Livestock philosophy

Abstract

After studying livestock production in various parts of the world, especially among the Bantu tribes, one cannot but come to the conclusion that this type of agriculture is influenced mainly by the cultural background of the people who practise it. Throughout the world one finds that those races who are superstitious, who have no real cultural background of the kind known to the Western Civilization, have made little worthwhile contribution to livestock betterment. Considering Bantu agriculture as an example, it is apparent that, to the Bantu, the animal is a token of wealth, a means of acquiring a wife and, therefore, a necessity under the Lo bolo system. The native has never regarded livestock production as a means of benefitting mankind, since he has never practised it with the object of producing more and better food for his people. Likewise the Hindu, whose whole outlook on the animal is that it is holy. As a result he is not permitted to castrate those bulls which are useless, or carry out selection to improve his herds.