"(B)y following the directions of M. Guenon, as laid down in the treatise, anyone can tell with certainty whether a cow is a good milker, or whether a heifer will become one, so that there need be no doubt as to the profit of raising an animal, and no chance of being taken in the purchase of one."
National tribute of the French Government Paris, September17, 1848 This quotation is from the first page of the 14th edition of A Treatise on Milch Cows by M. Francois Guenon. Imagine the usefulness of the discrepancy between Expected Progeny Difference that most of us are currently using and Guenon’s “tell with certainty” methodology. Why do we breed in variability by using animal science (which was not even heard of in 1848) and numbers, when animal husbandry, knowledge and a bit of observation can lead us to a more certain and consistent outcome? When we go out in the pasture, do we really see our animals? When was the last time you went out to the pasture, picked a long stem of grass, put it between your teeth, and took a few minutes to observe?
Recently, I found three books that are a wealth of information: Animal Breeding, by Thomas Shaw, written in 1903, American Cattle by Louis Allen, written in 1868, and Stock Breeding by Manly Miles, written in 1879. These authors of a bygone era have much to tell us about the current situation of the cattle industry if we observe closely. Certain information regarding the managing and breeding of heifers really got my attention. Little did I realize how a heifer’s first pregnancy could have a profound influence on all her succeeding pregnancies regardless of which sire she was bred to after that.
Telegony is the name given to the hypothesis that offspring can inherit characteristics from a previous mate of the mother.
