Post by kansasdexters on Aug 12, 2014 9:36:19 GMT -5
Hi Jeff,
Thanks for chiming in! Let's get in the "Way Back" machine and take a look at the early livestock improvers in Great Britain. (Reference is "The Cattle of Britain" by Frank H. Garner, published in 1944 by Longmans, Green and Co. Ltd.)
Robert Bakewell, born in 1726, near Dishley, Leicestershire, was an 18th century English agriculturalist and livestock improver, that introduced stockbreeding methods that transformed the quality of British cattle, horses, and sheep. Bakewell's great innovation was to begin breeding "in-and-in". When Bakewell was 47 years old, he travelled the country and purchased cattle from Westmorland, Lancashire and Yorkshire (sheep from Yorkshire and Lancashire and horses from Holland). Having collected his stock, he pursued a policy of in-breeding, starting first with sheep. Prior to his time, cattle were needed primarily for milk and work, but during his time, there was an increased demand for meat. This increased demand for beef called for a new idea, namely stock that would fatten quickly and easily when growth was complete; so Bakewell bred his cattle for the butcher and not for the plough. Bakewell's system of inbreeding was successful because he started with dissimilar, unrelated stock, he was a good judge of stock, he took great pains to secure the best stock in the country for his purpose, and he repeatedly culled all undesirable stock. Bakewell initiated a system of leasing out bulls, which enabled him to prove his sires in the herds of others, before he used them in his own herd (i.e. he initiated the breeding system now known as the use of proven sires).
Bakewell worked with Longhorn cattle, a breed that had been developed from the Dutch and Old English breeds, and that had come into prominence in the English Midlands in the early part of the eighteenth century (1700's). Because of their excellence they spread both southwards and westwards at the expense of the various local breeds; they also spread into the central plain of Ireland.
Bakewell demonstrated first with his Leicester sheep, and then with his Longhorn cattle, that closely related animals could be mated, and if rigid culling was practiced, desirable characteristics could be "fixed" much more rapidly than by mating unrelated animals.
Bakewell was very largely responsible for the development of many of the present-day breeds, because of his systematic breeding approach (including in-breeding) and the use of proven sires. Bakewell's breeding system and methods were passed on to other breeds because he took in students. Charles Colling, who worked with Shorthorn cattle, was one of Bakewell's most famous students.
Charles Colling and his brother, Robert, are often referred to as the founders of the Shorthorn cattle breed. While others had previously contributed to developing the native cattle of the area, it was Charles and Robert Colling that developed the systematic breeding program for the Shorthorn breed, after they had visited Bakewell and made a study of his breeding methods around 1783.
Thomas Booth of Killerby, in Yorkshire, purchased the foundation of his herd of Shorthorn cattle in 1790. Mr. Booth operated from the estates of Killerby and Warlaby, located about 15 miles from the Colling brothers farms. Booth drew heavily upon the Colling brothers for foundation bulls. He used the Colling-bred bulls on rather large females that he purchased from other sources (i.e. he used more refined bulls on less refined cows). Booth was the first Shorthorn breeder to place great emphasis on fleshing qualities. He developed in his cattle, an aptitude to take on flesh, especially during dry periods (when they weren't in milk). Because of this emphasis on thickness of flesh and strength of back and loin, the Booth family produced a line of Shorthorn cattle that were strictly beef type. Booth started the idea that is now known as "grading-up" and he worked with four top crosses (i.e. four generations) to produce Beef Shorthorn cattle.
Thomas Bates, of Northcumberland, made a thorough study of the Colling herd and the cattle they produced and inspected the herds of many other breeders of the time before he chose his foundation stock. Bates purchased his first cows from the Colling herd in 1800. Thomas Bates emphasized heavy milking qualities in his cattle, and present day Milking Shorthorns are largely descended from his breeding efforts. Thomas Bates can be regarded as the founder of the dual-purpose type of Shorthorn. Bates developed Shorthorns as dual-purpose stock by directing attention to them as a dairy breed.
Amos Cruikshank, of Sittyton, Aberdeenshire Scotland, and his brother, Anthony, began breeding Shorthorns in 1837. The Cruikshanks developed the Scotch Beef Shorthorns and played a big part in exporting them to all parts of the world. Cruikshank's ideal was a breed of cattle that could convert straw and turnips into beef, and withstand the rigorous Aberdeenshire climate. His requirements were a good middle and a strong constitution, even though the cattle might be plain looking. He was not into fancy show stock, but he expected a cow to be feminine and a bull to be masculine.
So now that everyone has an idea of the significance of the Colling Brothers, Thomas Booth, Thomas Bates, and Amos Cruikshank to the Shorthorn cattle breed; can we identify similarly inclined owner/breeders in the Dexter breed (past or present)?
Patti
Thanks for chiming in! Let's get in the "Way Back" machine and take a look at the early livestock improvers in Great Britain. (Reference is "The Cattle of Britain" by Frank H. Garner, published in 1944 by Longmans, Green and Co. Ltd.)
Robert Bakewell, born in 1726, near Dishley, Leicestershire, was an 18th century English agriculturalist and livestock improver, that introduced stockbreeding methods that transformed the quality of British cattle, horses, and sheep. Bakewell's great innovation was to begin breeding "in-and-in". When Bakewell was 47 years old, he travelled the country and purchased cattle from Westmorland, Lancashire and Yorkshire (sheep from Yorkshire and Lancashire and horses from Holland). Having collected his stock, he pursued a policy of in-breeding, starting first with sheep. Prior to his time, cattle were needed primarily for milk and work, but during his time, there was an increased demand for meat. This increased demand for beef called for a new idea, namely stock that would fatten quickly and easily when growth was complete; so Bakewell bred his cattle for the butcher and not for the plough. Bakewell's system of inbreeding was successful because he started with dissimilar, unrelated stock, he was a good judge of stock, he took great pains to secure the best stock in the country for his purpose, and he repeatedly culled all undesirable stock. Bakewell initiated a system of leasing out bulls, which enabled him to prove his sires in the herds of others, before he used them in his own herd (i.e. he initiated the breeding system now known as the use of proven sires).
Bakewell worked with Longhorn cattle, a breed that had been developed from the Dutch and Old English breeds, and that had come into prominence in the English Midlands in the early part of the eighteenth century (1700's). Because of their excellence they spread both southwards and westwards at the expense of the various local breeds; they also spread into the central plain of Ireland.
Bakewell demonstrated first with his Leicester sheep, and then with his Longhorn cattle, that closely related animals could be mated, and if rigid culling was practiced, desirable characteristics could be "fixed" much more rapidly than by mating unrelated animals.
Bakewell was very largely responsible for the development of many of the present-day breeds, because of his systematic breeding approach (including in-breeding) and the use of proven sires. Bakewell's breeding system and methods were passed on to other breeds because he took in students. Charles Colling, who worked with Shorthorn cattle, was one of Bakewell's most famous students.
Charles Colling and his brother, Robert, are often referred to as the founders of the Shorthorn cattle breed. While others had previously contributed to developing the native cattle of the area, it was Charles and Robert Colling that developed the systematic breeding program for the Shorthorn breed, after they had visited Bakewell and made a study of his breeding methods around 1783.
Thomas Booth of Killerby, in Yorkshire, purchased the foundation of his herd of Shorthorn cattle in 1790. Mr. Booth operated from the estates of Killerby and Warlaby, located about 15 miles from the Colling brothers farms. Booth drew heavily upon the Colling brothers for foundation bulls. He used the Colling-bred bulls on rather large females that he purchased from other sources (i.e. he used more refined bulls on less refined cows). Booth was the first Shorthorn breeder to place great emphasis on fleshing qualities. He developed in his cattle, an aptitude to take on flesh, especially during dry periods (when they weren't in milk). Because of this emphasis on thickness of flesh and strength of back and loin, the Booth family produced a line of Shorthorn cattle that were strictly beef type. Booth started the idea that is now known as "grading-up" and he worked with four top crosses (i.e. four generations) to produce Beef Shorthorn cattle.
Thomas Bates, of Northcumberland, made a thorough study of the Colling herd and the cattle they produced and inspected the herds of many other breeders of the time before he chose his foundation stock. Bates purchased his first cows from the Colling herd in 1800. Thomas Bates emphasized heavy milking qualities in his cattle, and present day Milking Shorthorns are largely descended from his breeding efforts. Thomas Bates can be regarded as the founder of the dual-purpose type of Shorthorn. Bates developed Shorthorns as dual-purpose stock by directing attention to them as a dairy breed.
Amos Cruikshank, of Sittyton, Aberdeenshire Scotland, and his brother, Anthony, began breeding Shorthorns in 1837. The Cruikshanks developed the Scotch Beef Shorthorns and played a big part in exporting them to all parts of the world. Cruikshank's ideal was a breed of cattle that could convert straw and turnips into beef, and withstand the rigorous Aberdeenshire climate. His requirements were a good middle and a strong constitution, even though the cattle might be plain looking. He was not into fancy show stock, but he expected a cow to be feminine and a bull to be masculine.
So now that everyone has an idea of the significance of the Colling Brothers, Thomas Booth, Thomas Bates, and Amos Cruikshank to the Shorthorn cattle breed; can we identify similarly inclined owner/breeders in the Dexter breed (past or present)?
Patti