front teeth......
GENERAL APPEARANGES, o)c. set ota cote)
WEIGHT, according to age: 30 lbs. six mos.; 60 lbs.,
twelve mos.. d oe Krewe
Form, low, compact, symmetrical. . a eS EE
QUALITY, bone and wool fine, hair silky. Aa a tery ee
HEAD AND NECK:
Mvzz ge, fine, of good size; face medium length.......
Eyes, bright, easily seen; forehead broad............
agus medium size, set well apart, coated with fine
Bi. Fo ak eee ee ee ele se es
NeEcK, short on top, deep, neatly blending head ae
shaders... 5 fae nea tgs Phlatwie'x @ kone Samieee oh oe
FORE QUARTERS:
SHOULDERS, well placed; chest deep, medium thick .
BRISKET, carried well forward, with some breadth and
fold... or Snran 5 dese ees GS. re oe os oe es
LeGs, straight, short, strong; feet good.............
BODY:
Back, straight, medium wide; loin wide.............
Riss, well sprung, long; flanks low................. |
—
PO PN © W Ww WH COM
HIND QUARTERS
Hips, smooth; rump, long, level, wide.............. |
THIGHS, ranging from muscular to plump...........
Leas, straight, short; stifle full; feet good...........
WOOL:
Ousres, nc. halt, Geesevee:. 6s x. eo te ee ee
DEnsITy, compact all over body...................
LENGTH, uniform, at least 24% in. for12mos..........
Ort, light colored, evenly distributed...............
_—
BROOD HW
Wotel- paar | eS oe ee et es oe es ES 100
Much has already been said regarding the features of
sheep involved in the use of this score card. In judging this
type one must consider the form as approaching very closely
to that of the ideal mutton sheep. The fact is, the C type
is a general-purpose Merino, with mutton an important
feature. Yet one need not expect to find as much thickness
of chest, breadth of back, fullness of quarter, or covering of
flesh, as with a Southdown or other more highly developed
mutton breed.
Things to emphasize in a study of the Class C type.
1. The head should be short and broad at forehead, with
a slight dish of face in the ewes, and a fullness of nose
es ee
THE JUDGING OF SHEEP 207
with the rams. Slight wrinkles often occur over the
-nose, which should be covered with fine, silky hair.
_ The ears also should have a covering of fine hair. Ex-
cepting the muzzle, nose, and ears, the head should
be well covered with wool. Bareness of the face is
objectionable.
2. Favor shortness of top of neck, with no heavy folds
below.
3. The tendency is towards narrowness at the withers and
- fore ribs. Thickness is desirable here, with not too
prominent a shoulder.
4. A peaked, droopy rump is a common Merino charac-
teristic, but is very ep eengnanle, and should be
severely scored.
5. Look for a thick leg of mutton.
6. See that the hocks are straight, and that the sheep
stands well on all four legs. Defective position is
frequent here.
7. Merino sheep have poorer feet iifan any other breed,
and require careful attention. The toes frequently
grow to one side or are too long, and the horn grows
under so as to give the foot a bad position.
In judging breeding sheep of any class, the same essential
features must be considered that have already been dis-
cussed.
A heavy condition of flesh is objectionable, a muscular
animal in good health being most; desirable. Sex affects the
character of head and neck. With ewes, some length and
refinement of these parts must prevail, while rams must
show a larger, heavier, bolder type of face and eye than the
ewes, and a thick, muscular neck. ‘The Merino rams, as a
rule, have heavy horns at maturity, while the females are
208
BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
hornless. With Dorset sheep, the ewes have a slender, one-
curve horn; while the rams have a heavier, different type of
horn, of spiral form. Hardly as much compactness is sought
with breeding sheep as with those for fattening purposes.
“Io Or B &
IN MAKING A STUDY OF SHEEP
. How should the animal be caught and held?
. What is the correct method of examining the fleece?
. How do you use the hands in determining covering of flesh?
. Describe the method of inspecting a leg of mutton.
. Where on the body are the different grades of wool found?
. Describe classes A, B, and C.
. How should the fine-wool type be examined?
8.
How do the scales of points of mutton and fine-wool sheep
especially differ?
is
10.
What kind of defects of the feet may occur with the Merino?
How do breeding sheep differ from others in character?
SHEEP ARE INTERESTING ANIMALS TO STUDY
11. Use the score card at home if you have sheep.
12. Compare several animals on the following points:
(a) The sex character shown in head and neck.
(b) Amount and quality of wool.
(c) Covering of flesh.
(d) Thickness of chest.
(e) Character of rump and hind legs.
13. In shearing season, judge one or more animals before, and
again after shearing.
CHAPTER XII
THE JUDGING OF SWINE
Two distinct market types of hogs exist in America, the
lard and the bacon. The lard type prevails in all those sec-
tions of North America where corn is an important farm
crop. In fact, the bacon type is produced in but a small way
in this country, and comparatively few are found in the mar-
ket. Therefore the study of the lard type should receive
most attention. There are, however, with each type or
breed of hogs, certain things in common to be especially
desired. Some of these are the following.
Quality in hogs, as in all other animals, is of great impor-
tance. This is shown in the condition of the hair, the size
of bone, and the develop- _
ment of the head. There} —
should be a plentiful coat
of hair that is neither very
fine nor very coarse. If too .
fine, lack of constitutional |
vigor is indicated; but if
the reverse, with heavy
bristles along the back,
Fig. 129. A Chester White boar,
then a coarse-grained, low- showing quality. Photograph by the
author.
grade of killing hog may be
expected. The quality of the hair is an index to the quality
of bone. Coarse hair naturally goes with coarse bone. Among
experienced swine breeders, a bone of fair size, yet not coarse,
is especially desired. The well-fattened hog requires strong
bones to support the heavy body weight. A common criti-
cism today is that of too small a bone and poor support of
210 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
the body. For this reason, many breeders and feeders are
looking for a hog that has plenty of size and bone, without
coarseness. In passing judgment on animals of this class,
one must be mindful to secure as much size as possible, con-
sistent with quality. A
large head for the body,
with coarse, thick ears,
also indicates inferior
quality. Many young
hogs are too small and
refined for their age, and
never mature into ani-
mals of enough feeding
soKE 10D. ft Cheetos, White beer showite or - breeding) Aaa
author. Therefore excess of re-
finement is to be avoided.
The weight and size of the hog depend naturally on the
age and breeding. In the general market, animals that
weigh about 250 pounds are most satisfactory for slaughter.
The average weight of the millions of hogs sold in Chicago
stock yards is about 225 pounds. However, the market
demands different hogs for different uses, so that all market
hogs are sorted somewhat on the basis of weight, condition,
and purpose. For this reason, a criticism regarding weight
should take into consideration the special purpose involved.
At 12 months of age, when fairly well fed, a fat hog should
weigh from 300 to 350 pounds.
The condition of the hog refers to its covering of flesh.
This should be uniform and smooth, no matter what the pur-
pose of the animal. One common defect, more especially of
the lard type, is the prevalence of seams, or creases, on the
body. These are particularly noticeable about the neck and
the fleshy part under the jaws, known as the jowl, and
wal |
THE JUDGING OF SWINE 211
along the shoulders and sides. These creases contain more
or less hair that is hard to remove after scalding. In the
larger hog killing houses, the hair is removed by automatic
scrapers. It can easily be seen that the more creases there
are on the body, the more difficult it will be to remove the
hair from them. In such cases hand work is necessary to
finish the job. These seams are also an indication of uneven
fleshing. |
The pasterns of the hog are
often very weak and sloping.
At the back of the leg, just
above the pasterns, are two
small toes that are known as
dew claws. When the pas-
terns are too sloping, these Mig. 181,_ A Berkshire uarras: show.
dew claws often touch the
ground, showing a weakness of leg. In the days when hogs
were driven overland to market, it was very important that
the legs should be strong, capable of endurance, and weak
pasterns were then very objectionable. While we do not
drive hogs much today, it is still necessary in many locali-
ties; and whether driven or not, the hog should stand up
strong on its toes on short pasterns, as an evidence of
ability to carry its weight well. If it cannot do this, then
the pasterns are weak.
The toes of the hog should be close together, and point
directly forward. Sometimes they are weak and spread
apart and do not have a strong position. Such feet are an
indication of lack of bone and too much forced growth of the
young pig.
A score card for the fat hog follows, which may be used
with either the grade or pure-bred animal.
212 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
ScorRE Carp FOR Fat Hocs. LArp TYPE
Stu- Cor-
Perfect dent’s | rected
Seale of points
Score | score | score
ee ee a
GENERAL APPEARANCE:
WerieuT: Score according to age: 2... 6c. ene Seas 4
Form, deep, broad, low, symmetrical................ 10
QUALITY, bone strong, hair fine, skin healthy........ 10
ConDITION, deep, firm, even covering of flesh........ 10
HEAD AND NECK:
SnNouT, not coarse, medium long; face wide between
eyes; cheeks full without wrinkles ............. 2
Eyes, mild, good size, not hidden by fat; ears fine, of
medium size, neatly attached.........+....... 2
JOWL, smooth, broad; neck, thick, short............ 3
FORE QUARTERS:
SHOULDER, broad, deep, full, smooth; breast wide,
LOOM ER 5 ate tal eee Dae De es Ae eee 8
Lees, straight, short, strong, wide apart; pasterns
short.” strone: agent Fo. OE A Vo Sea eee 4
BODY: 2
Crear deep, wide; laree 2irth os 2 oe A ee ee
Back, slightly arched, very broad, thickly and evenly
fleshed; lou Widevtmick |... ios fas kai ieee 15
SIDEs, deep, not too long, ana. Oat ee. Sete eee 6
Belly, srachti-: wide: Hank full. os: acts eee 6
HIND QUARTERS:
Rump, same width as back, long, level; hams heavily
fleshed, very deep, wide, and thick. 4 can ot 12
LEGs, straight, short, strong, wide apart; pasterns
short, strong, straight, upright ae rember meer, ie,
———
ORAL RC OTE ies ae Be hice eed oii ong a ae 100
The general form of the hog may bestudied from different
points of view. A short cane or stick is useful to change the
position of an animal in order to observe it to the best advan-
tage. Hogs tend to keep the head close to the ground, and
rarely stand with the four legs in good position beneath the
body. For these reasons it is well to keep animals of this
class more or less in motion while judging. Width of back
and depth of rib should be noted from over-head or from one
side, while a fullness of both front and hind parts should be
easily seen from front and rear. In this inspection compact-
ness of form, and quality, should be manifest. One may
easily determine the quality by eye examination, but a feel
of the hair will reveal marked differences in quality, that
along the neck and front part of the spine being always the
THE JUDGING OF SWINE 213
coarsest. While condition may be easily seen and esti-
mated. by the eye, if one will press with the ends of the
fingers along on the back and sides, a better idea will be
had of the depth and evenness of covering, and condition of
skin. In the case of aged boars, there will be noted a very.
thick, coarse development of skin over the shoulders, known
as the ‘‘shields.”? This is an
inheritance from the wild
ancestors, and really serves as
a shield; for, when fighting,
pigs strike with their heads
against the shoulders of the
opponent. The tusks of the
boar cannot easily tear through
this shield. Yet this thick,
heavy covering of hide is very
objectionable, and the best
show animals do not have it.
Symmetry of form is impor-
tant; and if the front part of
the body is thick and heavy,
and the hind part narrow, the
: . Fig. 132. A study of the width of back.
form certainly will not be well Photograph by the author.
balanced.
The head of the hog varies so in size and form, aceording
to breed, that it seems best to emphasize only certain fea-
tures that should be common to all breeds and grades. ‘The
large, coarse head is an evidence of waste, hence buyers pre-
fer a short type of head, indicating smaller loss in this portion
in killing. Even with the long headed breeds, refinement is
considered important, as indicated by length and coarseness
of snout. The eyes should always be easily seen, and pref-
erably the whites of the eyes to some extent. The eyes of
214 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
the hog of the lard type tend to become surrounded by
excessive fat, so that the sight is very poor. ‘The ears are
good indicators of quality. They should be easily carried,
Fig: 133. Pointing at the
pasterns. Photograph by the
author.
Fig. 134. Pointing at the
neck. Photograph by the
author.
Fig. 135. Pointing at the
shoulder. Photograph by the
author.
and not be heavy and coarse
where attached to the head.
None of the lard-type breeds
naturally have coarse ears.
The neck of the hog should be
reasonably short and broad on top,
and blend smoothly into the
shoulders. A common fault is a
thin neck, fitting roughly in the
shoulders which stand out in a
prominent manner at the shoulder
vein.
The jowl of the hog is the
thick, fleshy part of the lower jaw
and throat. Sometimes it is very
large and round, and is a great
mass of fat. Often deep, hairy
creases occur here. The jowl can-
not be studied to advantage unless
it is both seen and felt. If the
animal keeps its head close to the
eround, the jowl cannot be thor-
oughly examined. The best form
is short, smooth, free of creases,
and reasonably firm to the touch.
The shoulders of the hog vary
considerably. The tendency is for -
them to be heavy or coarse, and
openon top, the blades not lying back in close. The shoulders
are valuable for meat, and the more they are covered with
THE JUDGING OF SWINE 215
flesh, the better they are. If wide on top, the chest below will
no doubt appear narrow. By examining from over-head,
and then from in front, kneeling somewhat, the relationship
of width of chest to position of shoulders may be seen. While
the breast of the hog does not appear as prominent as with
other animals, on account of the low carriage of the head, if
the shoulders are placed right, the breast will be wide and full
and the front legs will come down in good form. By means
of the hand one can feel the end of the breast bone, which
should extend at least beyond the legs. Such a breast
development shows good constitution.
The back of the hog is one of the most valuable parts,
for here the butcher secures chops, roasts, and lard. The
wider and better condition of
back and loin, the more high-class
cuts the butcher will be able to
obtain from the carcass. In the
older and larger fat hogs, the lay-
er of fat over the back is very
thick, ranging from two to three ,
inches. Such animals are fre- Wie 186 Feeline for Back
quently referred to in the market COvprims: Photostaph by the
as “‘fat backs,’’ and long strips of
the fat are cut from this part and rendered into lard. A
wide back is an indication not only of the condition of flesh,
but also. of the capacity below for the vital organs and the
digestive system. Generally, a long rib and large chest ca-
pacity go with width on top. In inspecting the back, as
viewed from one side, emphasize a strong carriage, with
a slight arching. Young pigs frequently have a depression
behind the shoulders, which fills up on fattening. A full,
strong development here is desirable.
The sides of the hog should be fairly deep and smooth,
216 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
and uniformly so from the front to hind flank. ,This part
furnishes the bacon cuts, hence a smooth, uniform con-
dition of flesh is important. Creases very commonly occur
along the upper part of the sides and give a bad appearance to
the body. Often one may easily insert the fingers in these
creases. The lard type
7 _| does not have a long side,
Seeee| as a rule; neither is it quite
=*.| flat, as viewed from one
4es.| side. The form tends to
= be somewhat oval, espe-
= cially with hogs with Po-
=| land-China, Duroc-Jersey,
——~—| or Chester White blood,
consequently the upper
Fig. 137. Quality as shown in the -
smooth side of the pig. Photograph by part of the side projects
courtesy of The Farmer.
some beyond the lower
portion. Emphasize also smoothness of fleshing, and quality
of skin.
The belly of the hog should suggest as little waste as
possible. A paunchy condition, that is, a round, sleek form,
indicates excess Offal. A clean, straight line, as viewed from
one side, with full flanks, is what is wanted. Where an
excess of belly occurs, as inthe case of old sows, buyers throw
off a certain amount of weight, or as they say in the market,
“dock” the animals.
The hind quarters of the hog are very important, because
they include the hams. The hams represent a high-priced
and heavy-weighing part, so that a thick, full development is
here sought. Standing behind the hog, one should note that
the width is carried full, from the hips back to the end of the
body. The thighs should be wide spread on the outside, and
very thickly muscled between, with the twist extending low
a
THE JUDGING OF SWINE 217
-down toward the hocks. The tail attachment should not be
set low. Great depth of hams from behind is most desirable.
From one.-side, the rump should be long on top, level
rather than steep, and long also from hip to hock. CrP &
264
BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
. Of what use is the mineral matter in the animal? .
. What percentages of protein and fat are found in animals?
. Where are the carbohydrates found in the animal?
THINGS EASILY FOUND. LOOK FOR THEM
. Specimens of elements.
. Organic and inorganic matter.
. Ashes of different kinds. |
. The protein of plants and also of animals.
. Five kinds of fat.
. Roughage and concentrates.
CHAPTER XVIII
THE INFLUENCE OF FOODS ON THE BODY
In order to understand the influence of food on the body,
it will be necessary to consider briefly the simpler features of
digestion.
The process of digestion begins with the mouth, where the
food is broken up and softened. The fluid called saliva flows
from small glands at the base of the tongue, and the mixing
of this with the food in the mouth is ealled insalivation.
This fluid contains substances which act on the starch in
the food and help change it to sugar, so that it may be
absorbed more readily. In swallowing, the food passes from
the mouth through the aesophagus, or gullet, into the stom-
ach. ‘The horse and hog have but one stomach, but cattle,
sheep, and other animals that chew the cud, have four.
The process of digestion, however, is similar in all stomachs.
The cow chews a mouthful of grass very imperfectly at first
and swallows it into the paunch, which is the largest of the
four stomachs. From here, after more or less mixing, the
food is forced into a second and smaller stomach, called the
honeycomb. After it has been churned about and softened
in these two stomachs, the animal forces back into the mouth
as frequently as desired, a small amount of food called
the ‘‘cud,” for further chewing. The cattle-man calls
this operation ‘‘chewing the cud.” After a bit this is re-
turned, and by a special movement, passes into the
manyplies, or small third stomach, from which it passes on
into the fourth, or true stomach. While in the true
stomach the food is churned about and mixed with
BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
ie
Ps
a:
2
ae
x
:
-
en
Fig. 152. The stomach of cattle. The lower figure
shows (a) the first stomach, (b) the second, (c) the third, and
(d) the fourth. The upper figure shows by the dotted lines
the direction of movement through the four stomachs.
Figures reproduced from ‘‘Cattle and their Diseases,’’ U. S
Dept. of Agriculture.
THE INFLUENCE OF FOODS ON THE BODY 267
gastric juice, which contains a little acid. These
juices act on the food, dissolving and changing it so that
it can pass through the walls of the digestive tract and
be used in the body. From the stomach, by a peculiar
wave-like motion, the food is forced on into the small intes-
tines, where it is mixed with other fluids that aid digestion.
_ The liver and pancreas glands both pour juices over the food
as it moves along the way in the small intestine. Thus the
food from the time it is taken into the mouth is constantly
acted on and changed for use in the body. The material
_ not absorbed from the small intestine is passed on into the
large one, where the last changes take place. During this
trip in the body the protein, carbohydrates, and fat are
broken up into different smaller and simpler particles. When
ready to be absorbed, they are taken into the circulation by
the blood and lymph, and carried all through the body.
Left in the cells, these particles of protein, etc., which are
called nutrients, serve their final purpose of building up the
body or producing milk or energy. This process of digestion
and absorption is rather complicated, and includes many
changes that need not be mentioned here.
The size and capacity of the digestive organs are much
greater than many suppose. The following figures make this
clear:
Capacity of stomach and intestines of Length of intestines
ee 224 quarts .. Mp es er oa Sem
The ox.. I EN re oe eae * | tea he Reade
The sheep. . Pee ee Os ey oS. OP heat
I eT oy 2D Rea eas Thine singe ie eee
It is to be noticed that the ox has a very great capacity in
its four stomachs, the full contents of which will fill a large
barrel.
The food in the body is for the purpose of maintaining
life, for producing growth or energy, or certain substances,
an
ia
wv «&
268 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
of which milk is an example. On this account people who
feed live stock must regulate the food in amount and kind if
they wish to obtain the best results.
The protein in the food during digestion is acted on by
what are called digestive ferments. One of these, pepsin,
attacks the protein in the stomach, and hydrochloric acid
also takes a part here. These break up the protein into
simpler forms, making them suitable for use in the body.
After the protein gets into the intestines, two other ferments
attack it, and make such changes in it that it is easily dis-
solved and absorbed, and distributed through the tissues
of the body. The animal cannot take the protein in the
plant and use it at once as body protein, but it must go
through these changes in the digestive organs before it can
be used. The protein in the food is changed to body pro-
tein, of which lean meat is the best example. To some
extent it may also be changed into fat. Animals that
depend entirely upon flesh for food, can live on protein alone
if necessary. During starvation, the body loses a small but
rather constant amount of protein. So we consider this
substance especially valuable for building up the muscles,
the hair, wool, internal organs, blood, and similar tissues.
The carbohydrates in the food are largely changed into
sugar during digestion. Thus they are more easily absorbed
into the body. There are different kinds of sugars, but that
in the food is converted into glucose. This sugar is then
taken up by the circulation and carried to the liver, where it
is again changed somewhat, and from here is distributed
over the body as needed. The carbohydrates are largely
used in the system to furnish the energy necessary in work, -
and to make fat. Interesting experiments with animals,
show that more fat is stored in the body than can be sup-
plied by the protein and fat in the food. Dr. Jordan of the
-
ems 4
THE INFLUENCE OF FOODS ON THE BODY 269
New York experiment station has clearly proved that carbo-
hydrates are used to form part of the fat in the milk of the
cow. If animals are fed enough foods rich in digestible car-
bohydrates, the fat in the body will not tend to diminish in
amount. In other words, such foods protect or conserve
the body fat. The carbohydrates are also regarded as great
sources of heat and energy. This will be explained a little
further on. Feeds containing plenty of carbohydrates
cost less for the dry matter in them than do any other feeds,
and are valuable for filling the stomach. Sheep and oxen
must be fed a quantity of roughage, as a filler, if they are to
do well.
The fat of the food when in the small intestine, is changed
into soap and glycerin. It is finally taken up in the circula-
tion, in a changed form, and then stored as a part of the body
fat. The fat of the body is usually made from the fat and
the carbohydrates of the feed, though it may be produced to
a small extent from protein. There is usually but little fat
in the roughages fed to stock. ,
The mineral matter in the food is taken up in the small
intestine, and goes through no special digestive changes as
with the other food substances. Mineral substances are
regarded as of great importance in building up the body.
Those foods that contain but little ash give poor results in
‘feeding, unless the necessary material is supplied. Years
ago Professor W. A. Henry showed that hogs fed only corn,
had bone just about half as strong as hogs fed bone meal or
hard-wood ashes with the corn. Farmers give hogs ashes or
coal because these animals make a better development when
so fed. Without the ash, the body is not given proper nutri-
tion. Corn lacks ash. A hundred pounds of corn meal con-
tains but a pound and a half of ash, while a hundred pounds
_ of oats has more than twice that amount. All stockmen rate
270 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
oats highly for producing hard, strong bone in growing
animals.
All food has a heat value, just as coal has. If burned,
coal gives off heat; so does food. All heat comes from the
sun, and is stored up in the plant, ready to be set free.
The word calorie represents a measure of heat given off by
food. One calorie equals the amount of heat required
to raise the temperature of 1 pound of water 4° F. The
word therm is now being adopted as more convenient for use
in referring to stock feeding. A therm equals 1000 calories.
If we raise 1000 pounds of water 4° F, that measures a therm.
While food is being digested in the body, heat is produced
by the process. Some foods contain more heat than others.
The difference will depend largely on the amount of fat con-
tained. Scientific men consider that the heat values of pro-
tein and carbohydrates are about alike, but that the heat
value of fat is 214 times as great as either of these. This
partly explains why the Eskimos in the cold north eat somuch
food that is nearly all fat, as the blubber of the whale.
Corn contains more fat that any of our common grains,
which accounts in part for its use as a winter feed for
horses, and also is a reason why it should not be fed heavily
to stock in summer in the warm season.
Food has an energy value. When a substance is burned,
the resulting energy furnishes power to do work. So it is
understood that what we call a therm represents the energy
or work necessary to raise 1530 tons to a height of one foot.
Part of the energy of the food, to be sure, is lost in the process
of digestion, partly because not all the food is digested. But
much of it is saved, and this is used to keep the engine of the
body going. The horse that pulls the plow or hauls a load
of hay gets his power from the stored-up energy in the
food, which is set free in the body during oxidation.
a
THE INFLUENCE OF FOODS ON THE BODY 271
The heat and energy value of food has been worked out
by scientific men, by means of a calorimeter. This is a very
strong, round, hollow steel tube. A sample of a food is
placed in this and burned, and the amount of heat given off
is measured. Another instrument, called the respiration
calorimeter, also is used, in which a live animal is placed.
With this the investigator can study the value of foods, and
can make a complete record of just what becomes of all the
energy produced. By means of the calorimeter, one
measures the heat or energy used in labor, or thrown off from
the body, or passed off as breath through the mouth. The
application of this knowledge will be found in the next
chapter. At the Pennsylvania experiment station there is a
respiration calorimeter made to hold animals as large as
cattle. In this there have been conducted very interesting
experiments on the energy value of foods as fed to cattle
under different conditions.
The palatability or taste of food is considered very impor-
tant in feeding animals. If the food is pleasing to the taste,
the animal will digest it better, because the fluids used in
digestion will flow more freely, and thus act more completely
on the food. Nice sweet hay is greatly relished, while that
which is somewhat mouldy, or has not been properly ripened,
or cured, will be poorly eaten or entirely refused. The
animal that feeds best has a good appetite, and eats plenti-
fully. A great Russian experimenter, who studied the effects
of the appetite on the forming of the digestive fluids in dogs,
learned that digestion, appetite, and palatability all go
together.
The use of water by the animal is very important.
Water may keep the entire body in a healthy condition.
The digestive fluids and blood need given amounts of water
to do their work right, and water is needed to keep the
272 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
intestines open and active, and to regulate body temperature.
Experiments have shown that farm animals need a certain
amount of water for every pound of dry matter eaten. For
example, a horse or sheep needs from two to three pounds of
water for each pound of dry matter consumed. With some
foods more water is required than with others. The cow
that eats silage will drink but little water compared with the
one fed dry corn fodder.
The nutritive ratio is frequently referred to in discussing
the use of rations in practical feeding. This term is used to
express the ratio of the digestible protein to the digestible
non-protein substances in the food, or the combined car-
bohydrates and fat to the protein. In order to compare
these substances on an equal basis, they are reduced to the
same heat valuation. Protein and the carbohydrates do have
the same heat value, but a pound of fat is equivalent to
about 214 pounds of either one of these. Consequently the
chemist, in order to place them on an equal footing in heat
value, multiplies the digestible fat by 244. The nutritive
ratio is found by adding this to the amount of the carbo-
hydrates, and then dividing the sum by the digestible pro-
tein content. The following example will illustrate the
method of finding the nutritive ratio: |
Oats contain 10.7 pounds of digestible protein, 50.3
pounds carbohydrates, and 3.8 pounds fat. Then the ratio
is worked out in this manner. 3.8 pounds fat x 2144 = 8.55
= the carbohydrate equivalent of the fat.
80.3+8.55 =58.85
10.7 ) 58.85 (5.5
03.0
535
535
Nutritive ratio, 1:5.5
THE INFLUENCE OF FOODS ON THE BODY 2
~
Cw
The nutritive ratio is obtained in the same way for an
entire ration, dividing the total amount of the digestible
carbohydrates and fat by the total digestible protein. A
ratio of 1:5.5 means that for each pound of digestible protein
in the ration there are 5.5 pounds of carbohydrates or its
equivalent.
A narrow nutritive ratio, is one in which the amount
of carbohydrates and fat is not large in proportion to protein,
such as 1:3, or 1:5; a moderate amount would be 1:8; while
a wide ratio would be 1:12. Highly concentrated foods
usually have narrow ratios; while coarse foods, such as
roughages, have wide ratios.
DIGEST THESE QUESTIONS
. What is meant by ‘‘chewing the cud?”
. How is food taken into the circulation?
. What is the capacity of the stomach of the =
. What digestive fluids are present in the stomach?
. How are the carbohydrates changed in digestion?
. What is a “‘calorie”’? a ‘therm’?
. How can the energy value of food be shown?
. Describe the calorimeter.
. What has palatability of food to do with digestion?
. Explain the term ‘“‘nutritive ratio.”
TAKE NOTE OF THESE THINGS
DO ONOUhwWHH
a
11. How often does a cow chew the cud? Watch and see.
12. If an opportunity occurs, measure the intestines of an animal
that may be killed on the farm. Report.
13. Get samples of what you consider palatable and unpalatable
foods for stock.
14. Figure out the nutritive ratio of three plants or other feed
materials,
CHAPTER XIX
FEEDING STANDARDS: THEIR ORIGIN AND USE
The chemical composition of a feeding stuff is easily
learned by a chemist. He takes a fair sample of the feed and
grinds it in a mill to a powder as fine as flour. He then takes
a small sample of this and analyzes it in the laboratory. He
dries a weighed portion in an oven and finds just how much
water it contains, and what the percentage of dry matter.
Then with ether he dissolves out the fat, (ether extract)
and weighs this. With other chemicals he also separates out
the protein, the nitrogen-free extract, and the fiber. Another
sample of the feed he burns to learn how much ash or mineral
matter remains. Thus the chemist is able to determine just
how many pounds of each of these substances there are in a
given amount of feed. This is the first step taken by the
chemist in studying the value of foods for animals.
The amount of digestible nutrients in a food, the simple
chemical analysis, however, did not show. This led to another
step forward by the chemist, whereby he learned just how
much of the total protein, carbohydrates, and fat in a given
food an animaldigested. After analyzing a sampleof the feed,
as much of it was fed as the animal would eat in a given time.
During the experiment, all the solid and liquid excrement
passed off by the animal was collected, and samples of these
were also analyzed. Having learned how much protein,
carbohydrates, and fat were lost in the manure, the chemist
deducted these amounts from the total amounts consumed
in the feed, and the difference was considered the amount
digested by the animal. This method was not perfect, but
FEEDING STANDARDS: ORIGIN AND USE 275
it was a great step in advance. It enabled chemists to figure
out the amount of each nutrient digested under different
conditions, so that in time they were able to prepare for the
use of farmers what is called ‘‘a table of digestible nutri-
ents.”” This table showed the total amount of dry matter
in 100 pounds of different kinds of feed, and also the number
of pounds of digestible protein, carbohydrates, and fat in
every 100 pounds. In this table, for convenient reference,
foods of similar sorts are grouped by themselves. For
example, roughage is all classed together, and this is divided
into three groups: as dried roughage, fresh green roughage,
and roots and tubers. Then the concentrates are arranged
by themselves, and these are also divided into groups. The
following is taken from a table of digestible nutrients, *
and is used here to illustrate what has just been explained.
No attempt, however, is made to group these feeds.
Name of feed. matter in Ghee
100 lbs Protein tee Fat
SS 85.0 6.1 64.3 3.5
Meena. >..,,-.......- 88.1 11.9 42.0 2.5
MI a 89.6 8.8 49 2 4.3
Suranseed meal............ 93.0 37.6 21.4 9.6
Timothy hay... aie’ Cae 2.8 42.4 ie:
Kentucky blue grass hay. hits 86.0 4.4 40.2 0.7
Wheat straw.. Sch y “SO 0.8 35.2 0.4
Red clover—green. . Siam jelly Be 2.9 13.6 0.7
Alfalfa—green.............. 28.2 3.6 12.1 0.4
This little table, which is made from a much longer one
giving the digestible nutrients in about all the different
kinds of food the American farmer is likely to feed, shows that
100 pounds of corn meal contains 85 pounds of dry matter.
In this 85 pounds, of the digestible material of use to an
*Feeds and Feeding. W. A. Henry, 1912.
276 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
animal, we find 6.7 pounds of protein, 64.3 pounds of carbo-
hydrates, and 3.5 pounds of fat. Let us now look back and
learn how figures like these have a practical value to the
farmer.
The kind and amount of food required by an animal
very naturally depends on the class to which it belongs, its
age, and use. No one would expect to feed a calf the same as
a horse, or a sheep like a milch cow. Each must be fed so as
to supply its needs as completely as possible. As might be
expected, scientists were a long time getting the necessary
information to enable men to es how to — SO as
to get the best results.
What we know as feeding standards, in the beginning
were very simple and did not have any real value. The
working out of useful standards began in Germany, and
German chemists have done more than any one else to furnish
us knowledge on this subject. The first plan attempted was
to give meadow hay a fixed value, and then measure up other
feeds with that as the standard. That plan originated about
1810. Some fifty years later, another German chemist
suggested that animals be fed special amounts of protein,
carbohydrates, and fat, according to certain conditions.
However, his plan was not good, because he did not take into
account the digestibility of the food. He was able to analyze
a food, but he knew nothing of how much of each nutrient
the animal digested. At that time there was quite a deal
of information of the chemical composition of feeding stuffs,
but the digestibility of the foods had not been figured out.
Then about 1864, another German chemist, by the name of
Wolff, proposed that animals be fed daily certain amounts of ©
digestible protein, carbohydrates, and fat, such as were actu-
ally required by the animals. Wolff was able to propose
this because he had conducted many feeding tests with dif-
FEEDING STANDARDS: ORIGIN AND USE 277
ferent animals, and had learned much of the digestibility
of feeds. His studies resulted in what are now known as
The Wolff feeding standards for farm animals. Two
things were shown by this great scientist. One was the
digestibility of the nutrients in different feeding stuffs, and
the other was the amount of each of these required by farm
animals under certain conditions. Wolff found that ani-
mals that were doing no labor, that were not being fattened,
neither gaining nor losing in weight, required only sufficient
food to keep the body and the internal organs healthy and
vigorous. Such an animal required what he called a main-
tenance ration. A young animal needed a growing ration,
and cattle intended for meat required a fattening ration.
A cow producing a large amount of milk must be fed, first
to supply the ordinary needs of the body, such as might be
found in a maintenance ration, and besides this, she must be
fed still more to enable her to produce the milk of which the
food is the source. The dry cow may be satisfied on a
maintenance ration consisting of some form of roughage
only, such as clover hay for example; but if she is yielding a
good supply of milk, then rich concentrates must be fed, if
the increased demands of milk production are to be met.
Since Wolff first made known this most important. dis-
covery, many other chemists have experimented in the same
field. Both European and American agricultural chemists
have studied the science of feeding, so that now we know
much more than did the student or farmer in the days of
Wolff. Animals have been carefully studied, and the inven-
tion of the respiration calorimeter has resulted in some
wonderful investigations in the fields of chemistry and
animal nutrition. The work of Wolff was that of a pioneer.
For many years Americans relied on analyses of German
feeds, and made use of the standards that came to us from
278 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
Europe. Today we are able to use a table of digestible
nutrients, which is based on the composition of American
feeds, as studied by chemists of our own country. Wolff’s
feeding standards in improved form, are, however, very gen-
erally used by American feeders as the best yet available.
Wolff used 1000 pounds as the standard of weight for ani-
mals, and assumed that a certain amount of dry matter,
and of digestible protein, carbohydrates, and fat, were
needed for that weight under given conditions. The ani-
mals were classified in groups, as oxen, fattening cattle,
milch cows, sheep, horses, etc. Then those in a group were
classified according to their purpose; as for example, horses
into light, medium, and heavy work; and dairy cows in four
classes, according to the amount of milk made per day.
The following figures, taken from Wolff’s feeding standard,
illustrate its arrangement:
Pounds required daily for each 1000 lbs. live weight.
—
Digestible nutrients
Kind of animal Dry eee
eka Protein | Carbohy- Fat —
drates
Horses, light work. ... 20 5 9.5 0.4 28
Horses, medium work . 24 2.0 11.0 0.6 1:6.2
Horses, heavy work... 26 2.0 13.3 0.8 1: 6.0
This table means, for instance, that a horse at light work
weighing. 1000 pounds requires 20 pounds of dry matter
daily, containing 1144 pound of protein, 94% pounds of e¢ar-
bohydrates, and 0.4 pound of fat, the ration having a nutri-
tive ratio of 1:7. |
The practical application of Wolff’s feeding standards
has been recognized on thousands of farms in America, and
to the great profit of those adopting them. Probably no
class of people has studied the standard more carefully than
FEEDING STANDARDS: ORIGIN AND USE 279
_ feeders of dairy cattle, and it is among herds of this kind that
we find Wolff’s standards most commonly used. It must be
understood that one may not be able to feed his stock so as
to follow the standard perfectly, but there is no trouble in
using it in a practical way as a guide. One may feed a little
less or a little more protein than the standard recommends.
When the animal is fed about right, according to the
standard, then a balanced ration is being used; or one which,
without waste, most perfectly meets the needs of the body.
Many experiments have shown that the balanced ration can
be relied upon for giving the best results.
Energy value feeding standards have recently attracted
attention. Kellner, a German, and Dr. H. P. Armsby, a
noted American investigator of feeding animals, about 1908
proposed that the feeding value of foods be measured by
their energy content, as shown by the therms of net energy
they supply. These men accounted for the loss of a part of
the food energy by the animal in the mastication of its food,
and in the operations of the internal organs, etc. The energy
left after digestion they called the net energy and this was
used by the animal for supplying special needs. Armsby has
published a set of figures showing the dry matter, digestible
protein, and net energy value in therms in some of the most
common feeding stuffs. He has also prepared a maintenance
ration standard, and one for growing cattle and sheep. ‘The
following is made up from the latter, to show how this energy
standard is arranged.
CATTLE
Age Live weight Digestible protein Net energy value
3 mos. 275 lbs. 1.10 lb. 5.0 therms
12 mos. 650 Ibs. 1.65 Ib. 7.0 therms
24 mos. 1000 lbs. 1. 7& Ip. 8.0 therms
This table shows that a calf three months old, and weigh-
ing about 275 pounds requires 1.1 pound of digestible pro-
280 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
tein per day, and that the total net energy in the ration will
equal five therms. This new standard has hardly been
long enough before the public to be well known, and has
been used but little in practice.
QUESTIONS ON KNOTTY THINGS
. How does a chemist analyze a feeding stuff?
. What is meant by digestible nutrients?
. How are feeding tables arranged?
Trace the history of the feeding standards.
Explain meaning of a maintenance ration.
6. What standard of weight is used in feeding tables? Suppose
an animal weighs more or less?
7. Discuss the practical use of Wolff standards.
8. What are the energy value feeding standards?
wm ON
On
CHAPTER XX
HOW TO CALCULATE A RATION
The method of calculating a ration is very simple, and
can easily be put in practice by anyone who knows how to
add, multiply, and subtract. There is nothing complicated
about it. The fact that many farmers with only common
school training figure out the rations for their stock, is evi-
dence enough to support this statement. Many men feeding
dairy cows study carefully the composition and cost of feeds,
and then figure out the best rations available, that will
agree as nearly as possible with the standard.
The first step in calculating a ration is to find out the
amounts of dry matter, protein, carbohydrates, and fat in
the ration one is feeding, or is planning to feed. In
this chapter, only the most common feeds used over
much of the United States will be considered. We will
figure out the ration for a dairy cow weighing 1000
pounds and making about 22 pounds of milk a day. Let us
plan to feed this cow a daily ration say of 10 pounds red
clover hay, 30 pounds corn silage, 5 pounds corn-and-cob
meal, and 3 pounds bran. To use a good system in the
starting of the work, we will arrange the different parts in
proper order for study, which is as follows:
Kation for 1000 pound dairy cow producing 22 pounds of milk a day.
Digestible nutrients ae
5 ene sds Nutmuve
Carbohy- ratio
Dry Si > 2 ena ecaaenee
Protein drates Fat
Feeds matter
Td vac lowed cosvccleanccsfesccceucs
CE HS Ce Pe, Sr
merm-and-cob meal,Slbs|........|.......[.......006]: oe fae
Bran, 3 lbs
282 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
The second step in calculating the ration will be to find
out how much dry matter, and digestible protein, carbo-
hydrates, and fat, occur in each of the amounts of the dif-
ferent feeds, and write these figures in the proper blank
places in the table. Turning now to page 387, in the back of
the book, you will find Table A, showing the amount of
dry matter and digestible nutrients in 100 pounds of a
number of different feeding stuffs. The composition of each
of those to be fed this cow can be easily found. Let us take
red clover hay for our first calculation.
Red Clover Hay
DRY MATTER PROTEIN CARBOHYDRATES FatT
100 lbs. contain 84.7 lbs. 7.1 Ibs. 37.8 Ibs. 1.8 lb.
Then 10 ]1bs. contain 8.47 lbs. 0.71 lbs. 3.78 Ibs. 0.18 lb.
Taking corn silage next, we find that
Dry MATTER PROTEIN CARBOHYDRATES FaT
100 lbs. contain 26.4 lbs. 1.4 lbs. 14.2 lbs. 0.7 lb.
Then 30 lbs. contain 7.92 lbs. 0.42 Ibs. 4.26 lbs. 0.21 lb.
Corn and Cob Meal
DRY MATTER PROTEIN CARBOHYDRATES Fat
100 lbs. contain 84.9lbs. 4.4 Ibs. 60. Ibs. 2.9 lbs.
Then 5 lbs. contain 4.24 lbs. 0.22 lbs. 3.0 lbs. 0.145 lb.
Coming last to bran, we find that
Dry MATTER PROTEIN CARBOHYDRATES Fat
100 lbs. contain 88.1lbs. 11.9 lbs. 42.0 lbs. 2.5 Ibs.
Then 3lbs.contain 2.64lbs. 0.36 lbs. 1.26 Ibs. 0.075 lb.
If we have copied these figures as soon as worked out,
into the blank places fixed for them in the table on page 281,
then we shall have the following, after we have added
up the totals: |
|
HOW TO CALCULATE A RATION 283
Ration for 1000 pound dairy cow producing 22 pounds of milk a day.
Digestive nutrients
- Feeds ary. | | ie iave
matter pprarenn pir die Fat ratio
Red clover hay, 10 lbs..| 8.47 0.71 aie? | OAS
Corn silage, 30 lbs. . 7.92 0.42 4.26 | 0.21
eco meal, 65h. :
lbs. Bee ae 4.24. 0.22 a00” "OPS
Bran 3 lbs... ee ee ee 2.64 0.36 $26 = (4075
| U2 i an ay Meg ae ier GS 12250 0.61 1:8
Wolt standard....... 29.00 2.50 13.00 | 0.50 aT
A shortage of...... 5a 0.79 .70 LET
tExcess.
If we look in Table B, on page 388, in the back of this
book, we will find the Wolff feeding standards for some of the
different farm animals, with 1000 pounds live weight as
* a basis. In looking over this, we notice that a 1000-pound
dairy cow producing 22 pounds of milk a day requires daily
29 pounds dry matter, 2.5 pounds protein, 13 pounds carbo-
hydrates, 0.5 pound fat, with a nutritive ratio of 1:5.7.
A comparison of this standard with the ration fed, shows
that our proposed ration is short of dry matter by 5.73
pounds; or protein, by 0.79 pound; of carbohydrates, by
0.70 pound; but has an excess of 0.11 pound fat. The
nutritive ratio of 1:8 is also too wide.
The third step in computing the ration will be to correct
or improve it so that it will compare more favorably with the
required standard. If we can add some home-grown con-
centrate that is strong in protein, but lacking carbohydrates,
it may balance things. It does not make so much dif-
ference about the amount of dry matter, so long as we do
not greatly exceed that of the standard. Neither is it likely
that the ration will contain too much fat. However, it is
284 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
desirable to adjust the protein and carbohydrates fairly
closely in amounts to those in the standard. We might use
cotton-seed meal, or oil meal, as a trial, to balance up this
ration, but to use a home-grown product that is getting more
and more common, we will use soy beans, though they must
be fed cracked or ground. Let us then add 3 pounds of the
soy beans to the rest of the ration. Turning to the table of
the composition of feeding stuffs, on page 387, we find that:
Soy Beans
DRY MATTER PROTEIN CARBOHYDRATES FatT
100 Ibs. contains 88.3 lbs. 29.1 lbs. 23.3 Ibs. 14.6 lbs.
Then 3lbs.contains 2.65lbs. 0.87 lbs. 0.7 lbs. 0.44 lb.
Adding this to the total in the original ration, we have the
following:
DRY MATTER PROTEIN CARBOHYDRATES Fat
Tetal-original |: ...-': 23:27 the. *- Ei tbs. 12.30 lbs. 0.61 lb.
3 lbs. soy beans... 2.65 lbs. 0.87 lbs. 0.70 lbs. 044]b. ©
Total........... 25.92lbs. 2.58lbs. 13.00lbs. _1.05 Mb.
The standard......«. 29.00 lbs. 2.50 lbs. 13.00 Ibs. 0.50 Ib.
Excess or deficit —3.08 lbs. -+.08 lbs. Correct +.55 Ib.
Nutritive ratio, 1:5.9. Standard, 1:5.7.
This ration shows a shortage in dry matter of 3 pounds,
a very slight increase of protein, and quite an increase in
fat. These differences, however, are not important. The
nutritive ratio agrees fairly well with the standard. There-
fore we may consider this ration properly calculated and cor-
rected to suit the animal’s needs.
The adjustment of rations to the standard is not usually
difficult. An increase in dry matter and carbohydrates is
easily secured with the hays or most of our common feed
stuffs. If a ration needs most attention in the protein, then
some concentrate such as soy beans, cotton-seed meal,
linseed oil meal, or tankage may be selected. The cost of the
{
al
as
@
HOW TO CALCULATE A RATION 285
feed is an important matter, and should be carefully con-
sidered. Some feeding stuffs, like cotton-seed meal, oil
meal, or tankage, that are not common in some localities,
are easily purchased and shipped in by freight, and may often
_be used with much advantage and profit. These are high-
class concentrates, and are extensively purchased by feeders
of stock in countries where but a comparatively small amount
of feed is grown, as in England and Holland, for example.
The regulation of the ration to the animal’s weight is
not difficult. If this cow had weighed 750 pounds instead
of 1000, then the total amount of dry matter and of each
nutrient, would need to be decreased about one fourth,
or 25 per cent. If the ration was for a cow weighing 1250
pounds, then this would require an increase in the ration of
about one fourth. One does not change the proportions in
the feeding combination. It is simply a proportionate
increase or decrease in amount fed, to meet the needs of the
animal.
Are the Wolff standards reliable? is a question quite
likely to be asked. Years ago, when the German tables
were first introduced to America, they were criticised by some
of our students of feeding. Several persons showed by
experiments that where animals were fed the maintenance
rations proposed by Wolff, that they would gain in weight.
Of course an animal should neither lose nor gain on such a
ration. Professor Haecker of Minnesota, and other experi-
menters, showed that Wolff proposed to feed more dry matter
and protein than was needed by the dairy cow, under certain
conditions. Haecker also considered that dairy cows should
be fed according to both the amount and quality of the milk.
In general, investigations in America have shown that less
protein is required for dairy animals than is given in the Ger-
man standards. Probably two pounds of protein, or very
286 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
slightly over, are required, as compared with 24% recom-
mended in the Wolff table. These standards, however, are
a guide to intelligent feeding. One is not expected to
measure out to each animal an exact amount of dry matter
and nutrients to just agree with the standards, but rather
to so combine the feeds, that they will furnish the balanced
ration reasonably well.
Other feeding standards than Wolff’s have been pro-
posed. Kellner, anoted German student of animal nutrition,
has proposed a standard in which starch is the unit of value.
Armsby, a leading American investigator, has offered a
standard which is based on the energy or heat value of food
referred to in the preceding chapter. He has prepared a
table showing the values of certain feeds in protein and net
digestible energy, expressing the energy value in therms.
He has also prepared other tables showing what is required
as a maintenance standard for horses, cattle, and sheep,
and also for growing cattle and sheep. The important
feature of the work of the more recent investigators, is that
they figure that each animal requires a certain amount of
nutriment for maintenance, after making allowances for
losses of energy in digestion and assimilation. ‘They then
add to the nutrients of maintenance enough more to meet the
special body needs, to produce growth, milk, wool, or energy
for external work. These changed views on standards have
been made possible by the use of the digestion calorimeter
in which animals as large as full-grown cattle are placed.
With this apparatus, the experimenter can measure up the
losses from the body through respiration and through heat
and moisture from the body surface. Such information as
this was not available at the time Wolff introduced his feed-
ing standards. Thus far, but little practical application of
the energy standard of value has been made by feeders.
HOW TO CALCULATE A RATION 287
This subject, however, is being carefully studied, and later
these standards, or revised ones, may come into general use.
SOME RATION PROBLEMS
1. Given a 1000-pound horse at medium work. He is fed 10
pounds oats, 10 pounds timothy hay, and 10 pounds ear corn a day.
How does this agree with Wolff’s standard?
2. A steer weighing 1500 pounds, nearly fattened, consumes daily
20 pounds clover hay, 18 pounds corn-and-cob meal, and 5 pounds
cotton-seed meal. ds this satisfactory?
3. Make up a ration for a 500-pound brood sow, and figure out how
it compares with the standard.
4, Feed 2 pounds alfalfa hay a day to a fattening sheep weighing
100 pounds. How much and what kind of grain will you feed to adjust
the ration to standard?
CHAPTER XXI
COARSE FEEDS AND THEIR VALUE
The coarse feeds include the grasses and clovers of dif-
ferent kinds, the cereals (as forage), straws, silage, roots,
rape, cabbage, or any similar feeds, whether green or dried
as hay. Anything of a bulky nature, of which an animal
must eat considerable to obtain much nutriment, is a coarse
feed. In the dried form, like hay or corn stover, the western
farmer has been accustomed to refer to them as fodder, or
roughage. In some sections of our country, farmers have
certain feeds that are more common than in other parts of
the country. Farmers in the North, for example, look to red
clover or timothy hay for standard roughage; in Alabama,
cow pea hay, or Japanese clover is common; while in Kansas
and Colorado, alfalfa is a standard. Some plants, however,
are more commonly grown than others, and so will receive
special attention in a brief way in this chapter.
PASTURES, GREEN GRASSES, AND HAYS —
The value of the grasses depends upon their development.
When grass is young and very green, especially in spring, it
contains a large percentage of water, and is greatly relished
by stock. As it matures, the amount of protein and total
nutriment increases. Usually we find the food constituents,
especially protein, most digestible when the plant is in full
bloom. After that period the stalk and leaves grow more |
woody and less nutritious; and if left todevelop for long after
- blooming, neither the pasture nor the hay is eaten with the
oreatest relish.
| COARSE FEEDS AND THEIR VALUE 289
~ Kentucky blue grass, or June grass, is one of the most
nutritious and best pasture grasses. It grows extensively
in the United States east of the Mississippi, though sparsely
in the Gulf states. No other grass is more relished for spring
pasture by grazing animals. The roots spread out near the
surface of the ground and form a beautiful sod. In moist
weather and under fair conditions, the grass furnishes an
abundance of fine leaves, supplying splendid pasture. Dur-
ing the summer, many pastures dry up and look as though
Fig. 153. Onan Ohio blue grass pasture. Photograph by the author.
dead, but fall rains revive them, and they again become green
and vigorous. In some sections, stock is pastured on the
dead blue grass of winter, not much other feed being given,
and with very good satisfaction. Kentucky blue grass is
not usually valued for hay, but is known universally as a
valuable pasture grass.
Timothy is a standard grass commonly grown on the
heavier soils of the North. It is frequently used for pasture,
and makes a highly valued hay for horses. As a pasture
grass, timothy is not the best. It does not stand trampling
290 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
as well as some others, having small bulbs at the ground, with
fine roots just beneath them, which are injured by heavy
pasturing. ‘This grass is generally somewhat coarse, but if
it is thickly seeded, more plants grow to the acre, and as a
result they are finer and more palatable. Timothy cut and
cured immediately after the pollen falls from the blossom
makes the best hay. Under usual conditions, this is an
excellent hay for horses, but not so well suited to cattle and
sheep. Care should be
taken to see that tim-
othy hay is bright and
free from dust.
Red top is a fine grass
in appearance, and makes
an excellent pasture. It
is quite common in cer-
tain sections North and
South, but is not gener-
Fig. 154. A good cover for the stack é
of hay. Photograph by courtesy Prof.A.G. ally abundant in the
McCall.
cooler grass-growing sec-
tions, probably doing better on the damper lowlands
than elsewhere. It makes a very palatable and nu-
tritious hay.
Orchard grass is common in some sections in the north-
eastern parts of the United States. It grows in tussocks,
or bunches, so that the turf from this plant is somewhat
uneven, hence is not liked so well as some other grasses for
pasture. It starts up early in spring, and has a strong, rather
coarse growth, with hardly as smooth a stem as timothy. It
is not quite as nutritious as timothy, ranking just below it.
It may be grown to advantage with red clover, and often
is, in the Middle West. It is best suited for horses and cattle,
though should be cut as hay before getting very ripe. |
a
COARSE FEEDS AND THEIR VALUE 291
Millet is grown in a number of varieties. Hungarian
grass is the smallest form, and reaches a height usually of
about two feet, with a single, small, bristly head. This
makes very fair hay. German Millet is somewhat larger
and coarser than Hungarian, and has a larger head, though
of the same type. Both of these millets may be sown in
early summer, and often they make a very rapid growth and
furnish an abundant hay crop in a short season. Millets are
not generally used in pastures. When heavily seeded they
make very good hay for cattle and sheep. Caution should
be used in feeding this hay to horses, as it is thought by some
to cause kidney trouble if fed very heavily. The millets
may be grown over much of the country.
Brome grass has been cultivated some in the Northwest,
where it has been used as pasture and for hay. At the North
Dakota station it is used for permanent pasture, and is
ranked as much richer in protein than timothy. It also
yields about the same quantity of feed per acre as timothy.
Bermuda grass in the South is a standard pasture. This
plant grows a perfect network of roots near the surface, and
covers the ground as with a mat. It is a very nutritious
pasture plant, and has a most valuable place in Southern
agriculture. It will stand heavy pasturing, and may be
used from March to November. If grown on rich soil, very
heavy cuttings of hay may be expected. Bermuda grass
contains over 6 per cent protein and about 45 per cent car-
bohydrates, excelling in protein any other common grass.
Mixed grasses are frequently sown for pasture in the
Northern states, timothy, red top, orchard grass, and clover
forming the usual combination. Prairie grass is usually a
mixture, and somewhat resembles timothy in feeding value.
292 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
THE CEREALS AS FORAGE
Indian corn is perhaps the most common plant grown on
the American continent. Except in the arid lands, it thrives
from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and from the Gulf to Canada.
It isthe universal crop of the Mississippi Valley, and furnishes
more food from an acre of ground than any other common
crop. Itis keenly relished by horses, cattle, and sheep, both
in the green state and as dried roughage. No other plant in
summer furnishes so much succulent feed as Indian corn.
Grown somewhat thickly, the stalks are finer than common,
Fig. 155. Cutting the corn crop with a corn harvester, which ties the corn
in bundles. Photograph by courtesy Minn. Agr. Exp. Station.
and give a large yield of either green fodder or dried forage
that is quite completely eaten by cattle and horses. In the
North, corn produces a smaller plant than in the South, and
gives a smaller yield of forage. Very large, heavy stalks,
such as are frequently seen in the corn belt, are not so
desirable for feeding as those of more moderate size. About
one-third of the digestible food is found in the stalk, and two-
thirds in the ear. The complete cured plant and ear is com-
monly known as corn fodder, and after the ear is removed
it is called corn stover. The dry stover, with the help of a
| i
COARSE FEEDS AND THEIR VALUE 293
little grain, is valuable for roughing stock through the winter,
if much fattening is not desired. It is a bulky feed, and
should not be fed heavily to animals from which much is
expected. The plant contains the largest amount of nutri-
ment when the kernels on the ear are beginning to glaze or
harden, but it may be cut for feeding at any time from the
appearance of the silk to final ripening. Fodder left out
in the shock during the winter is injured more or less in
feeding value, losing in nutriment through mould and
weathering.
Oats do best in the cooler sections of the North, but so-
called winter oats do well in the South. This crop may be
pastured or may be cut and fed green when of sufficient
maturity. In New England many farmers grow oats to
cut and cure as hay when the grain is in the milk. Oat
straw is one of the best, both in nutritive value and in being
relished by stock. A combination of oats and Canada field
peas, from equal amounts of seed sowed early in spring,
makes a very desirable green crop for feeding in June and
~ July.
Rye has been much used both as fall and spring pasture.
It mats up into a thick growth, and can be grazed with
advantage to the grain yield if not pastured too long or too
heavily, or it may be cut green and fed in the stable or feed
lot. Many people grow rye and turn stock on it to harvest
it entirely. Hogs are frequently turned in, and they con-
sume both stalk and grain. Dairy cattle should not be fed
rye, except soon after milking, otherwise a strong and
unpleasant odor in the plant will be likely to give a bad
flavor to the milk. Rye straw is a very poor feed, having
less than one per cent protein and a great deal of fiber.
Wheat and barley may be used after the same manner
as rye, and have much the same value, though they are not
294 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
pastured as advantageously as the rye. Barley makes a
nice soft hay, and is relished by stock of all kinds. Of the
cereal straws, barley ranks close to oats as one of the best.
THE LEGUMES FOR FORAGE AND HAY
Legumes, which include the clovers, alfalfa, beans, peas,
etc., grow easily over much of the United States. They
are valuable chiefly because of the large percentage of pro-
tein they contain, and from the fact that they are highly
relished by live stock. The lime in the legumes is also a
valuable feature of these plants, for it is needed in building
up the animal frame. The legumes have an extensive root
development, and have the power of fixing the nitrogen of
the air in the soil, through the agency of a kind of bacteria
that are found especially in knots or nodules lecated on the
roots. These nodules are rich in nitrogen, and where legumes
are grown, the land is increased in fertility and improved in
texture.
Red Clover is extremely common in the Miuississippi
Valley. One hundred pounds of the dried hay contain
about 7 pounds of digestible protein and 38 of carbohy-
drates. As a feed for cattle and sheep, it is considered ex-
cellent. As a pasture it ranks high; and in the corn belt,
a combination of clover pasture in the late summer and fall,
supplemented with ear corn, is a favorite ration for hogs.
Brood sows and sheep do well on clover pasture. A large
crop of green feed may be cut from a good stand of clover
during the season, and this makes splendid feed for all
kinds of farm stock. At the Wisconsin station, as much
as 26 tons of green feed were obtained in 3 cuttings from —
an acre of red clover. If to be used for hay, red clover should
be cut when the blossoms are in full development, at which
time it contains the most nutriment. Clover should be
a
-
COARSE FEEDS AND THEIR VALUE 295
cured carefully and protected from the wet as much as pos-
sible after cutting. When clover hay is well cured and
reasonably free from dust, it may be fed to horses with advan-
tage.
Alfalfa is rapidly becoming a very popular plant in
America. In the irrigated sections of the West it has long
been a leading crop. In recent years, its cultivation has
been greatly extended, so that now it is grown with success
over much of the United States, north and south, and also
-Fig. 156. In a field of red clover in Indiana. Photograph by the author.
in some parts of Canada. From two to five crops a year
may be harvested. At the New Jersey experiment station,
5 cuttings yielded 261% tons of green forage, equivalent to
almost 6 tons of dry matter per acre. Alfalfa is a plant that
is rich in protein, and the dried hay is often compared with
wheat bran in composition and feeding value. The fact 1s,
alfalfa is so close to bran in protein and carbohydrate con-
tent that in some sections of the West it is ground and fed
in a meal-like form. Large quantities of special feed stuffs
are made of this alfalfa meal, and are sold in nearly all parts
296 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
of the country. Alfalfa makes fine pasturage, especially for
sheep and hogs, but it is not generally used for this purpose.
It is undesirable to pasture it much, as heavy trampling
injures the crowns of the roots. Neither should it be pas-
tured very closely. A combination of alfalfa pasture and
corn makes a splendid ration. When sheep or hogs are
turned on this pasture, they should first have a good fill of
hay, and should be kept constantly on the green feed from
then on, by which method, bloat will be prevented. When
made into hay, the plants should be cut at about the time
Fig. 157. A field of alfalfa hay at ae State University. Photograph by the
author.
new shoots begin to appear about the crown of the root, and
when the buds are beginning to open. The plant should be
cured so as to hold as much bright green leaf as possible.
As hay, this plant is unsurpassed. It is suited to horses,
cattle, sheep, and hogs. All these animals like it, and do
well on it. Corn is one of the best feeds to give with it. In
the West, large numbers of sheep are fattened on corn and
alfalfa. Brood sows do well on alfalfa hay and a little corn.
This plant is one of the most valuable feeds used today on
the stock farm.
ak
COARSH FEEDS AND THEIR VALUE 297
The soy bean thrives over a wide extent of territory, and
is meeting with considerable favor as a forage crop, and also
for its seed. This plant is rich in protein, and combines
unusually well with corn. Hogs have done well when pas-
tured upon soy beans. It is also grown to some extent with
corn, for the purpose of har- — :
vesting the two plants as one
crop for the silo. Under some |.
conditions this combination |
gives very nearly a balanced
ration.
The cow pea is mostly
grown in the South. It is
planted to some extent in the
middle Mississippi Valley, |
although it does not usually |
ripen seed in the North. It
produces a great amount of
forage, which is much valued
for. grazing and for plowing and “Soy beans at Ohio State Uni
See the peas are rich in So, Eotograph by courtesy
protein, and the yield is very
satisfactory. ‘This is one of the most valuable plants grown
in the South, for grazing, for hay, and for seed. The hay
may be used to some extent as a substitute for bran.
Canada field peas in the northern part of the country,
make a valuable green crop for soiling, especially if planted
with oats early in spring. A seeding of oats, followed imme-
diately by one of peas on the same land, using about one and
a-half bushel of each seed to the acre, gives one of the very
best green feeds for early and middle summer use. ‘This com-
bination may be safely fed to farm animals generally, and
298 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
they all like it. If desired, it can easily be cured into a very
good grade of hay.
SILAGE
Silage is a feed more or less green and succulent, pre-
served in what is called a silo. Green feed is cut and stored
in the silo, where it goes through a process of fermentation,
with slight loss of its protein and carbohydrates. Under
fair management this loss need not be over ten per cent.
Fig. 159. A cement silo on a dairy farm. Photograph by courtesy of The
Farmer. f
The silo is one of the most valuable things on the stock
farm, for in it feed can be stored more economically than in
any other way.
Silage may be made from a variety of plants, but at the
present time corn is used nearly altogether. That is because
it combines the largest yield of the most easily stored forage
of all crops generally relished by stock. Sorghum, clover,
cow peas, soy beans, and alfalfa are sometimes used. With
the exception of sorghum, these plants are not always stored
in the silo with satisfaction, as they may heat badly and sus-
COARSE FEEDS AND THEIR VALUE 299
tain considerable loss in food value, unless well handled.
For this reason, corn silage only will be discussed here.
Sorghum and kaffir corn may be preserved in the silo equally
well with corn.
The chief value of silage lies in the fact that it enables
the stockman to give his cattle and sheep, especially, a suc-
culent feed during the months of the year when the pastures
are dead and no green feed is obtainable. If one has plenty
of silage, then he is quite independent of summer drouth.
In fact, many owners of dairy cattle feed silage the year
round. Because of its tender, succulent nature and the con-
venience of handling, it is well adapted to all seasons.
The corn crop is usually harvested when the kernels
are turning into the glaze. It then is run through a forage
cutter and cut into pieces about half an inch long. In this
condition it is spread about in the silo and allowed to settle.
As usually made, it contains about 11% per cent protein.
The dry matter in silage is worth no more than that in corn
fodder, chemically considered, but cattle especially seem to
respond to this feed, with increase of milk flow and a better
condition of body, than when on dry fodder. Many feeding
experiments have shown that corn silage is most desirable
for dairy cows, and very favorable reports are being made on
its use in beef production. Itis well suited to sheep. Horses
will do well on it when fed with moderation. For hogs,
however, silage is too bulky and unsatisfactory and is rarely
fed to them, and then with little benefit in most cases. In
general, hay and some grain should be fed with silage. For
cattle, from 25 to 35 pounds a day is a common ration
while for sheep from 3 to 5 pounds daily is ample.
Rape is a plant that belongs to the same family as the
turnip and radish, and is grown for its succulent leaves. It
is used exclusively for pasturage for sheep and hogs and is
a i
300 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
well suited to the cooler sections of the country or to cool
seasons. In Canada and the northern United States rape
is an extremely popular pasture plant among sheep breeders.
Three or four pounds of seed per acre will do for a seeding,
and stock may be turned on the field after the leaves have
become large and succulent. Rape will stand considerable
frost without damage. At the Michigan station, 15 acres
of rape pastured 128 lambs for 714 weeks, during which time
they gained 2890 pounds. From this trial it was established
that one acre of rape pastured nine lambs seven weeks, pro-
ducing 203 pounds of increase. For sheep and hogs, rape
furnishes a most valuable late summer and fall pasture. It
may also be sown in early spring, so that we may secure the
pasture during the entire growing season.
ROOT CROPS
Although all farm animals relish roots, these crops can-
not usually be grown with profit in America, on account of
the high cost of labor. In Canada and northern United
States, roots may be grown with great success on fertile
soils, but south of latitude 40, as a rule they do not yield so
well.
The mangold or mangel-wurzel, a large, coarse beet, is
the most easily and cheaply grown of the roots used for stock
feeding. The roots consist of about 90 per cent water, and
of the dry matter, only 1 per cent or even less is protein.
A yield of 10 tons per acre is not uncommon. The chief
virtue of the roots is that they are succulent and are most
palatable, and keep the digestive organs of the animal in a
healthy, open condition. They are usually fed after being
run through a pulping or slicing machine, which puts the
root in nice shape for feeding. Many feeders in England
and Scotland, where roots are extensively used, mix the
COARSE FEEDS AND THEIR VALUE 301
sliced root with chaffed hay or straw and grain, which makes
a fine ration. One may feed cattle as high as 100 pounds of
roots a day, but as a rule about 40 or 50 pounds is best.
Sheep do especially well on roots, and in Great Britain and
Canada they are commonly fed to these animals, from 5 to
7 pounds per day.
Carrots are slightly more nutritious than mangels, but
are more difficult to grow, and do not yield so large a crop.
They are raised especially for horses, and are fed to them with
more success than other roots.
Swede turnips, flat turnips, and rutabagas are all good
for stock and have much the same wholesome effect as
mangels and carrots.
CAN YOU TELL
1. Why the feeding value of a grass depends on its stage of develop-
2. Why timothy is a standard grass for horses?
3. Why, in the opinion of some, millet should be fed with caution?
4. Where and why Bermuda grass is popular?
5. Why Indian corn is so valuable to the farmer?
6. How the legumes add to soil fertility?
7. Something about alfalfa?
8. Wherein lies the special value of silage?
9. Why roots are not grown more for stock in America?
10. How many pounds of roots a day should be fed the different
kinds of farm animals?
SUGGESTIONS
11. Bring in small samples of different kinds of roughage used on
the farm on which you live.
12. Bring to the class about a half-pound sample of average hay
such as you are commonly using on the farm. Compare with the other
class samples.
302 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
13. Find the nitrogen-carrying nodules on legume roots.
14. Feed some green rye to a milch cow three hours before milking.
How did this affect the milk?
15. Learn who puts up the best hay in your neighborhood, study
his methods and report on them.
16. How many silos are there in your township or section, and te
what animals is the silage fed?
CHAPTER XXII
CONCENTRATED FEEDS AND THEIR VALUE
A concentrated feeding stuff is, as one would naturally
- suppose, just the opposite of roughage. The two most com-
mon forms are seen in the grains of cereals and some other
agricultural plants, and in the by-products of mills, where the
cereals are converted into flour, breakfast foods, starch, ete.
There are some other concentrates, that are products of such
large manufacturing industries as the linseed and cotton-seed
oil mills, and the packing houses. These are all called con-
centrates, because as a rule they lack in coarse, fibrous
structure, and contain larger percentages of protein and
starchy matter than do forage plants. For example, the
grain of corn is a concentrate, one hundred pounds of which
contains fully three times as much digestible protein and
twice as much digestible carbohydrates, as are found in corn
fodder. Using another illustration, gluten feed, which is
made as a by-product in the manufacturing of starch from
corn, contains three times as much protein as does the same
weight of corn.
The cost of concentrated feeds is always much greater
than that of roughages. In fact, the cost of most feeds sold
on the market increases as the amount of protein in them
increases. Feeds like cotton-seed meal and tankage, con-
taining large amounts of this nutrient, are very high-priced,
although that does not mean that they are expensive feeds
to use. Sometimes the price of a certain concentrate is low
on account of a glutted market, or high because the supply is
exhausted. If, for example, the flax-seed crop of Russia and
America is very poor, then linseed oil meal is apt to be high-
304 | BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
priced, and perhaps would cost more than it is really worth.
There is no special rule, however, about that matter, and
sometimes business combinations control the prices of such
feeds, so that one must pay without regard to the actual sup-
ply on the market. The following concentrates are quite
commonly used, and are those which one should know some-
thing about.
CEREALS AND THEIR BY-PRODUCTS
Indian corn is our most common grain. It is a food rich
in carbohydrates and fat, and is especially valued for fatten-
ing animals. It is often called a heating food, on account of
its heat or energy value. It is greatly relished by all farm
animals, and may be fed on the ear, shelled, or milled into
pure meal, or the entire ear may be ground into what we call
corn-and-cob meal. While corn is rich in fattening material,
it lacks in ash, or mineral matters, so that when fed alone it
furnishes a rather one-sided ration. Except during the last
part of the fattening period, it should be fed along with some
feed rich in protein and ash, such as bran, middlings, ete.
There are different races of corn. In the more northern
parts of the country, asin New England, a small to medium-
sized plant, with a somewhat slender ear, covered with hard,
flinty kernels, is grown. This is called flint corn. Over
most of the country a larger plant, with thicker ears, covered
with longer kernels, dented at the outer end, is grown. This
is known as dent corn, and makes up most of the corn crop of
the United States. Besides these two, we: have sugar, or
sweet corn, which has a rough-surfaced ear that may be very
small or of medium size, covered with kernels that when dry ~
are somewhat shrivelled and tough. This sweet corn con-
tains some glucose sugar, which accounts for the pleasant
taste of the grain. ;
CONCENTRATED FEEDS | 305
Corn meal is the ground grain without the cob. The
usual run of such meal on the farm is rather coarse and is
often: cracked or crushed rather than finely ground. In
some sections, the farmer calls it “corn chop.” Ordinarily,
it does not pay to grind the grain, although it is more com-
pletely digested than is the whole kernel, but the expense
of grinding usually offsets any advantage, except for some
special purpose.
Corn-and-cob meal is the kernel and cob ground up
together. If the cob is not too coarse, such feed is excellent
for cattle and sheep. Feeding experiments have shown that
100 pounds of corn-and-cob meal fed to these animals will
give returns equal to 100 pounds of pure corn meal. The
reason given for this is that the ground cob makes the meal
more porous, allowing the juices of the stomach in digesting
the food, to mix more easily with the corn and porous cob
meal, than with the pure meal, which is inclined to become
heavy and soggy. This feed is not good for hogs, unless
ground very fine, as it contains too much woody fiber. It is
better for cattle.
Gluten feed is a product of factories where starch is made
from corn. It consists of what is left of the grain after the
starch and germ have been removed, and is quite rich in
digestible protein, containing about 20 per cent. Cattle
and sheep are fond of it, and it is a mill product of much value
in balancing a ration for these animals. Gluten meal,
another product of the starch factory, richer in protein than
gluten feed, was formerly sold separately. At present it is
usually ground in with the gluten feed.
Hominy feed is a by-product of the hominy mill. It
resembles a fine whitish corn meal when made from white
corn, and consists of the hulls and other parts of the corn
grain ground up together. Its feeding value is quite the
306 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
same as corn meal, and it is excellent for cattle, sheep, and
hogs, all eating it with a relish.
Wheat is not usually fed to animals, unless it is very low
in price. It becomes somewhat pasty when ground in the
mouth, as everyone knows who has lived in a wheat country.
It contains about 10 per cent digestible protein, and belongs
in the class of feeds fairly rich in this substance. All animals
are fond of wheat, but it should be crushed or cracked before
feeding to horses, cattle, or hogs. This is not necessary with
sheep. Wheat tends to make animals muscular or lean and
hence its feeding value is greatly improved by the addition
of an equal amount of corn.
Wheat bran is the outer covering of the kernel. In the
big flour mills, the kernel is crushed to obtain the flour, and
the thin outer fibrous covering is removed as bran. This
contains about 12 per cent protein, and is a standard con-
centrate for feeding horses, cattle, and sheep. We say that
bran is a laxative, and keeps the digestive system cool and
open, a very necessary thing with farm animals. Stockmen
have always regarded bran as especially valuable. It has
recently been found by chemists to contain an acid substance
called phytin, which causes beneficial effects on the digestion.
Wheat bran is well suited to mix with corn or oats, or may
be fed alone to stock. Many horsemen feed it in the form
of a thick, wet, warm slop, called ‘‘bran mash.” Bran is
even more of a muscle and bone making food than wheat,
and most students of feeding use it for young, growing
animals. There are brans made from spring wheat, such
as is grown in the Northwest, and from winter wheat.
There is not much difference between them, but the bran —
from winter wheat usually contains somewhat more flour
than that from spring wheat.
CONCENTRATED FEEDS 307
‘Wheat middlings and shorts are also by-products from
flour mills. Middlings are much finer than shorts, and
contain more flour. Shorts is sometimes bran re-ground,
hence is finer than bran. Bran, middlings, and shorts are
much alike in digestible protein content, containing around
12 per cent. Middlings and shorts contain rather more
carbohydrates than does bran. Middlings are especially
valuable as a hog feed, being used with corn or corn meal.
Good results have been secured by feeding hogs a mixture of
half corn meal and half middlings. On the market, middlings
usually sell for about two dollars more a ton than bran. If
one can buy bran or middlings, he will not need shorts, which
are too fine for bran and too coarse for middlings.
Wheat screenings usually consist of shrunken, broken
grains of wheat, mixed with weed seeds, pieces of straw,
etc. The value of screenings depends upon the amount of
grain in it. It has been very extensively fed to fattening
sheep in America, especially in the Northwest, near the flour
mills. Sheep do well on screenings, and if one can buy at a
cheap enough price, it is a good feed to use.
Oats are a standard feed for farm animals in all agri-
cultural countries. They contain about 101% per cent
digestible protein, as compared with about 81% in wheat, but
have less carbohydrates and more fat than the wheat. It
has often been thought that oats contained some substance
that gave life and snap to animals beyond that furnished by
any other grain, but chemists have not been able to find this
mystical something. Still, it is generally agreed that oats
do produce a most excellent effect on the horse, far better
than any other grain. Some oats are more chaffy than
others. Northern grown oats are plumper and weigh more
than Southern oats. In fact, oats do better in the cooler
sections of our country, and yield far larger crops. For
308 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
horses no other food is so widely used in America or Europe.
It is not likely to cause indigestion, and is a safe feed. It is
best suited to cattle and hogs when crushed or ground, while
sheep will do equally well on it in any form. For young,
growing animals it 1s one of the best feeds we have; for like
bran, it helps to build up a strong, muscular frame. Often
oats are very expensive, and their purchase should depend
considerably on the cost and the purpose for which they are
intended.
Oat hulls are very poor as a feed stuff, for they contain
but little nutriment, and are too largely fiber. They are fre-
quently mixed with commercial feed stuffs to act as a“‘filler.”
Barley is a very hard small grain, that as commonly
grown, is covered with a strong husk. It is rich in earbo-
hydrates, and has slightly more protein than corn. It is
not commonly fed to farm animals in America, but is very
popular in northern Europe. Horses will do well on barley,
while barley meal as a feed for swine ranks very high in
Canada and Europe. Experiments have shown that pigs
fed barley make a superior quality of bacon. It should be
crushed or ground before feeding.
Brewers’ grains are a by-product in the manufacture of
beer. Barley is put through a process of sprouting, after
which it is dried and the sprouts rubbed off. The remaining
mass of barley kernels is malted barley. This is then soaked
in tanks, and the sugar or malt, formed in the kernel by the
sprouting, is extracted, and is fermented to make lager beer.
What is left is wet brewers’ grains. These in the wet form
contain about 75 per cent water and 5 per cent digestible
protein. They are relished by cattle, and are much fed in
the vicinity of cities where breweries are located. In sum- —
mer they become sour and putrid, unless eaten a few days
after making. Dried brewers’ grains are made by removing
CONCENTRATED FEEDS 309
the moisture in big steel drums. This leaves a dry grain,
with about 20 per cent digestible protein and 30 per cent car-
bohydrates, which makes a valuable feed for horses, cattle,
and sheep. It has been used with success as a substitute for
oats as a feed for horses, when oats were high in price.
Rye is quite similar to wheat in composition.. It makes a
_good feed for the same purposes that wheat is used. It has
a somewhat stronger flavor than other grains, and when fed
to dairy cows, tends to give an objectionable taste to milk.
If fed, it should be given right after milking.
Linseed oil meal is the product of flax seed. This seed
contains about 30 per cent oil. ‘The manufacturers of linseed
oil grind the seed, and extract the oil by pressure, leaving
long, brown, board-like cakes, as a by-product. This is
broken up, or ground, and fed as linseed oil cake or linseed
oil meal. It contains about 30 per cent digestible protein,
and slightly more of carbohydrates. All farm animals are
most fond of this product, and it is used to some extent by
many feeders. It softens the skin of animals and gives a
silky lustre to the hair. It is often used in so-called con-
dition powders, to make up much of the bulk of them. It
should form from one-tenth to one-fifth of the ration, accord-
ing as the need exists for a highly concentrated feed to
balance the ration.
Cotton-seed meal is a by-product of the cotton-seed oil
mills. About one-fifth of the seed is oil. “The usual custom
is to remove the hard covering or hull of the seed, and then
press a dark brownish oil from the meats, which, when re-
fined, becomes an attractive golden yellow. The by-product
remains as long, yellow, board-like cakes, that contain almost
40 per cent digestible protein. It is one of the most con-
centrated and valuable feeds that we have. Small particles
of hulls are to be found in the cake, and the greater the
310 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
amount of hulls, the poorer the grade in protein of the cake.
It is best suited to cattle above ca!f age, and for sheep. Com-
bined with corn silage or stover, and with some shelled or ear
corn, it makes an excellent balanced ration. Cotton-seed
meal is not a safe feed for pigs or calves, as it has a poisonous
effect, which may result in serious sickness and death. Cot-
ton-seed mealis often one of the most economical protein foods .
that the cattle feeder can buy, considering the character of the
nutriment it contains. It is fed to some extent in the South,
along with the hulls, which largely consist of woody fiber,
and fair gains in steer feeding have come from this combina-
tion. Milk from cows fed cotton-seed meal produces a
harder butter than when corn is used. The fat of steers that
have been fed cotton-seed meal is also harder than that of
steers fed corn meal. One can easily see that in warm sec-
tions of the country, as a result of the use of this feed, butter
_ will ship better than it might if some other feed were used.
Distillers’ grains are a product of the manufacture of
alcoholic liquor, for which rye, corn, barley, and sometimes
oats, are used. The grain is mashed in water, and the starch
is changed into sugar, and later into alcohol through the
influence of yeast. The mashed grain left is very watery;
but if the water 1s removed by heat, a dried, brown, chaffy
product, rich in protein and fat, results. This is known under
various names as dried distillers’ grains, Ajax flakes, Atlas
meal, Biles’ grains, etc. Grains made from rye are inferior
to those from corn. There is quite a difference in the pro-
tein values of these grains. They are especially popular with
feeders of dairy cattle in making up a mixed grain ration.
They have a strong odor that reminds one of the smell of
hops, and some animals dislike it on account of this peculiar
smell. As yet this feed has been but little fed in America,
except to cattle.
CONCENTRATED FEEDS 311
Tankage or meat meal is a product of the beef packing
house. It is made from inferior pieces of meat and the trim-
mings, and from diseased carcasses. This meat is dried, and
sterilized in air-tight tanks, and is then ground to a meal.
It is very rich in protein, containing usually from 50 to 60
per cent, and 11 or 12 per cent fat. It is especially relished
by hogs, and since 1900 has been much used in the West
along with corn to balance up the ration. A mixture of one
part tankage and 6 to 10 of corn gives excellent results in
hog feeding. While this feed is high-priced, it is no doubt one
Fig. 160. Two lots of hogs fed at the Ohio Experiment Station. The
smaller were fed corn alone in dry lot, and the others corn and tankage. Photo-
graph by courtesy Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station.
of the most important additions to the rations of swine. The
glossy coat of hair and hearty appetite of the tankage-fed
hog are evidences of the value of this feed.
Milk is not strictly a concentrated food, but will be
briefly referred to here. As drawn from the cow it contains
about 8714 per cent water and 121% per cent solid material.
Of the’solids, about 31% to 4 per cent is usually fat and 4 to 5
per cent milk sugar. Milk is a most important food for all
young animals during the earlier stages of growth. If new
milk is fed, the young animals lay on flesh easily, and may
. a
a
Bf .
312 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
take on a strong, muscular development. If the fat is taken
from the milk, and skim milk is fed, a good frame may
develop, but the animal will not look so well fed; the skin
will not be so mellow, nor the hair so glossy. Pigs of any
age will do well on a combination of milk and a grain rich in
carbohydrates, which ration makes a very high-class pork.
Buttermilk has much the same feeding value as skim milk,
there being almost no fat in either. One should be careful
to feed only clean milk, produced under healthful conditions.
One should not feed skim milk from a creamery, unless it is
first pasteurized, so that disease germs may be more or less
completely destroyed.
SOME CONCENTRATED QUESTIONS
. What are concentrates?
. Why is corn so valuable?
. Which is better for cattle,—corn meal or corn-and-cob meal?
Why? :
. What special value has bran?
. How do oats rank as feed for horses?
. How are brewers’ grains made?
. Why recommend linseed oil meal?
. What can you say about cotton-seed meal?
. Why feed tankage?
. What is the average composition of milk?
HINTS AND SUGGESTIONS
11. Collect samples of concentrates fed in your neighborhood, and
label with name, composition, and price.
12. Make up a sample ration, specifying on a card,—
(a) Pounds of each concentrate used.
(b) Cost of each concentrate.
(c) Nutritive ratio.
(d) Kind of stock for which prepared.
13. Learn what your neighbors are feeding for Gontveninsaae cost
and how used. Can you suggest improvements?
14. Who feeds tankage, under what conditions, and with what
results?
COON GS OF > a 89 Nye
—
CHAPTER XXIII
THE CARE OF FARM ANIMALS
The intelligent care of farm animals is the key t0 suc-
cessful management and profitable results. This includes
dealing with all sorts of conditions and problems, such as the
practical stockman repeatedly meets with; injuries, sickness,
and disease and methods of treatment. It is not desirable
to discuss these in detail. There are, however, various
important things connected with the care of animals that
may fittingly be brought to the attention of the student and
stockman. }
Personal attention to the care of animals on the part of
the owner or responsible manager, 1s highly important. Too
many men leave the care of the stock to hired help who are
often indifferent or careless. This always results unsatis-
factorily. That kind of management often results in over or
under feeding, losses from disease or injury that might have
been prevented, poor physical condition of the stock, ete.
One of the most successful handlers of cattle in America,
aman with an international reputation, gives a most careful
personal supervision to his animals, from early morning until
night. In his annual sales the physical condition of his
animals and the ease with which they are handled, cause
much favorable comment. This is very largely due to the
personal attention he gives his cattle from day to day.
The feeding and watering of animals at regular periods
when not on pasture, is of the first importance. It is cus-
tomary to feed most kinds of stock twice each day, morning
and evening. Horses, however, are usually fed three times.
314 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
A common custom is to feed grain and roughage to cattle
morning and evening, with roughage at noon. The more
painstaking, thoughtful feeders often feed more than twice,
being careful as to the amount fed. A general policy should
be followed of feeding as much as an animal will eat up clean,
with good appetite, and the hunger then satisfied. The
hours of feeding depend upon special conditions. Many
persons begin feeding about 5 a. M., and give the evening
feed about twelve hours later. No rule, however, can be
made on this point. It is a good plan to have water avail-
Fig. 161. Steers eating roughage at the Ohio Station. Photograph by courtesy
Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station.
able to stock, of which they can drink as often as desired.
Horses are usually watered either before or after feeding,
three times a day. The frequency of watering will depend
on the weather. Cattle, sheep, and hogs should be watered
twice daily in the cooler weather, and in summer it is well
to have available in stall or yard plenty of water in pail or
trough.
The grooming of live stock becomes almost necessary —
under the more restricted conditions of stabling. Horses
and cattle kept in stable and exposed to dirt and manure,
become more or less filthy. Dust and dirt on the skin tend
CARE OF FARM ANIMALS 315
to close up the pores, which to a certain extent affects the
disposition and health of the animal. As a matter of per-
sonal pride the high-class owner of stock desires to have
his animals look clean. If he is a good horseman, he knows
that a well-groomed horse looks and feels better than one
that is not clean. One of the most unpleasant sights to be
seen in winter and spring in many barns is the cattle with
thighs and flanks covered with a hard coat of manure, that
does not disappear until the hair is shed. This of course
means that no grooming is done or little effort made to keep
the stock clean. It is surprising what excellent results will
come from the use of a brush and curry comb for a very short
time, even a minute a day per head. Grooming is not always
practicable; neither is it necessary, as for example, in the
West in the open feed lot, where cattle that have never been
even halter broken are cared for in large numbers by a few
men.
The sanitation of the stable, or the health conditions
about live stock, are receiving much attention these days.
Men can no longer sell milk in most towns and cities unless it
comes from stables that are approved as sanitary by milk
inspectors, representing the consumers’ interests. This
means that the stables must be properly furnished with fresh
air and that the buildings and yards must be kept clean and
free from filth. Where the stable is sanitary, it is provided
with a reasonable amount of light and pure air, and the walls
are whitewashed or are kept clean and attractive by some
other good method. One of the best methods for making
the stable interior sweet and clean at least expense is to spray
whitewash on the ceilings and walls once or twice each
season. In stables producing what is called certified milk,
the floors are daily washed clean. In all cases, the manure
should be removed from the stable every day. The next
316 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
best thing is to use plenty of litter, or bedding, to absorb
the liquid manure. Great care should be taken to keep hogs
under clean conditions. The losses from hog cholera would
be far less if the pig
quarters were kept rea-
sonably clean. Floors for
stock to stand upon should
be tightly made, whether
of planks or other mate-
rial. Cement is at present
very popular, though not
entirely satisfactory, ow-
ing to its cold, hard, and
Hie. 102. otograph by the author” «Often damp surineesssaE
liberal use of land plaster
or slaked lime in the stable is excellent, for these absorb
bad odors and sweeten the air.
The value of shelter for live stock has been much dis-
cussed, and in the past many stockmen have thought it
necessary to keep stock in buildings well protected from cold.
The most recent views are that close, warm shelter is unde-
sirable. Captain Hayes,a noted authority on horses, writing
Fig. 163. The exterior of a modern stock barn, with first-class arrangements
“i — and light. Photograph by courtesy of Oakleigh Thorne, of
New York.
CARE OF FARM ANIMALS o17
on the subject of the temperature of the stable, says:* “I
have had many opportunities in Russia of comparing the
relative healthiness, during very cold weather, of hot stables
and of those kept at a natural temperature. In large towns
in Russia the practice throughout the winter is to have
stables at a temperature of from 50 to 60 degrees Fahren-
heit, the difference between the temperature inside and out-
side being not infrequently over 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Fig. 164. A sheltered feed lot. Photograph by the author.
Consequently, influenza, inflammation of the eyes, and
diseases of the organs of breathing, especially roaring among
big horses, are common in these abodes. In the Russian
cavalry remount depots an entirely different course is pur-
sued; for the stables at these places are immensely roomy,
very lofty, and are ventilated so freely and kept so clean,
that even in the early mornings before the horses are taken
out, the air inside is free from any suspicion of closeness.
a
*Stable Management and Exercise, 1900, p. 199.
318 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
It is instructive to note that the horses kept in them maintain
their health during the extremely cold winter in the same
excellent manner as they do in summer.”
Steers fed under sheds open to the south, with yards into
which they can freely go, have given better results in growth
and fattening than those kept im stalls in warm barns.
President Waters, while at the Missouri station, found
that steers fed in open sheds made an average daily gain of
1.9 pound, while those fed in the barn gained 1.7 pound.
Fig. 165. The interior of a model sheep barn owned by Oakleigh Thorne, of
New York. Photograph by courtesy of the owner.
Those fed in the open shed required less feed for a pound of
gain than did the barn-fed cattle. It has been found that
the more farm animals have access to open air, and the less
they are confined in stables, the healthier they will be, and
the better use they will make of their feed. This especially
applies to horses, beef cattle, sheep, and hogs, that are above
weaning age.
CARE OF FARM ANIMALS 319
Shelter under good sheds, open to the south, with free-
dom from drafts, are the essential features of protection.
Dairy cows are more sensitive to cold, and need more pro-
tection; consequently, the comfortable, well-lighted and venti-
lated stable is all right for these animals. Young animals
should be given protection not only from severe cold, but
also from excessive heat. |
Ventilation of the stable is in these days receiving much
attention. Many barns built in recent years in all parts of
the country are constructed so as to have fresh air come in
at the windows or the ceiling, with the bad air drawn out
by flues in the wall, open-
ings being near the floor.
The King system, advo-
cated by the late Professor
F. H. King, of Wisconsin,
has been extensively used.
The important idea is
to keep the stable aw
Fig. 166. An unsanitary, badly lighted barn. g
Photograph by the author. as fresh as possible. If
the stable is too close,
carbonic acid gas, breathed out by the animals, accu-
mulates. Ordinary air contains from .02 to .06 per cent of
this gas. If more than this prevails, breathing is more rapid,
the heart beats more slowly, and diseases of the respiratory
organs are likely to develop. Under the winter conditions
of the North, a stable temperature of 40 to 45 degrees in
freezing weather is preferable to one that is above that.
The stalls for the live stock naturally vary according
to the size and kind of animal. Dr. Mayo recommends *
stalls for horses to be 51% to 6 feet wide, and 9!% feet. long;
*The Care of Animals, 1903, pp. 18-19.
320 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
and for cattle, from 38 to 45 inches wide and from 56 to 72
inches from the manger to the manure trench, according to
size of animal. Captain Hayes advocates stalls for horses
6 feet wide, 10 feet long and 10 high. Box stalls, or loose
boxes as some call them, should be about 10 by 12 feet in
size for horses and cattle; for the larger horses 12 by 12 feet
is better. For hogs and sheep, stalls are not made for indi-
vidual animals, but instead pens are built to hold several
head. The size of pens is a matter of choice. For hogs,
6 by 8 feet is about as small as they should be made. It is
better to have pens too large rather than too small. -The
most popular flooring now in use is concrete, with a rough
surface. Plenty of bedding will keep such a floor dry and
comfortable. Two-inch planks, closely laid with a slight
fall toward the gutter, make excellent floors.
Exercise for the breeding stock is very essential. This
promotes vigor and a good appetite. In fact, exercise is
essential for the best health of any animal. The driver of a
trotter looks after systematic, daily exercise, to keep his
horse in the right condition. So does the caretaker of a
heavy draft stallion see that his charge is exercised daily
with a walk of several miles. Professor Henry, discussing
exercise, says:* ‘‘The highly-fed colt should be out of
doors from 8 to 10 hours a day, and should move several
miles each day, either in the field, or on the track, or both.
A mature horse should be in the open air not less than 4 or
5 hours a day, and should travel from 10 to 15 miles daily —
to maintain health.”’ Captain Hayes recommends for a
sound horse three hours of exercise daily, or what would be
better, four, divided into two and one-half hours in the morn-
ing and one and one-half in the afternoon. Bulls are often
*Feeds and Feeding, 1910, p. 298.
CARE OF FARM ANIMALS 321
turned into small lots or yards,where they usually keep more
or less in action, thus getting the necessary exercise. Where
animals are turned into fields or paddocks, as is usually the
case where land is abundant, sufficient exercise is secured.
One rule should always be applied in feeding work horses,
and that is, if the amount of work or exercise is reduced,
there should be some reduction in the amount of feed given.
Fig. 167. A bull yard or paddock for exercise. Photograph by the author.
The amount of food required by an animal naturally
depends upon circumstances, such as age, size, kind, season
of year, work, etc. As regards feeding hay, the common cus-
tom is to give an animal as much as it will eat. Grain is fed
in widely different amounts. A hard-working horse on the
farm will easily eat from 12 to 20 pounds of grain a day,
depending on his size and the work done. About 2 pounds
of hay and grain for each 100 pounds of live weight is regarded
as a fair amount of feed for the hard-worked horse. From
8 to 10 quarts of oats a day for the carriage horse are recom-
mended. Professor Henry gives the following amounts of
322 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
grain for colts, as measured in oats, covering three periods of
development. *
Up to 1 year of age, from 2 to 3 lbs.
From 1 to 2 years of age, 4 to 5 lbs.
From 2 to 3 years of age, 7 to 8 lbs.
Cattle are fed under a wide range of conditions, from
those that receive no grain, to those on heavy feed. Beef
cattle often receive a pound of grain for each 100 pounds of
live weight, while undergoing fattening, though much more
than this is fed when finishing them off. A common grain
ration for dairy cows is 1 pound for every 3 pounds of
milk produced. Sheep are not usually fed grain heavily,
especially Merinos and breeding stock. Fattening sheep
are given from 14 pound to 2 pounds of grain per day, with
1 pound as a fairly good feed for medium-sized sheep.
Growing pigs should be fed what they will eat up clean, yet
not enough to be fattening. During fattening, one may
figure on about 5 pounds of grain for each pound of gain in
live weight. A feed of 7 pounds per day for a 200-pound
hog is a very good-sized ration. Pasture of clover or alfalfa,
or even blue grass, is very desirable for young pigs and ~
‘breeding stock, and where available for feed much is
saved on the grain bill.
Animals of the same age and kind should be kept together
under conditions suitable for their best development. It is
customary among the better class of stockmen to keep in —
groups by themselves, the nursing calves, the yearling
and two-year-old heifers, the dry cows, and the producing -
cows. Bull calves, after two or three months old, should be
separated from the rest. Foals must be handled as indi-
viduals, and are valuable enough for separate stalls when not
in the open lot or pasture. Fattening cattle, sheep, and hogs
*Feeds and Feeding, 1910, page 291.
a
CARE OF FARM ANIMALS 323
should be sorted out and each kind fed in its own group.
Animals thus separated, according to their several needs,
will get the best individual care, will be fed most nearly
right, and will develop more satisfactorily than would be
the case otherwise.
The care of the feet of animals is often neglected. One
of the most common defects is seen in too great a length of
hoof. When the hoof grows too long, the toe becomes ele-
vated and the heel depressed, giving a bad position. This
does not occur so often with horses, as the blacksmith looks
after the foot of this animal, but the feet of stabled cattle
that are not exercised, frequently become very long. So
also do the hoofs of sheep that are not running on fields with
plenty of gravel or grit. The hoofs of cattle may be trimmed
back with the aid of a good chisel and a farrier’s rasp and
knife. The thin hoofs of the sheep may be easily trimmed
with a sharp pocket knife. Care should be taken not to
cut into the tender part, or “quick.’”’ The floor of the hoof
should be level and the foot carried in a natural position.
The feet of colts and young animals should be watched and
trimmed as seems necessary.
SUPPOSING YOURSELF IN CHARGE OF SOME LIVE STOCK
1. Why should your personal attention be necessary?
2. How frequently would you feed and water?
3. What arguments would you have in behalf of grooming?
4. What would be necessary to secure a sanitary barn?
5. Under what conditions would you furnish shelter, and why?
6. Describe the ideal condition of ventilation.
7. What size of stalls would you provide?
8. How much feed would the horses and cattle require per head
daily?
9. In what way would you group your animals and why?
10. Describe the development and care of the feet.
324 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
MAKE THE FOLLOWING NEIGHBORHOOD OBSERVATIONS
11. A comparison of the best and poorest cared-for herds.
12. Records of hours of feeding of different kinds of stock by ten
stockmen of your acquaintance.
13. If possible, visit and describe a sanitary stable. .
14. Compare methods of exercising horses as seen about your
home.
15. If living on the farm, measure, or better, weigh, the amount
of grain eaten daily per head by some of the animals and compare with
their live weight.
CHAPTER XXIV
TYPES AND BREEDS OF POULTRY
A classification of domestic poultry includes a number of
different kinds, each consisting of a group with its types and
breeds. The following is a classification commonly used.
1. Fowls and chickens. 5. Pheasants.
2. Turkeys. 6. Ducks.
3. Guineas. 7. Geese.
4, Peafowls. 8. Swans.
The types of domestic fowls (using the word fowls as
referring to chickens) are six in number,* as follows:
1. Game. 2. Keg. 3. Meat.
4. General purpose. 5. Deformed. 6. Bantam.
For some time poultry students have discussed these
types, but more especially three, which from a practical point
of view are the only ones of interest to the farmer. These
three are the laying, the meat, and the general-purpose fowls.
Good examples of each of these types are common all over
the country. The other three types are rarely raised on
the farm, being the product of the fancier, who oftentimes
has his poultry outfit on a town lot. The breeds are also
sometimes divided into two classes, sitters and non-sitters,
according as to whether or not the hens have the desire to
sit on and hatch a nest of eggs.
The egg type of fowl is somewhat slender of body, and
has been compared to the racing horse, the dairy cow, and
fine-wooled sheep. It is light of form, has a sprightly,
*Principles and Practices of Poultry Culture. John H. Robinson, Ginn &
Co., 1912, p. 611, figs. 570.
326 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
active carriage of head and neck, is somewhat narrow in
body, and has fairly slender legs and feet. Fowls of this
type vary somewhat in size and weight, as well as in flesh-
producing capacity. The Leghorns are small and do not
produce much meat on the body, while the Minoreas are
larger and may carry a good amount of flesh when in best
condition. The fowls of this type are of European ancestry
Fig. 168. The egg type of fowls. Photograph by courtesy the Poultry Herald.
and are usually known as the Mediterranean breeds. Some
breeds, like the Leghorns, are small, the hens weighing around
3 pounds, while Minorca females may weigh 614 pounds.
The meat type of fowl is said to be comparable to the
draft horse, beef cattle, mutton sheep, and the fat hog. It :
is squarely built, compact, thickly fleshed, wide of back and F
breast, and heavy of limb. Fowls of this type when fat __
have a carcass thickly covered with meat, and are especially j
valued for roasting. The hens, as a rule, are of sluggish
POULTRY TYPES AND BREEDS 327
disposition and are inferior egg-producers. The meat-type
fowls sometimes weigh 10
to 12 pounds. They are
of Asiatic origin, and are
represented by the Brah-
ma, Cochin, and Lang-
shan breeds.
The general-purpose
type of fowl, as might be
supposed, is valued for
both egg and meat pro-
duction. This type is
medium in size, has con-
siderable fullness of breast
and width of back, and
fattens to advantage. In
egg production some gen-
eral-purpose breeds have
excellent records. Stand-
ard weights vary, but 7
pounds for the hens and
9 for the cocks are satis-
factory. Fowls of the
general-purpose type, as a
rule, belong to the Amer-
ican breeds, of which the
Plymouth Rock, Wyan-
dotte, and Rhode Island
Red are the most common
examples.
The breeds and va-
rieties of fowls include
a large number, of wide
Fig. 169. The meat type. This is a Cochin.
Photograph by courtesy of the Poultry Herald.
Fig. 170. The general-purpose type. A
Plymouth Rock. Photograph by courtesy
of the Poultry Jerald,
328 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
difference, ranging from the tiny Bantam to the large
and heavy Brahma. The breed characters of form, as
applied to head, body, and legs, are rather distinct in each
case. The variety characteristics are usually shown in
color of feathers, though there may be other special features,
such as single or rose comb. The Plymouth Rock, for
example, includes six varieties; namely, (1) barred, (2)
white, (3) buff, (4) silver penciled, (5) partridge, and (6)
Columbian. The follow-
ing very brief descriptions
of some of the leading
breeds in America, include
the more important repre-
sentatives of each.
The Plymouth Rock
originated in America, and
is of medium size. The
head is surmounted by a
single, upright red comb,
and the ear lobes and
wattles are alsored. The
neck is broad, breast full
and wide, back broad, and
jad Tyg Darel Plymouth Bock cock: body. compact Deaaiaa™
by courtesy the Poultry Herald. toes, and skin should be
yellow in color. This breed is hardy and matures early, fur-
nishing excellent broilers when eight to twelve weeks old. The
hens are moderate layers, the eggs being of a brown color.
This is a sitting breed, and the hens make excellent mothers.
The mature males weigh 914, and the females 7144 pounds. —
Varieties of this breed differ only in color of feathers. The
Barred Plymouth Rock has been very popular in the past,
though the whites are now meeting with much favor.
POULTRY TYPES AND BREEDS 329
The Wyandotte originated in America, and is of medium
size, with a form very similar to the Plymouth Rock. These
two breeds look very much alike when fowls of the same color
are compared. The Wyandotte, however, should have an
outline of form somewhat more curved in its lines than the
Plymouth Rock. This breed has a rose comb instead
of a single form, and
red ear lobes and -wat-
tles. The legs are yellow.
Wyandottes are excellent
layers, and their eggs
are of small size, brown
in color. These fowls
are valued for broiling
and roasting, for their
flesh is of fine grain and
quality. The mature
males have a_ standard
weight of 814 pounds and
the females 614 pounds.
Wyandottes are extreme-
ly popular.
The Rhode Island Red
ae : Fig. 172. A White Wyandotte cockerel,
originated In Rhode _Is- a lst prize winner, owned by Mrs. E, W.
; Brooker. Photograph b tes f
land. The American Polity Giese. 4 A oe pe Oe
Standard of Perfection
states that ‘“‘their chief characteristics are: red color,
oblong shape, compact form, and smooth surface plum-
age.’ This is a medium-sized breed, mature males
weighing 814, and the females 614 pounds. ‘The comb
is either single or rose in form, and of medium size.
The shank and feet should be yellow or reddish horn in
color. This breed has become quite popular on account
330 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
Of merit as a table fowl, and for excellence in egg pro-
duction.
The Orpington was first developed in the town of Orping-
ton, England, from which it receives its name. There is no
ereat difference between this and the general-purpose Ameri-
can breeds, except that the Orpington is somewhat heavier,
and has gray or whitish skin and black or flesh-colored legs.
The comb may be of the single or rose form. The ear lobes
are red. ‘There are three varieties, white, black, and buff.
The mature males weigh
10 and the females 8
pounds. The Orpington in
recent years has become
very popular, ranking high
for table use and for egg
production.
The Light Brahma is
of Asiatic origin, and has
been known in America
for many years. It is
strictly of the meat type,
and is the largest breed of
Fig. 173. A White Orpington hen. By
courtesy of the Poultry Herald. fowls, the mature males
weighing 12 pounds and
the females 9144 pounds. The head is of medium size,
with a small pea comb, medium sized, red wattles, and
large red ear lobes. The breast is very broad and full,
the back wide, the legs, toes, and skin yellow, and
the shanks feathered. The neck, tail, and large wing
feathers are black, and white striped with black, the
other feathers being white. This breed is valued for roast-
ing, but does not rate high in egg production. There is
another variety called the Dark Brahma, but neither is
POULTRY TYPES AND BREEDS 331
longer popular, and but few flocks are now kept, although
they once were common. :
The Cochin is also an Asiatic breed, large in size, like
the Brahma, a standard weight for males being 11 pounds
and for females 914 pounds. This is a deep-bodied, massive
fowl, having a loose plumage with much downy fiber under-
neath, which gives the entire
body a fluffy appearance. The
legs are heavily feathered. These
fowls are valued for roasters_
rather than for egg production.
‘There are four varieties of Coch-
ins, buff, black, white, and part-
— ridge.
- The Langshan is a single-
combed Asiatic breed, somewhat
smaller and more active than
the Brahma or Cochin, and
much more popular, both for
meat and for egg production.
There are two varieties, the Late’ Vv! fret ee Chem ot
Meeiand the white. The males b2cvoe ph. gy courtesy the
weigh 914 pounds and the fe-
males 7144 pounds, at maturity. There is much fullness
of breast, and the form is compact. The legs of the black
variety are bluish colored, and slightly feathered. ‘The
comb, face, wattles, and ear lobes are bright red in color.
The Leghorn is a breed of European origin, getting its
name from Leghorn, Italy. This is distinctly an egg-laying
breed. The features of importance are, large, single, or rose
comb, the single comb on the hens drooping to one side. ‘The
head is small, the eye of good size, ear lobes white, comb
and wattles red, and beak, legs, and skin yellow. ‘The breast
332 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
is prominent, though not very wide; the back of medium
width and length, the feathers snugly laid to the body, and
Fig. 175. Three hens owned by the Cyphers Incubator Co. The White
Leghorn laid 251 eggs, the Barred Plymouth Rock 236, and the White Wyan-
dotte 237, each within a year. By courtesy The Cyphers Incubator Company.
the tail carried erect. The Leghorn is very hardy and one
of the most active breeds of fowl, rather small of size, and
famous for egg production. The females are non-sitters.
There is no standard of
weight at maturity, but
males weigh about 4 and
females 3 pounds. There
are several varieties of
Leghorns, of which the
white, brown, and
buff are most common.
This is one of the most
common breeds kept on
the American farm.
The Minorca is an egg-
laying, non-sitting breed,
originating on the island —
of Minorca, in the Medi-
terranean Sea. The fol-
Fig. 176. A White Leghorn cockerel. ° °
fare by courtesy of Poultry Success. lowing 1s quoted from the
POULTRY TYPES AND BREEDS 333
_ American Standard of Perfection: “They are distinguished
by long bodies, very large combs, long and full wattles,
large white ear lobes, dark-colored legs, and pinkish-white
or flesh-colored skin. The Minorca head is carried rather
high; the back is long and sloping; the tail is spread some
degrees from the horizontal. Their legs are firm, muscular,
and set squarely under the long, powerful-looking bodies.”
There are both single and rose _
comb strains of this breed. As |
egg producers the Minorcas rank
very high, the egg being very large
and white.
There are a number of other
breeds of fowls, but these are
usually kept only in a small way
by poultry fanciers, and do not
require attention here.
The bantam may be a dwarf
of some of the larger breeds or a
distinct breed. Bantams are kept iy uns omy ae bret a
for ornamental purposes, and
-have no practical value. The weights naturally vary
somewhat, but 26 ounces for mature males, and 22 ounces
for the females are standards. The Cochin and Brahma
bantams weigh slightly more, 30 ounces for the male and 26
for the female. The bantams make very interesting pets
for children.
| THE TURKEY
The turkey is a native of America and was unknown
in Europe previous to 1624. The present domesticated
turkey originated from the wild stock which once was
found in large numbers in this country, and is yet found to
a small extent in certain parts of Pennsylvania and the
334 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
Southern states. We have really but one breed of turkey,
all variations in color and size being simply differences in
varieties. According to the Standard of Perfection of the
American Poultry Association, the frame should be large,
the body deep, ‘‘with a broad, round, full breast that varies
in prominence according to the variety.”’ The head should
be of good size, and the eyes bright and alert. The leg and
shank bones should be
large, straight, and well
set. The carriage should
be proud and erect.
The Bronze turkey
is very large, and the
feathers are bronze or
brown black, with shad-
ings of color. The stand-
ard weight for an adult
male is 36 pounds, and
for the hen, 20 pounds.
This is the most common
variety raised.
- The Narragansett
nee ee a Pe eee PF turkey is of a metallic
black color, with shad-
ings to steel gray or approaching white. The White Hol-
land, as its name indicates, has a white plumage. ‘There
are also black, buff, and slate varieties, each having a
standard weight of 27 pounds for the mature male and 12
pounds for the hen.
THE DUCK
The Mallard or common wild duck is regarded as the
parent stock, or ancestor, of all domestic ducks. The duck
POULTRY TYPES AND BREEDS 335
has a broad flat bill, small eye, good-sized head, long neck,
full breast, long body, short tail, and short web-footed legs.
The body has a dense covering of downy feathers, over which
lies the feathery plumage. The thickness of plumage, which
is slightly oiled by natural secretion, prevents water from
penetrating among the feathers.
Three types of ducks are recognized, meat, egg-laying,
and ornamental. Those
which best supply the a)
needs of the table formeat ~
are most in demand.
The Pekin duck was
brought to England from
Pekin, China, in 1874. It
is white in color and of
large size, weighing 7 to 9
pounds, and is the most
popular duck for table use. IN
The bill is orange-yellow ~@
in color, while the shanks //
and toes are reddish or-
ange. FM ea Fa JS
The Aylesbury duck is vee ae =
° Fig. 179. A pair of Pekin ducks. Repro-
white and much resem- duced from the ‘Poultry Manual.”
bles the Pekin. The bill
is flesh-colored, and the legs and feet are pale orange.
These ducks are more popular in England, where they
have been bred many years, than they are in America.
The Rouen duck is a breed that takes its name from a
city in northern France, where it has long been bred. It is
grayish in color, with dark shadings or black on head, neck,
wings, and back. The bill is of greenish-yellow color, and
the legs and feet orange with a green or brown shade.
/
336 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
The Cayuga duck originated in Cayuga County, New
York. It is greenish-black in color, except some of the large
Fig. 180. *‘Rapid growth’’ Pekin ducks
produced on Cyphers Company Poultry
Farm. Age, 8 weeks. Note their
weights. Photograph by courtesy
Cvohers Ineubator Co.
wing feathers, which are brown..
The bill is black, and the
legs preferably black, though
slate color occurs.
The Muscovy duck is a
native of South America. In
size it is very large, adult
drakes weighing 10 pounds
and females 7 pounds. ‘The
body is long and broad, and is
carried nearly horizontally.
The head is rather long, and .
large with the male, and has
large crest-like feathers, which
the duck often raises when
excited. The head is partly
bare of feathers, and the sides
and top above the bill have
rough wart-like coverings
_known as caruncles, which are
red of color and rather con-
spicuous. The bill is pink or
flesh-colored. Colored mus-
covys have yellow to dark lead-
colored legs, while those of
the white variety are yellow.
The plumage varies in color,
but white or black-and-white
are the favorite varieties.
Ducks of this breed fly much
POULTRY TYPES AND BREEDS 337
/
more than do others, and sometimes perch onelevated places.
The Indian Runner duck is supposed to have originated
in India. It is rather small, a standard weight being about
4 pounds at maturity. The body, which is long and narrow,
is carried somewhat erect, after the style of the wild penguin.
The popular color is fawn or gray and white. The claim is
made that the young ducks at 6 weeks of age dress into
Fig. 181. Indian Runner ducks, called the Leghorn of the duck family.
Reproduced from the ‘‘Poultry Manual.”
broilers weighing 244 to 3 pounds. This duck, however,
is valued chiefly for egg production, a female occasionally
laying as many as 200 eggs in a year.
THE GOOSE
The domesticated breeds of geese have been developed
from the wild breeds. The common wild goose of America
is often domesticated and kept in confinement. ‘There are
several breeds of importance.
Fe
>
1 ~~ ’
308 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
A
Fig. 182. An Embden goose. Photograph
by courtesy the Poultry Herald.
Fig. 183. Toulouse geese. By courtesy the
Poultry Herald.
The Embden goose is of
European origin. It is of
medium size, adult gan-
ders weighing about 20
pounds. The bill and
legs are orange in color,
and the plumage is white.
This is a@ very popular
breed.
The Toulouse goose
gets its name from a city
of that name in France.
It is of large size, adults
weighing about 25 pounds.
The bill is pale orange
and the legs a deep shade
of that color. The plum-
age is gray, with dark
shadings about the neck,
back, wings, and breast.
Most of our domestic
flocks consist of these two
breeds.
SUGGESTIONS FOR
REFLECTION
1. What makes the six
types of domestic fowls?
2. Describe the egg-laying
type of hen.
3. What is the difference
between a breed and a variety?
4. Compare the Plymouth
Rock and the Wyandotte.
POULTRY TYPES AND BREEDS 339
. Compare the Light Brahma and the Leghorn.
. Name the place of origin of each of five breeds of fowls.
. Discuss the origin of the turkey.
. What are common features of different breeds of ducks?
. Compare the Pekin and Rouen ducks.
. What are some of the most striking characteristics of the Mus-
covy duck?
DO ANAH
paaek
DO YOU THINK YOU COULD
11. Give the names of five men keeping pure-bred poultry in your
neighborhood, and the breeds they keep?
12. Bring a small collection of eggs of different breeds to school?
13. Interest local poultrymen to arrange a small poultry show for
the benefit of the school?
14. Weigh some specimens of live poultry of different breeds and
report on the age and weight of each?
15. Bring to school specimens of feathers showing breed colors?
CHAPTER XXV
JUDGING POULTRY AND POULTRY PRODUCTS
The poultry judge who understands his work, must be
familiar with many details. There is in this country an
organization known as the American Poultry Association.
This devotes much attention to the establishment of stand-
ards of perfection for the various breeds and varieties of
fowls, and provides rules and methods for judging fowls.
A book published by the association, known as the ‘“‘Standard
of Perfection,” is the American authority for judges and stu-
dents to follow. No poultry show could be properly con-
ducted without the judge being guided by this standard.
No breed of fowls can be considered established until offi-
cially recognized and described by the American Poultry
Association.
The parts of the fowl passed on by the judge have certain
outlines, colors, and other markings as applied to each
breed. The feathers differ in size and form in a striking way,
according to their location on the body. The illustration
of a male bird on page 341 shows, through a numbering
system, the location of the parts and feathers.
The head of the fowl is one of the striking breed features.
It is topped with a comb, which is larger on the cocks than
on the hens. A very common form is single, upright or
lopped, the top being serrated, or separated into points sug-
gesting the teeth of a saw. Leghorn and Plymouth Rock
varieties have this form. The rose comb is wide and low,
consisting of many knobs crowded together, the rear part
tapering more or less to a smooth point. This comb occurs
a
:
J
:
a
e
”
j
hl et ae ot ah a
JUDGING POULTRY AND EGGS 341
\\
b Fh ie ee”
V1 Ay
¥|
i a
iyiy, ey Lai yh)
Wap My HA
prea /pr iz
154
Dive
ne
\\ \Y
By
U
= ox
17
=a
Fig. 184. The exterior of the fowl. Drawing by courtesy of Poultry
Success,
Comb. ~ 10. Sickle feathers. 17. Primaries or flight
Face. 11. Lesser sickle feathers. feathers.
Wattles. 12. Tail coverts. 18, Flight coverts.
Ear lobe. 13. Main tail feathers. 19. Fluff.
Hackle feathers, 14. Wing bone feathers. 20. Body feathers.
Breast. 15. Wing coverts, forming 21. Thigh.
Back. wing bar. 22. Knee joint.
Saddle. 16. Secondary feathers, 23. Shank,
Saddle feathers. wing bay. 24, Spur.
25. Toe or claw.
342 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
on Wyandottes, Minorcas, and other varieties. The pea
comb is very small, and resembles three single combs dwarfed
in size and crowded side by side, with the central one some-
what larger than the others. There are also V-shaped and
strawberry combs, but these are not common. The ear
lobes are usually small, and vary in color from red to white
or bluish, according to breed. The wattles are usually red,
and on the cock often hang below the bill in a conspicuous
manner. The bill does not show the striking differences
Fig. 185. The serrated, single
comb of the Leghorn. Repro-
duced from the ‘‘Poultry Manual.”’ Fig. 186. A rose comb.
seen in the comb and wattles. Some breeds, like the Houdan
and Polish, have crests, or clusters of feathers, which some-
times largely hide the head proper from view and also often
affect the sight.
The feathers of the fowl differ in a remarkable way in
size, form, and color. Even with varieties of one color, as
for example white, the shades of this hue are made a subject
of discussion by poultry experts. ‘This also applies to other
solid colors. In the case of fowls having more than one color-
marking to the feather, there are barred feathers, as with the
Plymouth Rock; penciled feathers, as with the Silver Pen-
JUDGING POULTRY AND EGGS 343
ciled Wyandotte; laced ? :
feathers, as with the YS wile
, fave / ae: Ci %
Golden Wyandotte; and Pp Gh: y % {
still other markings, as RG |
striped, spangled, edged,
etc. The color-markings ‘Yi
YW
1 WAY hg
of some birds are very \“\COZZ.
beautiful. The correct So
Fig. 189. Striped feathers of Partridge
color and form of the Co gee from the ‘‘ Poultry
feather are of most inter- ~“""*"
aN \
A\\
est to the fancier; yet the practi-
cal poultryman little interested in
this feature, has been able to se-
cure his favorite breed through
patient breeding, development,
and improvement by the so-called
fancier.
Fig. 188. Laced feathers from
Laced Wyandotte. Reproduced
‘from the ‘Poultry Manual.’’
Methods of judging.
There are two methods
of judging fowls, by
score card and by com-
parison. The score-
card method has been Fig. 187. Barred Plymouth Rock feather.
generally used at poul- Reproduced from the ‘‘Poultry Manual.
try shows for many years. Its use, however, is not so
common now as formerly. Poultry judges using the
score card put down the number of points or fraction
344 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
of a point cut, and adding these, deduct from 100,
which gives the total score. In cutting for defects,
from 1% to 3 points are recommended for certain deficiencies,
and these are specified in the standard for the benefit of
official judges. Judging by comparison is becoming common,
and is more satisfactory than by score card, for the reasons
already given in Chapter VII.
The official score card of the American Poultry Associ-
ation is here given:
(Date, month, days and year show is held)
OFFICIAL SCORE CARD OF THE AMERICAN POULTRY ASSOCIATION
}isarmrroe: .. .. se Pe ae a Oi ee eee
W ARIETY +o SL ek. Ae, . eee SEX . ce
Barra Nak. fo See GAWD. 0 -:.... 2k WEIGHY. =.
Shape | Color. Remarks.
Symmetry... . 25... eae ee ee 2 oye
esewecvesnpse wm aeweafnacraeseatecsmeeaastisnsen nn 8 2 6 8 2 8 & Oe eee
Beseareese ses £ on @ Bw a eh tee a os ofa ew ww ef ew ht 2 8 ee & 6 See eee
smanonecareseeevneece ate eee aecefocesanewafanan ec eGvuacnw es « = 0 0oe © a me ee eee
eaenenvcesce siesniesen Se ew seneicfaeanaweativ eae ashes « b 8 29 «18.8 © © Se ey eee
ease es eee aeaue@ws ce 2 ene 6 B® ww aw she seew fC Be hie « © «2 aja ee. @ 2 ea" 6) 8 eee ee) ee eee
Wiyes..4.55. fo 15 ieee aes es 2
Wattles and ear lobes
esau geeoawveseseewaeenmre Bmenanwenatis.e me oe ws fae. e's © of = 2 = 6 = @ 2 @ « 2) *) 2 8 eee
Sees sw esfeoeoanseesescetesnverva)e oe s*s 2 © = @ @ 8 8 © 8 See = eee
*®eeseoscenweseseeeae ©@ eae egaeevofeseenvnanweiexae sve esefiesaniweeesse@ © 2 4 2 eee
eweeoseoewesesoeseevwree*evwpne BGweeeefeenmerwtnvuaffienaweaeea#feaes eae <8 ® 8 «4-8 £2.) ee
segppoaoa eee eaeaensees ean ess @ we pahenaewiecxuvsfiewpaeeinetftcaanesns 08 2 @ 2 53) 88 ee
eaeeaneaeenseoecenenwesepeaenn ee ef e see ea wiaanete eo eines s'64. 2 & © « © & 8 4.2) 2 eee
Body and fluff
Less and (06S... 2... 02 20|ecns fa|nc-aes]acnca™ 2s = 5 ue
*Crest and beard. .... 2.4. .5.)0..49.|o.0). b
*Shortness of feather
on CH On ioe... ie re Score
Sseseeeneagcenaseeseafaawmevthaoeaces o@eisenee 6 S&S etm 8 = 8 © 2 2 8 808) 2 eee
es esse eenefeueeeeeaeffeeseeneeefaneveneese 6 2 8 2) 8 BRS Be eee
tApplies to crested breeds. *Applies to games and game bantams.
€
Pia
JUDGING POULTRY AND EGGS 845
This score card is intended for use in connection with the
Standard of Perfection, which contains a detailed description
of each variety of fowl.
Instructions for judges of poultry include various points.
Among these, weight receives considerable attention, and
two points are usually deducted for each pound that the fowl
falls short of the standard weight. Other things being equal,
the one nearest standard weight is awarded the prize. To
receive a first prize, a specimen must score 90 or more.points,
except cocks in parti-colored varieties, which are allowed
88 points as a minimum. When young and old birds are in
competition, other things being equal, the older ones are to
be awarded the prizes. ‘Ties often result in judging. When
this occurs, if the tie cannot be broken by other rules, then
the specimen receiving the smallest total sum of cuts for
shape shall be awarded the prize.
Disqualification in judging poultry is allowed for various
reasons. The occurrence of feathers on the legs of what
should be a smooth-legged breed; or of smooth legs when
feathers should occur; improper color of ear lobes and legs;
excessive number of toes, or too few toes; absence of crest in
‘erested varieties; etc., are examples of conditions which
justify disqualification.
Judging poultry products, such as dressed poultry and
eggs, is becoming more and more necessary. ‘The score card
is not specially recommended for this purpose, the compara-
tive method being best. Referring to this point, one author-
ity says:* ‘‘In judging dressed poultry and eggs, the num-
ber of qualities or points to be considered is small; slight dif-
ferences in quality do not make great differences in value, as
in high-class birds, and degrees of quality are more readily
*John H. Robinson: Principles and Practice of Poultry Culture, 1911.
346 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
appreciated. While score cards are sometimes used for judg-
ing dressed poultry and eggs, the number of sections into
which a card may appropriately be divided is so small that
there is little if any advantage in scoring, and if, to develop
a system of scoring, many sections are made, the process of
judging is complicated when it should remain simple. The
points to be considered are so few, and the values so apparent,
that judgment of all is practically instantaneous. * * *
The rational method of judging dressed poultry and eggs is
to grade them according to market quality and value.”
The judging of eggs by score card has been attempted to
some extent. An egg show, in which eggs were’scored by the
students, has been held annually at Purdue University.
Two classes of eggs were provided, ‘‘fancy”’ and ‘“‘commer-
cial.” The following score card and explanation of its use -
are well worth consideration:
ComMMERCIAL Eca Score Carp
Exaipirer Oi. Batre th. Dages SS iS holes 191-
ADBBNES: Oschotea f Bibs te ee Conon. 3h. 2 ,
Entry No....... CUEMSSeey | Sire. Were... 05 i ace Ozs.
, Perfec- :
Features considered oes Cuts Remarxs
A eee ee he me caatey oR Ss 8 7A; a ne ene
EN 9. an eee re
Uniformity of color......... 8 [fp tuk ls. 4 ea
Uniformity of size and shape BF |. dcx ind = Gerdes Gam lle een
Shell texture. 2c... sal. fe ri eee POE
Condition of shells.......... Aloo. ol AS eee
Quality (by testing) |
(a) Size aireell..../....)-. 26 1.20 sow. toe 1
(b) OQpaqueness......... 25. Le OO ee
Total DOs a... oe A 100-10 os a
Pec tan Va ae Seer NG eat Ba JUDGE
JUDGING POULTRY AND EGGS 347
EXPLANATION OF COMMERCIAL EGG SCORE CARD
Size: Extras, 26 to 28 ounces. Firsts, 24 to 26 ounces.
One point cut for each ounce over or under required weight
in either class.
Shape: 1 point allowed for each egg.
Uniformity of color: If white, eggs should be all pure
white and of the same shade. If brown, the color may be
any shade, but the dozen should be uniformly the same color;
24 point allowed for each egg.
Uniformity of size and shape: All eggs must be of
same size and shape. 14 point allowed for each egg.
Shell texture: Free from wrinkles, spots, cracks, and
rough places; 14 point for each egg.
Condition of shell: Free from dirt or stain, unwashed.
Quality: Test with candles. (a) Air cell very small,
about size of a dime, indicating freshness. (b) Egg must
appear opaque, the yolk free from dark color, white thick,
yolk barely visible. Large air cell, floating yolks or air cells
are defects. Eggs must be fresh and sweet.
Disqualification: Cracked, broken, spots, musty rots,
and germs or blood rings in any one egg will disqualify the
dozen.
Fig. 190, An egg show. Photograph by courtesy the Poultry Herald,
348 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
COULD YOU TELL
. The purpose and value of the Standard of Perfection?
. How the combs of fowls differ in form?
. In what way feathers differ in coloring?
. The method of making cuts in scoring poultry?
. How weight and size are graded by the judge?
. Two conditions that might cause disqualifications?
. Why the score card is not used more in judging poultry products?
. The features of a commercial score card?
EASY THINGS TO DO
CON OD OR & DH
9. Holding Saturday afternoon poultry judging contests.
10. Collecting an exhibit of one breed for comparison at school.
11. Getting up a prize egg show, and judging by score card.
12. Sorting over and studying a case of eggs loaned by the egg-
dealer or grocer.
CHAPTER XXVI
EGGS AND INCUBATION
The egg is an object of much interest, for not only is it
the source of the chicken itself, but it is also a most important
source of income to the poultryman. If one is to handle the
egg intelligently, he must know something of its composition,
of how the chick is developed within the shell, and of com-
mercial differences and values.
The parts of the egg of special interest are five. These
are the following:
a. The shell, composed mostly of lime, and hard enough
to enclose and protect the softer interior.
b. Two tough membranes lying next within the shell.
‘These separate at the large end, forming a small air sac,
which is easily seen in hard-boiled eggs.
c. The albumen, or as it is commonly called, the white of
the egg. This forms about 57 per cent of the egg and con-
sists of much nitrogenous matter of a liquid, sticky, trans-
parent character. Boiling hardens or coagulates the white
into a firm, white structure.
d. The yolk, comprising about 33 per cent of the egg, is
a round yellow sac, surrounded by the white. ‘This is used
for nourishing the young chick just before and after leaving
the shell. The yolk is suspended midway in the white and
kept in proper position by two albuminous cords.
e. The germ, in the fresh-laid egg is seen as a white speck
about one-eighth of an inch in diameter on the upper side
of the yolk. The germ is the true egg and source of the chick
in incubation. |
300 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
The fertile egg is one that will produce a chick under
proper conditions of what is called incubation. The infertile
or sterile egg cannot be hatched, and so has no value in repro-
duction, although for food it has equal value with the fertile
one. The fertility of the egg cannot be determined except
by incubation. After the egg has been under the hen for
five to seven days, ordinarily one may easily tell whether it is
fertile or infertile. If the latter, it will appear clear and show
none of the changes described in the following.
The testing or candling of eggs is a simple process of
looking through the egg with the aid of special light. One
may take a piece of common cardboard, one side of which is
black, in which is cut an oval hole not quite as large as an
egg. If the cardboard is held before a lighted lamp in a
dark room, blackened side towards one, and an egg is held
in the hole, those that contain chicks will appear dark and
opaque except at the larger end, while sterile eggs will be
clear and show light. In the trade, where all eggs are
examined before a light, this process is known as candling.
Black lamp chimneys with holes in them are made for use in
a small way, but in the larger commercial trade, eggs are
candled over sets of lights arranged for this purpose.
The incubation of the egg of the hen occupies a period
of 21 days. The following are some of the more important
changes that take place during incubation. During the
first twenty-four hours the germ enlarges to about a half ineh
in size, within which the first stages of head and some other
parts appear. During the second day the heart begins to
beat and the blood to flow. By the end of the third day the
veins and arteries are considerably developed, and the young
chick turns on its left side. On the fourth day the wing
folds, and the folds forming the legs appear. The beak
begins to form on the eighth day, and shows its horny shape
j EGGS AND INCUBATION 351
on the twelfth. The entire shell except the air cell is occu-
pied by the chick by the twelfth day. The feathers appear
first on the eighth day, and by the thirteenth cover the body
to the length of one-fourth inch. At this time the nails of
the feet appear. On the fourteenth day the chick changes
its position and extends lengthwise, the beak reaching the
inner shell membrane. The air cell has been gradually
increasing in size, and by this time is much larger. From now
on, the chick increases in development to the twenty-first
day. The following interesting description of the hatching
process is given by Professor Lewis :*
‘When ready to come out, the chick raises its head and
pierces the inner shell membrane, and immediately starts
breathing the air in the chamber, which causes the pulmonary
circulation to become active and the embryonic circulation
to cease. The head is next raised into the air chambef, and
the chick deals blows upon the shell, which when often
repeated in the same place result in fracturing it. This
process is repeated until the shell is broken around about
one-third of the way from the large end. The chick then
presses its head against the large end and its feet against the
small end, and then by pushing is able to throw off the shell
lid and make its exit.”
_ The temperature of the egg during incubation should be
about 103 degrees. The usual temperature of the body of
the hen is 106 degrees, and her eggs from 102 to 104 degrees.
The egg must be kept close to this temperature, and serious
variation from this will kill the chick in the egg. During
the first week a temperature of 102 is best, but this may
increase to 103 degrees the last part of incubation. After
the third or fourth day the eggs being incubated should be
turned once or twice daily.
*Poultry Laboratory Guide, 1910, p. 47.
352 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
The need of moisture during incubation is commonly
recognized. The egg contains from 60 to 65 per cent water
and during incubation some of this is lost. In experiments
it has been shown that eggs lose from 11 to 17 per cent of
their original weight by evaporation. Professor Atwood,
of the West Virginia experiment station, has estimated that
100 fertile eggs will lose about 814 ounces of moisture during
the first five days, about 12 ounces during the following seven
days, and slightly more during the next seven days. Thus
it can be seen that moisture must be provided to some extent
during incubation.
The need of ventilation during incubation is also well
understood. The movement of air about the eggs must. be
somewhat free, the air being neither too dry or too moist.
The hen shifts her position from time to time, and so brings
fresh air in contact with the eggs
and her body. In artificial incu-
bation, proper ventilation is so
provided that the pure air and
right moisture conditions go to-
gether.
The incubator is a box-like
device containing a space in which
eggs may be incubated by means
of artificial heat. The hatching
lane Bl tone ee arte Of eggs by artificial imeubation
i a i Ohio State has been in operation for thou-
sands of years, especially in Egypt
and China. There are various designs of incubators made,
ranging in size from those to contain but a few eggs, up to
those with a capacity for thousands. Incubators in use
at the present time are heated by hot air from a kerosene
lamp, or by a hot water system. ‘The hot air type is the one
a
EGGS AND INCUBATION 353
in more common use. The eggs, one layer deep, are placed
in moveable, wire-bottomed trays. The temperature of the
incubator is regulated by the automatic action of an instru-
ment called a thermostat, which is sensitive to heat changes.
This instrument is set so as to reduce or increase automatic-
ally the amount of incoming pure air. A thermometer
within may be read through the glass front. Incubators
should stand level, and a popular location in which to operate
them is a dry cellar that holds a uniform temperature.
Fig. 192. A home-made brooder and incubator. Photograph by courtesy
Ohio State University College of Agriculture.
A brooder is a device used in connection with the incu-
bator, and is in a sense an artificial mother. The general
plan of the brooder is that of a warm box or room, heated by
a lamp or hot-water plant. A circular plate about two feet
in diameter is placed about ten inches above the floor. A
rim extending downward about four inches is attached to
this, below which is fastened a heavy cloth curtain extending
to the floor. Pieces of cloth are also dropped from different
parts of the under side of the cover to the floor. Here and
304 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
there the cloth is slit so that the chicks may freely pass
through and find a warm protection among the strips of
cloth, comparable to being under the mother’s wings. This
special arrangement within the brooder is called a hover.
‘Fig. 193, A cheap brooder house, with brood. Photograph by courtesy the
Poultry Herald.
The small brooder house usually has one hover, but large
brooder houses have series of them, each of which is heated
by a hot water pipe system.
Eggs for incubation should be from vigorous, well-mated
fowls, and not from what might be called mongrel stock.
These eggs should be kept in a dry, cool atmosphere until —
placed under the hen or in the incubator. A place having
a temperature of from 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit is con-
sidered best. The eggs should be carefully handled, not
being severely shaken or cracked. It is a good plan to mark
on each egg the date laid, and no eggs over 21 days old should
be set. In making up settings, it is desirable to use those of
.
of seven different breeds showed
. EGGS AND INCUBATION 300
uniform size and condition. Hatchings will be likely to be
more uniform if the eggs are of much the same age and con-
dition of keep previous to setting.
The size and weight of eggs vary more than many sup-
pose. Professor Lewis gives* some interesting figures about
the size and weight of eggs of dif-
ferent breeds of fowls. The eggs
an average large circumference >
of 6.19 inches, a small circumfer-
ence of 5.27 inches, and an aver-
age weight of 1 pound, 8.05 ounces.
The eggs from the hens were
slightly larger and weighed a trifle
more than those from the pullets.
A dozen Plymouth Rock eggs
weighed 1 pound, 11.2 ounces;
the Leghorns ranking second at 1
pound, 10.3 ounces. In a bulletin
published by the Ohio State Uni-
versity,} it was shown that in
sorting over a case of eggs, a doz-
en of the largest ones weighed ieried Motlda ‘the dite
3014 ounces, the medium sized 2614 Freee ee oe tcey Olno
@ences; and: the small ones 2134 iate University College ot
ounces. On this basis it was fig-
ured that a case of 30 dozens of large eggs would weigh
57 pounds, 3 ounces, while the small ones would weigh
but 40 pounds, 12 ounces, an astonishing difference. The
Leghorn naturally produces small eggs, and the Minorca
2
‘large ones, and figures in the bulletin referred to give a
*Poultry Laboratory Guide, 1910, p. 16.
{The Marketing of Eggs, April, L911, p. 16.
356 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
weight of 22 ounces for a dozen of the former, and 2714
ounces for the latter. The fact is, for the same price, a
dozen large eggs furnish more
actual nutrition than a dozen
small ones.
The color of the egg is due to
a pigment, or coloring substance
developed in the shell during the
process of formation in the body
of the hen. The color is either
white or brown. Leghorn and
Minorcas produce white eggs, and
Brahmas and Plymouth Rocks,
brown ones. Some buyers prefer
the white color, and others the
brown. This is merely a matter
Fig. 195. Clean vs. dirty of fancy, because there is no dif-
eggs. Photograph by cour- :
ae Se Ppa eta ference in the food value. When
fresh laid, the egg has a clear shell
of a beautiful dull glaze, but with age and handling it
becomes somewhat glossy or polished and often is soiled.
The degree of freshness of the
ege has much to do with its value |
on the common market. Prime
fresh eggs, such as producers sup-
ply to private consumers, bring
the highest price. In a commer-
cial way, eggs are gathered from
farmers by hucksters, or are Fig. 196. A case of eggs.
Photograph by courtesy Ohio
sold to country grocers by the State University College of
4 Agriculture.
producers. These are placed in
wooden cases holding 30 dozens, and are shipped to the
city dealers, where they are graded, and then placed on
EGGS AND INCUBATION 357
the market. Often the eggs are very poor, especially
during the summer season. Eggs
nests, from held over-stock, etc.,
find their way into the same case,
and form a motley collection.
The careful dealer sorts these
over, candles them and tries to
grade them before placing them
on the market.
. The grades of eggs on the
market differ to a considerable
extent, and in some places more
than in others. Large markets
like New York or Boston handle
the most grades. Professor Phil-
ips gives the following as an
ideal way to grade eggs:*
from stolen nests, dirty
Fig. 197. Sorted vs. un-
sorted eggs. Photograph by
courtesy Ohio State Univ-
ersity College of Agriculture.
Extras: Weigh 28-26 ozs. naturally and absolutely clean; fresh
and sound.
No. 1. ‘Weigh 26-24 ozs., sound, fresh, and reasonably clean.
No. 2. Shrunken or stale, washed, small, stained and dirty.
No. 8. Checks—cracked, but not leaking.
No. 4. Rots. Incubator and decomposed eggs.
A Chicago trade paper gave the following grades in July,
1912.
Extras, candled for city trade.......
Firsts, graded 70 per cent fresh......
TEI ic cic en een eee nats
Miscellaneous lots, cases included. . .
Pe CPPCC so 6690's be cen ds de
ee, ik paid bd os ke ER ne
Diraetars 8 gieke 15c. to 16c.
ey Pee 14c. to 14M%c.
eae ae 12\éc. to 18e.
*Bulletin No. 162, Kansas experiment station, p. 251.
. 358 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
Ot
The preservation of eggs during low prices, to sell when
they are high, is a common practice. The egg easily spoils
under a hot sun or In warm moist weather. Germs of rot
develop rapidly in the egg at 55 degrees or higher, con-
sequently it is desirable to keep them below this temperature
until they can be used. In cold pula a temperature of
34 degrees is maintained.
The Storrs experiment station recommends the use of
water glass (sodium silicate) for preserving eggs. This is a
liquid that sells at about $1.25 a gallon. The preserving
fluid is made by thoroughly mixing one quart of the water
glass in nine quarts of water that has been boiled and cooled.
Stone crocks or barrels make good receptacles for preserva-
tion. These should be well scalded before using, and then
kept in a place where the temperature does not rise above 60
degrees. The best eggs for preservation are those laid in
April, May, and early June.
SPECIAL TOPICS FOR STUDY
1. Compare different parts of the egg.
2. Explain the method of testing eggs.
3. Describe the stage of incubation on the second, eighth, and
twelfth days.
4. Describe the methods by which the chick gets out of the egg.
. Why is moisture necessary during incubation?
. Describe the incubator.
. How should the egg for incubation be selected and cared for?
. Compare eggs for size and weight.
. Describe Professor Philips’ ideal of market grades.
10. Give method for preservation.
i OO s] CG tr
EGGS AND INCUBATION 359
SOME THINGS YOU MIGHT DO
11. Boil an egg hard for three minutes, and when cold separate
into four parts—shell, membrane, white, and yolk.
12. Test some eggs by candling, either from an efg case or from
those being incubated.
13. Prepare plans of a brooder, and make one from the plans.
14. Go to a grocery and inspect a quantity of eggs, and report on
what you saw as to size, shape, color, and condition.
15. Find market grades and quotations on eggs in at least three
markets. Make comparisons.
16. Bring a sample dozen of your home eggs to school for inspec-
tion.
CHAPTER XXVII
THE FEEDING OF POULTRY
The organs of digestion of the fowl perform their work
and have the same influence on the food, as do the stomach
and intestines of animals. The form of these organs, how-
ever, is peculiar to birds. They may be briefly described as
follows:
1. The beak, a hard, horny part for breaking, tearing,
pulling or picking up food. |
2. The mouth and tongue, within and back of the beak.
3. The gullet, a tube which extends to
4. The crop, which lies in front and at the base of the
neck. Here the food accumulates and is somewhat softened
by digestive fluids.
5. The stomach, where food from the crop is mixed with
the gastric juice.
6. The gizzard, a tough muscular organ containing small
particles of stone. Here the food is ground to a pulp,
mixed with digestive fluid, and then moves on to
7. The intestines, where the last stage of digestion
takes place.
The foods suitable for fowls vary widely in kind and
character. In fact, farm poultry will eat almost anything
that has any nutritive value. So adaptable are fowls to local
conditions, that as a rule they are fed the cheapest and most
common foods grown in the region in which they are kept.
Very naturally, in America corn is most commonly fed, with
wheat or its by-products next in favor. In Japan, rice is
the food generally used. The kind of food, however, should
THE FEEDING OF POULTRY 361
vary according to the age and condition of the birds, and the
purpose for which they are kept. If for fattening, then a
carbonaceous food is best; but if for eggs, then that of a
protein nature should be used. Asa rule, where grains are
fed, those rich in protein are best, for the reason that the fowl
applies its food mainly to flesh and egg production, both of
which products contain much protein. |
_ The appetite of fowls for different kinds of food is well
worth observing. They eat grain or concentrated feed with
great relish, and when in confinement this is the kind most
used at regular feeding times. However, they are extremely
fond of meat, table scraps, tender herbs and grass, the clo-
vers, either green or cured as hay, and of insects, worms, etc.
In fact no one class of food seems most relished, and poultry-
men generally agree that variety in the diet usually gives the
best results, from both the health and the producing point of
view.
The special preparation of feed for fowls naturally
depends upon conditions. Small particles are usually pref-
erable to large ones. Wheat and other small grains are
very satisfactory: Large grains like corn are best cracked
or broken. Ground or pulverized feeds, singly or in mixture,
are known as mashes. Where no water is used, this food is
called dry mash; with water, a wet mash. Clover or alfalfa
hay is often thrown into the yard, the fowls readily eating
the leaves and delicate parts. The hay also may be cut
and mixed with the mash. Young chicks require fine,
easily digested food, like oatmeal, cracked wheat, finely-
granulated corn, chopped vegetables, etc. Skim milk also
is a valuable food for growing chickens.
Green food for fowls causes them to respond very rapidly
in increased growth or egg production. Coarse vegetables
are often sliced or chopped into small pieces before feeding,
362 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
although entire cabbages or roots may be hung in the house
or fastened to nails on the walls, from which points they will
Ril
Pat
af be picked to pieces. In
é b> recent years sprouted oats
vy vl Wi have been extensively
made use of for feed, es-
pecially for young chicks.
The common plan is to
~, Make a wooden rack-like
Stee series of shallow pans.
Big, 208 in gus eating eabbaae suspended The desired amount of
ee eo oats are taken and put
into a vessel and covered with warm
water and let stand over night.
The surplus water is then drained
off and the oats are spread over the
pans to a depth of one-half to three-
fourths of an inch. The oats should
then be placed in a room, preferably
a basement or cellar, having a tem-
perature of 60 to 65 degrees. The
oats should be sprinkled daily with
tepid water, and to provide drain-
age, the bottom of the pans should
be perforated with small holes. In
about ten days the sprouts will be
ready to feed to the chickens, and
should be used sparingly at the start.
The amount of food necessary :
for fowls depends entirely upon pig 199, Rack for sprout- :
: ing oats. B t Cy-
circumstances, such as the age and _ jhers Incubator Company. |
THE FEEDING OF POULTRY 362
kind of fowl, conditions of keep, etc. The best way is
to prepare the desired food in given proportions, and then
feed as much as will be
eaten with a good appe-
tite.
Regularity in feeding
fowls is essential. On
many farms the poultry |Im@
must forage for them- |
selves, but under proper
ie : . Fig. 200. Sprouted oats in pan. By
conditions, special feeding courtesy Cyphers Incubator Company.
takes place morning and
evening. The common custom is to feed early in the
morning, about noon, and just before they go to roost.
Regularity of feeding also brings the fowls into intimate
touch with the poultryman, and enables him to handle
them and watch their condition to the best advantage.
Frequency of feeding fowls
depends upon the age, condition,
and purpose for which they are
kept. Young chicks should be fed
four or five times daily. The feed-
ing of mature fowls varies among
poultrymen, some feeding twice
and others three times a day. If
one has time to look after the
stock in detail, three feeds a day
for fowls in limited yards will give
“ig. 201. A feed hopper use¢at Detter results than will two.
Of eo tate University Colleee Some use what are called “hop-
ee erst: pers” or ‘“‘self feeders.” This
is a box-like arrangement containing more or less feed, and
from which the fowls can eat freely at any time. Hop-
364 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
pers are in common use among poultry specialists, and are
regarded with favor. Scattering grain in cut straw or floor
litter is a good plan, for it keeps the fowls busy and en-
sures slow eating, both of which habits are desirable.
Some feed a mash in the middle of the day, grain being
used morning and night. Some prefer one method and
some another. The dry mash is a favorite in some places
and the wet in others.
The effect of food on the quality of the egg is very notice-
able in some cases. Foods of strong odor, such as onions,
impart objectionable flavor to eggs. Corn gives a rich
| yellow yolk, while most
other grains produce less
color. Green food and
clover or alfalfa hay,
also furnish good color
to the egg.
Forced feeding of
fowls may be done in
two ways, one when the
Fis, 202,_ Forced feeding in England. By feeder simply gigi
birds more feed than they
need or would eat under natural conditions; the other being
a special artificial feeding process known as cramming,
wherein the crop is filled with food by the use of a machine,
and the fowl fattened as rapidly as possible. Of course
what would be a forced feeding of one fowl might not be
of another, because of difference in capacity.
Referring to this subject of forced feeding, Robinson
says:* ‘Forced feeding is almost universal among poultry-
men. All regular, good feeding is in a sense forced feeding.
Even under natural conditions, with opportunity to balance
*Principles and Practice of Poultry Culture. 1911, page 213.
; 4
’
: °
THE FEEDING OF POULTRY 365
their own rations, full-fed poultry develop faster and better
| individually, but at the cost of shorter life,and reduction of
. vitality in the offspring. The poultryman’s object is to get
as much as possible out of the birds in the shortest possible
time; that is, to market as soon as possible those destined
primarily for the table, and to keep laying and breeding
poultry only as long as they are highly productive. He
forces by feeding, but not (intentionally) to the danger
point, just as a careful horseman often drives his horse much
faster and farther than the horse would go of its own accord,
yet avoids over-driving.”’
The use of mineral foods by fowls is even more important
than with farm animals. Growth in proportion, is really
much greater with the fed fowl than the four-footed animal,
while the production of eggs requires a considerable amount
of mineral matter. The common supply of food does not
always furnish enough of the mineral substances, and espe-
cially lime, to meet the needs of the fowl. This is particu-
larly true of the laying hen. Consequently some other
material must be added, and green ground or broken burned
bone, granulated dry bone, and finely broken stone are
commonly used to serve this need. Ground or finely broken
oyster shells have always been popular for laying hens. As
to the exact needs of the body for mineral food, we do not
know, but it may be assumed, as based on practice and the
result secured with farm animals, that the mineral substances
play a part in nutrition. Robinson, however, believes that
in “‘good feeding of mixed rations,’ under range conditions
young birds get all the mineral elements they require, and
adult birds all they need, except for producing egg shells.
He does not think grit is necessary, and since 1902 has fed
none to poultry, except in the first feeds of young ducks and
/
366 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
geese. Granulated charcoal is frequently used, being
regarded as valuable for sour stomach and indigestion and
as a blood purifier.
Water for fowls should be clean and pure. Drinking
fountains in which clean water may always be found are
commendable. Fowls are rather frequent drinkers, and
should always have plenty of clean water available. In
winter, care should be
taken to see that water
and not ice or snow is
supphed. A flock of fifty
hens will use from four to
six quarts of water a day.
Feeding rations for
fowls naturally vary, some
Fig. 203. Two cheaply made drinking Persons preferring One Faq.
fountains. These are jars filled with water ,;:
and tured with mouths down.on pans of tlOn and Sonia
we cata hRateth oe? Ste Univ Most of these here given
are easily secured or may
be readily prepared, as the foods used in the combinations —
are grown over a wide extent of country. The rations
given are quoted from reports, and so differ in total
amounts and in statement of weights or parts. However,
the common method is to mix up a quantity of feed, and
then use as much as the flock requires.
Rations for young chicks in brooders, used at the Maine
axperiment station:
Feed for first three days infertile eggs, boiled for one-half .
hour and then ground up, shell and all, in a meat chopper,
and mixed with six times their bulk of rolled oats. Feed with
chick grit on the brooder floor. Feed at about 9 A. M. and
at 4.30 p. M. for the first 21 days.
THE FEEDING OF POULTRY 267
On the third or fourth day, in addition, commence about
daylight and at noon, and for five or six weeks feed the
following:
Pa teem WHEE... 11, ro o)0 fos pa ees 15 parts by weight
PPtemeat TCA h eek ee a 1 ea chaime Cs
BierretsemedrCOrl.. rs. hates oe Ne aes GS AGtS
PeeeremaC wed PEAS. 44. tes kd ee wed 2, ae OPO
ECOL gC Sa ee peanarry se De Ae ee Bi tee
© EES RTE TNR Os Ae a cela A ae sae Ati ae oe
imeramareg@al ys. ke ai PSs eal we aie hose
At about three weeks of age, substitute the following wet
mash for the egg-and-oat mixture:
Piers brain (clean). 8... 0. ees... 2 parts by weight
Pines ety Oe hee eg eS, ae RG aoe
hihddlines or red-dog flour. ............. yas aul
MCMC cere te fo Shits fw ceag cyte Das
eC Ge ei Ae tetany eke + PM aa es,
Rations for chicks from birth to maturity, recommended
by Professor F.S. Jacoby, Ohio State University.
GRAINS MasHes (Dry)
No. 1. From 1st day to 6th week No. 3. From 1st to 21st day
, 2 lbs. fine cracked corn 4 lbs. rolled oats
3 lbs. cracked wheat 3 lbs. cornmeal
No. 2. From 6th week to maturity 2 3 lbs. wheat middlings
2 lbs. cracked corn 6 Ibs. bran
2 lbs. whole wheat 4 lbs. sifted meat scraps
Green foods 1 lb. alfalfa meal
Chopped beets ly |b. bone meal
Cut clover or alfalfa 14 |b. fine charcoal
Lettuce leaves No. 4. From 21st day to muturity
Grits P 1 lb. rolled oats
Chick grit 1 lb. corn meal
- Chick bone 1 lb. wheat middlings
Fine charcoal 2 Ibs. bran
1 lb. sifted meat scraps
16 |b. alfalfa meal
2 oz. fine charcoal
Feed No. 1 ration in litter of cut straw or hay, twice a
day, at 7 A4.mM.and5p.m. Feed what the chicks will eat up
clean in 15 minutes in the morning, and all they need at
night.
368 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
Feed No. 2 ration in open hoppers from the sixth week
until the birds are brought into the laying pens in the fall.
Feed No. 3 ration as a crumbly mash, by mixing skimmed
milk or buttermilk, three times a day, 9 A.m., 11:30 A. M.,
and 2:30 p.M. From the first to the third day add chopped,
infertile eggs (hard cooked) to the mash in the proportion
of 1 part egg to 3 parts mash, also a small quantity of
chopped onions, cabbage, or lettuce. After the third day
the eggs may be discontinued, and the quantity of vegetables
slightly increased. Feed in shallow trays 30 inches long, 6
Fig. 204. Ration for mixing. Photograph from Ohio State University College
of Agriculture.
inches wide and 2 inches deep. A small quantity of chick grit
and granulated bone should be fed in the mash for a few days
until the chicks become accustomed to it, after which they
can be fed in open hoppers. After the fourteenth day, the
noon feeding of crumbly mash may be discontinued, and a
tray of dry mash left before the chicks at all times. As
the chicks become accustomed to the dry mash, the morning
and then the afternoon feeding of crumbly mash may be
discontinued. Feed green food once a day.
Feed No. 4 ration dry in open hoppers until the birds are
brought to the laying pens in the fall.
THE FEEDING OF POULTRY 369
Green food is fed in the crumbly mash twice a day during
the first two weeks, and thereafter once a day in the litter.
Chick grit and bone are fed sparingly in the crumbly
mash until the chicks become used to it, after which it can be
fed in open hoppers.
Charcoal is fed sparingly in the mash at first, and can
later be fed in hoppers, providing vee chicks do not over eat
of it.
These rations are in some detail, but they are based on
careful, practical study and feeding and give very satis-
factory results. Only careful feeding gives the best results
in raising chickens. __
Rations for laying hens used in different sections of the
United States, quoted from various authorities.
(In New York State. G. Arthur Bell, in Farmers’ Bulletin 287,
United States Department of Agriculture.)
200 lbs. cracked corn
360 Ibs. wheat Fed dry in the litter twice daily.
130 lbs. oats }
Also the following dry mash in a hopper:
32 parts corn meal
30 parts meat meal
30 parts ground alfalfa
2 parts oyster shell
1 part grit
1 part charcoal.
(In Maine, Bulletin 130, Maine station, page 125.)
Karly in the morning, for each 100 hens, four quarts of
screened cracked corn are scattered on the litter, which is
six or eight inches deep. This is not mixed in the litter, the
birds doing this themselves, as they commence scratching it
at once. At 10 A. m. they are fed in the same way two
quarts each of wheat and oats. Along one side of the room
370 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
is a feed trough with slatted front. In it is kept the following
supply of dry meals thoroughly mixed together:
200 Ibs. clean wheat bran
100 lbs. corn meal
100 lbs. middlings
100 lbs. gluten meal or brewer’s grains
100 Ibs. linseed meal
100 lbs. beef scrap
(In Ohio, at Ohio State University.)
FoR GRAIN Dry MASH
15 lbs. cracked corn 4 lbs. corn meal
10 lbs. wheat 6 lbs. wheat middlings
5 lbs. heavy oats 4 lbs. bran
Green food, grits and oyster 4 lbs. meat scraps
shells 1 lb. linseed oil meal
1 lb. alfalfa meal
14 lb. granulated charcoal
Tablespoonful salt
Feed the grain mixture morning and afternoon in a deep
litter of straw. Feed sparingly in the morning, but give
the hens all they will eat in the afternoon. Feed the dry
mash in a hopper, which is open at all times. Keep grit and
shell in open hoppers. Feed green food once a day.
(In Minnesota, Bulletin 119, Minnesota station, page 153.)
A mash consisting of equal parts of finely ground
corn, oats, or shorts, mixed with about 10 per cent of cooked -
meat, green eut bone, or beef scraps are mixed together dry.
Then thoroughly mix with about one-third this bulk of
steeped clover leaves or finely cut clover, which has pre-
viously been scalded. Another mixture, to be only slightly
moistened with water, is the following:
2 parts bran
1 part wheat shorts
1 part ground corn
1 part ground oats
1 part beef scraps
149 part charcoal
THE FEEDING OF POULTRY 371
(In North Carolina, Bulletin 211, North Carolina station, page 54.)
In an experiment extending from December to May,
different rations were fed to pens of 10 hens each. The
largest production of eggs and the least cost occurred in pens
14 and 15, fed the following:
4 parts corn meal
4 parts wheat bran
2 parts meat meal
2 parts bone meal
Cotton-seed meal was used in three cases. Pens 20 and
22, fed four parts each of corn meal, wheat bran, and cotton
seed meal, did very unequal work, one pen laying 225 eggs
and the other 378.
(In Kansas, Bulletin 164, Kansas station, page 290.)
The following laying ration has been a success in feeding
White Leghorns and White Plymouth Rocks. Between
February 1 and November 1, 1909, one White Plymouth
Rock produced 201 eggs and another 196, at a cost for feed
of 90 cents each. The Leghorns averaged 166.1 eggs for
the same nine months, at a slightly less cost. Following are
the rations:
GRAIN MasH
10 parts wheat 6 parts wheat shorts
10 parts corn 3 parts bran
5 parts oats 6 parts corn meal
5 parts beef scrap
1 part alfalfa meal
Fattening ration for fowls. Fowls to be fattened should
be kept in a limited enclosure and given but little exercise,
and fed a fattening ration. Specialists place chickens in
crates and fatten them rapidly for three or four weeks.
Professor Jackson of the Pennsylvania station, reporting on
fattening in Bulletin No. 107, says: ‘‘The common ration
of corn meal is rarely as satisfactory as a combination of
grains. An excellent mixture is equal parts of finely ground
372 BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
corn meal, buckwheat, and oats with the hulls removed.
A ration of one to two parts corn meal, one part middlings
and five per cent meat scrap may be used if it is not possible
to secure the other grains. It is important, whatever grains
are used, that they be finely ground. If this ration is mixed
with sour milk, no animal food will be needed.”
It will be noticed that in all the above rations, corn,
wheat, oats, and wheat bran or middlings are the standard
foods used. Meat meal or beef scrap, skimmed milk, and
clover or alfalfa, are always desirable. In the far West,
Kaffir corn or millet seed may be used to advantage. Where
barley is commonly grown, this is to be recommended as a
feed, and may be used in place of corn if desired.
A REVIEW OF THE SITUATION
1. Compare the crop and the gizzard.
2. What kind of diet should be given a fow.?
3. How often should poultry be fed?
4, Explain the meaning of forced feeding, and when it is prac-
5. Why is mineral matter fed, and under what conditions?
6. Under what conditions should water be supplied?
7. Give the method of feeding young chicks in brooders as used at
the Maine station.
8. Give two rations for laying hens used in different states, and the
method of feeding.
9, Name the five most common feeding stuffs used.
SOME LITTLE EXPERIMENTS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
10. Carefully examine the crop and digestive organs of a chicken.
(a) When taken from a freshly-killed fowl.
(b) Freeze a fowl solid in winter, and with a saw, cut it
in two lengthwise and somewhat on one side, to show
the digestive organs in place.
11. Make up two pens of hens, equal in number. Feed one lot
a carbonaceous food, like corn; the other a protein food, such as wheat.
= ee = ee
THE FEEDING OF POULTRY 373
Give some green food, oyster shells, and grits. Keep a record of egg
production, and after some weeks report to the school.
12. Make up two pens of hens. Feed alike, except to give one pen
oyster shells, and allow none to the other. Keep a record of the num-
ber and condition of the eggs, and report.
13. Prepare what you believe to be a good ration of home-grown
feeds for growing chickens, and bring a sample to school for inspection
and criticism. | ;
14. Report on the rations fed by any two or more poultrymen in
the community in which you live.
eae
—
CHAPTER XXVIII
THE POULTRY HOUSE AND EQUIPMENT
The need of housing or shelter for fowls varies with the
section of the country and the local conditions under which
they are kept. While close housing is no longer needed to
the extent formerly thought necessary, naturally more pro-
tection is required in the colder sections than in the warmer.
In winter, in New England, where the ground is usually
covered with snow, shelter is a necessity; while in Texas,
where snow rarely falls, less protection is required.
The forms and styles of poultry houses differ widely, and
no one kind is regarded as the best.