I've been on the 4 wheeler spraying thistles and now taking a break. So here are a few observations. I have a Hereford Herd Bull book from 1954 and one from 1973. The 1973 book has 1057 pages and the 1954 book has almost 1000 pages, the last few are missing. The 1954 book has some polled bull ads but the 1973 has none. The 1954 bulls are all very short by our standards with adult bull height a little over waist high from the photos and yes I know people vary in height. In fact there is an article with criteria for selecting and judging cattle that stresses short legs. I believe enough time has passed that I can comment here. There is a large article about the Adams brothers from Iowa in 1954. In it they have a cow with a huge udder and the comment is that this is a good cow with lots of milk. The Adams brothers bulls are horned but their feedlot cattle and cows are not so I assume they have been dehorned.
The 1973 edition shows bulls that on the average appear at least 1 foot taller and much longer legs. One ad mentions the increased size of their bulls, Another ad has a bull almost 2700 lbs. The 1954 book had no bulls with brown around the eyes but the 1973 book had a few. Also now realize these are photos in the 1973 book and this is my opinion but several bulls seem to have a condition referred to as lazy penis. In both books there is ads for Line 1 cattle and Domino in pedigrees. I had the 1954 book for years and my wife purchased the 1973 book for me yesterday and so I thought I would just do a little comparing. These are just my observations from looking at the bull books and if anyone is close I can share them. farmguy
The 1973 edition shows bulls that on the average appear at least 1 foot taller and much longer legs. One ad mentions the increased size of their bulls, Another ad has a bull almost 2700 lbs. The 1954 book had no bulls with brown around the eyes but the 1973 book had a few. Also now realize these are photos in the 1973 book and this is my opinion but several bulls seem to have a condition referred to as lazy penis. In both books there is ads for Line 1 cattle and Domino in pedigrees. I had the 1954 book for years and my wife purchased the 1973 book for me yesterday and so I thought I would just do a little comparing. These are just my observations from looking at the bull books and if anyone is close I can share them. farmguy