Gentleness and Courage
Many people assume that gentle animals must be indolent cowards, and that certain animals, like watchdogs and dairy bulls, must be vicious and dangerous in order to be good. Such an assumption is the height of folly! God did not intend any domestic animal to be dangerous. He commands that a dangerous bull should be kept penned, and that if this does not keep him from harming people or other animals, he should be killed (Ex. 21:28-36).
Men have not obeyed God. They have carelessly bred such belligerent natures into dairy bulls that big-game hunters always list the domestic dairy bull as the most dangerous animal on the North American continent. This is true, but it is a perversion. Viciousness is NOT an essential part of courage. Some of the most docile cattle are noted for their courageous protection of their young. And there are several breeds of medium and large dogs — gentle as lap dogs — that have for centuries been used to guard sheep and cattle. They are so courageous they will fearlessly fight off wolves or bears.
Viciousness in cattle is not a trait created in them. It is a rather recent development caused by mismanagement, crossbreeding and breeding for a few isolated characteristics while neglecting the over-all quality. Throughout the Middle East, where our ancestors and our cattle originated, all species of livestock have been noted for gentleness ever since the earliest recorded history. Both the Bible and secular literature speak of young boys and girls caring for the family flocks and herds in ancient times. And the modern traveler in Crete who mentioned "a small yellow-haired girl, driving a flock of sheep, goats, cows, and one pig under the shadow of the trees," in The National Geographic Magazine, November 1943, p. 564, was only reiterating what many other recent travelers throughout the East have said. Those flocks of cattle, sheep and goats together, commonly seen throughout the unfenced East, normally include a few male animals, all docile. Those people could not afford a vicious animal. But when our ancestors started migrating and indiscriminately mixing different breeds from different areas, and breeding for abnormal profits, many strains lost their normal docility, along with some other qualities.
Many breeders recognize that crossbreeding many times causes a loss of docility as well as quality. It is no wonder God forbids crossbreeding (Lev. 19:19). From the beginning He intended that each species should reproduce "after its kind" (Gen. 1). Crossbreeding recommendations are made primarily by theorists, and not by quality-minded cattlemen.
Age-Old Qualities Still Profitable
All the natural breeds — which originated by the branching out of the original stock — have inherited many of the desirable traits in common, because these are the traits God put in the original perfect cattle. These good traits were bred out of the others as a sacrifice to unnatural profit. As an illustration of the day-to-day economic usefulness of these diversified qualities that good cattle have, notice the rare qualities listed in this enthusiastic report from a rancher who hauled a few Scotch Highland cattle 3000 miles from Vancouver, Canada, to Ross River, Yukon Territory:
"They gained weight on the trip. I gave them lots of room and hay . . . To unload at night I would back up to a bank and call them and out they would jump. In the morning the same thing, just walk in with some hay and they would follow . . . [What manageability!] These cattle alongside others have horse sense. Loose on the range other cattle I have known will walk into bog holes, fall into holes, wedge into trees, in fact are always in trouble; not these little guys. They walk around bogs and open water in the river; you can't drive them near a dangerous spot. They nonchalantly feed on side hills that a horse would break his neck on, in fact we are sold on them . . . It gets very cold, down to 70 below . . ."
Another rancher reports: "It got down to 20 below and a strong northwest wind. The Herefords broke through the fence and came home, and a couple of Highland cows came with them. I rode out the next day; the rest of the Highland cows and the yearling Highland heifers were out there by themselves and didn't seem to be a bit perturbed. We have no natural shelter here. . .
With performance such as reported by these ranchers, coupled with disease resistance, good calf crops, twenty years of productivity, and no dwarfism, it would be difficult to lose money. Low overhead and good production is a combination hard to beat. These are the qualities all cattle would have if they were bred and fed properly.
Some of the long-neglected hardy breeds are gaining more public attention and favor, especially from cattlemen who have been suffering losses. Regrettably some breeders are using the hardy breeds only for crossbreeding, or are trying to quickly make them fatter or bigger in the rump by using Bakewell's techniques. Thus they are headed for the same degeneration through the same mistakes all over again. Indiscriminately striving for larger frames, more fat, heavier rumps, more milk, or a particular color pattern will lead to neglect of the over-all quality and can quickly degenerate any breed.
A Recent Case History
A typical example of rapid corruption occurred in the Brittany peninsula of France, long famous for its tiny, hardy, excellent milk cows. Several decades ago "progressive" farmers on the fertile coastal plain began to import Shorthorn bulls to increase size and Ayrshire and Jersey bulls to increase milk production of the Brittany cows. The latter did not increase the already-good milk production but the former did increase size, so they continued to use Shorthorns and discontinued the others. However, in the poor, rugged, hilly southern part of the peninsula, Morbihan Department, the farmers would have none of this crossbreeding, but kept their cattle pure and small (The Taurine World, page 656).
What is the outcome of this unfortunate experiment with the Shorthorns? Dr. Ghislain Gielfrich reports that "pure Brittany cattle are perfectly adapted for poor land," and he adds, "purebred animals are now in the minority in the peninsula, but certain crosses are as unfortunate as they are indefinable" (page 17 of L'approvisionnement en Lait de la Ville de Rennes translated by Ambassador College French Department). Dr. Gielfrich further informs us, on page 41, that brucellosis, or Bang's disease, is prevalent in the northern part of the peninsula (the coastal plain where crossbreeding had been practiced), and that the hilly southern section (where cattle were kept pure) has healthy cattle to this day.
Crossbreeding did not directly cause Bang's disease, but weakened the constitutions of the animals so they became more susceptible. Greed for unnatural profits always brings its eventual retribution. In this end time when a speedy downfall has been decreed for a rebellious society, that retribution will come more quickly.
The susceptibility of livestock to degeneration from mismanagement also implies another factor. The degenerate breeds — if not hopelessly decadent — can be regenerated, NOT by crossbreeding and use of feed additives, but by following Jacob's breeding principles and by use of proper feed and forage. By culling out weaklings and breeding hardy, normal individuals — beef cattle with the normal, not-so-blocky appearance and slightly smaller, natural rumps, and milk stock with normal udders giving a natural amount of rich nourishment instead of excessive gallons of water — and by seeking quality first, following the teachings of the Bible, some can rebuild the health of their cattle soon enough to avoid catastrophe. Changing the principles of management will rebuild the health of livestock more quickly than it will give normal tenderness to the beef of the tougher meated modern breeds. For that reason some have already found it necessary to change breeds, but many will not find such a drastic move necessary.
Knowledge Requires Action
We may not previously have known these principles of animal husbandry.
God held off the crisis until the proclamation of the penalty for sin was sent to this heedless people on a nationwide scale through The WORLD TOMORROW broadcast. After God warns us He requires us to obey His instructions (Ezek. 3:19; John 13:17). We should be satisfied with the prosperity God built into the natural heredity of good livestock. God's standards of excellence are best for both producer and consumer. A greedy desire for more brings less in the long run and poor health.
Some claim they cannot afford to correct the abuses in their livestock. But neither can they afford to stand idly by and watch a plague of livestock losses descend upon them like a storm.
One who follows God's principles will always prosper without indulging in drugs, growth stimulants and tenderizers — and need have no fear of disease, dwarfism, or birth difficulties.
It is time to quit deceiving ourselves into trouble and rely upon God and His ways for our prosperity (Deut. 28:1-6; Mal. 3:8-11; Mat. 6:24-34). God's promises are not the idle dreams of righteous men of old; they are the sure and practical ways that work.
All our errors can be eliminated — and a livestock tragedy can be prevented — but only by changing man's motives and practices. We must learn to act upon the living, working sure laws of God Almighty.