livestock Breeding
Livestock Breeding
In the late 1700's, Robert Bakewell began experimenting with breeding livestock. He mated animals with desirable traits, attempting to improve breeds. Bakewell's methods produced larger, sturdier breeds of cattle, pigs, horses and sheep, but he was most famous for breeding a sheep called the Leicester (pronounced `lester'). This new breed fattened quickly and could be used for meat and wool. Mutton became very affordable and was soon found on many English dinner tables. In 1710 the average sheep weighed in at about 28 pounds, while a cow weighed about 370 pounds. By 1795, a sheep averaged 80 pounds, and a cow 800 pounds. For a time, farmers competed to see who could breed the biggest and fattest animal the fastest. It also became fashionable for wealthy farmers to have portraits painted of their prize livestock.
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