FARM AND DAIRY

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume XXIX, Issue 8301, 23 April 1932, Page 2

FARM AND DAIRY

FACTORS IN CATTLE BREEDING

WHERE “LIKE BEGETS LIKE”

IMPORTANCE OF FEEDING A speaker at a recent show function remarked that "an irresponsible newspaper writer states that like begets like,” but the speaker declared

that there was little truth in this | saying. The speaker later on laid i great emphasis on the statement that “half the breeding goes down the mouth,” and declared that this was absolutely true. Now, as a mat-! ter of fact, there is more truth in the old saying that “like begets like” than in the equally old saying that “half the breeding goes down the mouth.” Of course, both of these trite sayings are rough and ready expressions. The term “like begets like” was first used, no doubt, to emphasise that if it is desired to breed a shorthorn then a pure shorthorn must bo mated to a pure shorthorn, and if a really good animal was the objective, then only the best parents must be used. The better the parents the better, obviously, may the progeny be expected to be. But in breeding even more than other human undertakings, “the best laid plans of mice and men gang aft agley.” The blood may not nick, the sire may not be as prepotent as he should be, and there are other factors unseen by man which operate to upset his plans. This we may assuredly expect, a high class animal will seldom or never be bred from poor.parents. We are reminded in this 'connection of another old saying, that “it is better to breed from a poor parent of a great strain than a good parent or an inferior one.” Generally speaking, the statement that “like begets like” is a most valuable truism.

WHERE GOOD FEEDING TELLS

The saying that “half the breeding goes down the mouth” has much less truth in it, though properly applied it constitutes a most valuable rule to the breeder. It would be more than true to say that “half the appearance goes down the mouth.” However well fed the progeny of poor parents may be, the mere feeding will not make a better animal of it, although, of course, it would ensure the animal having a better consitution. It is only where good animals are being dealt with that good feeding plays such an important part. The calf of good parents will not do them justice, and will never be as profitable as it should be if it is not done well from the very first. The most successful breeders are invariably the most skilled feeders, and with them it is veritably a case of half the breeding going down the mouth. Probably the greatest weakness at the present day is the failure to feed young stock well and thereby to ensure them having thart constitution which the heavy production of modern milking cows demands. In aiming to secure highclass animals, strain must come first. The best results from that strain will only be obtained where the breeding is intelligently combined wtih good feeding.