Animal breeding / by Laurence M. Winters.

  • Winter, Laurence Merriam, 1891-
Date:
1925
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

Credit: Animal breeding / by Laurence M. Winters. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    CHAPTER IV THE OESTRUS CYCLE AND FERTILIZATION 35. Puberty.—The age of puberty marks the young animal's abihty to reproduce. Previous to puberty, the nutritive system is very efficient; somatic growth is very rapid; and the generative organs are gradually developed until, at a certain period called puberty, they become capable of generation. Marked changes in the individuals' physique take place at this time. The first period of oestrum, or heat, and the first ovula¬ tion mark the arrival of puberty in the female. At this time, the female is generally high-strung or nervous, and the mammary glands noticeably increase in size. With the arrival of puberty in the male, there is a marked develop¬ ment of the forequarters, crest, and head; in the horned breeds of sheep and cattle, there is a thickening of the horns. The change is not only physical but temperamental as well; the animals become distinctly more nervous and often pugnacious, duels to death being not at all uncom¬ mon (Fig. 8). 36. Age of Puberty.—The age of reaching puberty is governed by the following factors or influences: (1) species, (2) breed, (3) sex, (4) nutrition, and (5) individual. As a general rule, the representatives of the larger species and larger breeds within the species are slower in reaching pu¬ berty than the smaller ones. Without exact limitation, males are a little slower in reaching puberty than females. Animals reared under a favorable environment and state of nutrition will reach puberty at an earlier age than those 36