CHARACTER IN BREEDING STOCK.

Otago Witness, Issue 3111, 29 October 1913, Page 17

CHARACTER IN BREEDING STOCK.

MANY GOOD ANIMALS DO NOT POSSESS IT, AND SHOULD BE AVOIDED. Breeders of pedigree stock are generally alive to the importance of what is commonly called “character” in their stock (says an English writer). It is a term which is somewhat difficult to explain to anyone who has not the breeder’s eye or instinct. It is quite a common occurrence to go to a sale of pure-bred Shorthorns, for example, and amongst other common remarks on the stock one breeder will often observe to another, “Yes, a nice lot of cattle, but they lack character.” Now, a remark of this sort is never under any circumstances heard from the mouth of one who deals entirely in commercial animals, nor, for that matter, from anybody who has not an eye for a well-bred animal; but no experienced breeder will deny what an important matter it is that any purebred animal should possess character in a marked degree. Character may briefly be described as individuality in an animal as indicated by the round, prominent eye, stately carriage, general high-bred look, and beautiful quality, which are only to be found in highly-bred animals. Character applies equally and is just as essential in pure-bred sheep and horses as in cattle, and breeders speak of their rams and ewes being possessed of “nice character just as ono would so describe a first-rate specimen of a Shorthorn. Character may also be said to include, to a certain extent, “breed type,” that is to say, in describing a ram as being possessed of beautiful character it would also mean that not only was he of high-bred appearance, but was in every way typical of the breed to which ho belonged, and bore in a marked degree those features for which the particular breed was noted. INDICATION OF PREPOTENCY. Now, it may be argued from the commercial point of view that, provided a good bull, for example, is possessed of a good straight top and underline, good level flesh, and all the rest of it. whatever difference of his value can it make w:hether ho is possessed of character or not? It just makes this difference—that if a well-bred animal has no character, then he is “common,” and his qualities would give no indication of prepotency or the power to impress his qualities on his offspring. Therein lies the power and the importance of character. Without it there is not much likelihood of prepotency, and, moreover, a male animal possessed of strong character will not only impress upon his offspring his own likeness, but will also impress upon them the good qualities of his ancestors and any good points that may be lying dormant if not exposed in himself. The supreme value of stylo in a sire was never better exemplified than in the case of Belvedere, nor, for tbs* matter, is there any better example of the true breeder’s eye and genius than the story of Thomas Bates and his purchase of Belvedere. He heard of the bull and of his breeding, and the blood being what he particularly wanted at the time ho wont to purchase him if he was good enough. It is said that when Bates passed by the barn door over which the head of Belvedere was protruding and saw it, he was determined to secure him at any price, and, in fact, did. It is not every man who would settle a matter like that by just a glimpse at a bull’s countenance, but that was enough for the genius of Thomas Bates. He saw in that head and countenance character and prepotency, and the result was the production of Shorthorn* which made the breed famous the world over. Character is never seen in other than highly-bred stock. Crossbred animals never possess it, oven though they may be the cross of a pedigree bull and cow of different breeds. They may possess quality in the greatest degree, but they will not possess character; and 1 when ono sees otherwise good cattle with a common" look about them it can generally bo assumed that there has been a bad cross in the pedigree somewhere. It very often happens that sires with strong character are not by any means perfect in form —in other words, arc not “show” animals; but any experienced breeder knows full well that an animal with a few faults and possessed of individuality in a marked degree is much more likely to prove a good and impressive sire than a “show” animal with a common head and countenance. The good point in a sire is that he should bo impressive, and that he should bestow not only his own good qualities, but the good qualities of his ancestors, on his progeny, but this can never be expected from a common-looking animal, however good he may be in form and flesh. NOT ALWAYS FOUND WITH LONG PEDIGREES. A long and fashionable pedigree does not always guarantee either character or impressiveness, and the writer has seen bulls of strong appearance and most impressive as sires with a short pedigree, but very purely bred for all that. It is in animals of the “purest” breeding that character is usually the most strongly developed, and many animals of so-called “short” pedigree aro quite as purely bred as some with the long and fashionable ones. If a herd or flock lacks style, it at the same time loses its value in the eyes of a breeder. To be lacking in character implies, more or less, lack of good breeding, and what extra value can be attached to pedigree stock that is no better to look upon than animals that can bo picked out of a dealer’s lot? Unless a pure-bred animal has a strong individuality and high-bred appearance, then there is nothing to justify his use with a view to improving ordinary stock, to say nothing of being used in a pure-bred herd. It should always be easy to pick out a hiehlvbred animal from a common-bred one by its head and countenance, and unices this can be done then such an animal is short of the greatest essentials of high breeding. Breeders know full well that it is only safe to buy sires, be they bulls or rams, from ft herd or flock where the merit is good and character uniform and strong. Chnr-i frier, as a term, is also used to denote

the strong, masculine or feminine features of an animal, and in this way also the word has an important meaning well known to breeders of experience. POINTS OF SEX CHARACTER. A male animal, if said to have masculine character, must be of a positive masculine type, with a strong masculine head and horn. Weak heads and countenances, as usually possessed by steers, should be studiously avoided in a sire. A steery or negative kind of head and countenance is not indicative of prepotency, and an animal o> this typo will certainly never be an impressive sire. Ho may be just useful .or begetting steers for commercial purposes, but never for begetting breeder s stock. Masculine style also includes a strong, truck neck, wide and well-developed shoulders, broad “chine,” wide and well-fleshed back and loin, good, deep, and well-sprung ribs, thickness through the heart, and welldeveloped thighs. These are a few of tn . chief points which are included in the teim “masculine character.” Then, again, tne word character is applied in the same way with regard to femininity, and a cow should be as distinctly feminine in her chief points as a bull is strong in his. A cow, like a bull, should never have a “ steer v” countenance, but should look “breezy” and refined about the head bhe should be wide between the eyes and have a wide muzzle; but in all points where the male is strong and muscular the female should be refined. There should bo a look of sweetness and general refinement a over a brcetly-looking cow which is worthy to be described as of true feminine character. The word character, «. a PP ,lc 9 *?. a breeding animal, includes much that is dimcult to explain in writing; but at the same time it behoves all breeders of P«bgree stock to sec that the animals they breed possess it, and they will always find when it comes to a sale that very great value attaches to it. Likewise, in the shQwyard, an animal with strong character will always beat an equally good animal -without the quality, and in the science of breeding every breeder of experience knows the value of it.