The question I am throwing out here is based on your personal programs, would you venture to say you are more prone to follow an Old Mans advice...or prefer to be skeptical until it can be proven in your minds as a young mans reason?
Interesting topic. No doubt some of the "old timers" you refer to had a reason for doing the things and believing the things they did. Most of what they did/do was based on years of observing the results, and also the proven logic that was perhaps passed down through generations. What they lacked, was the scientific reasoning behind it. For example...many of us have probably heard over the years how when the cows are grazing the fish are biting..cows laying and fish aren't as active. That is something that perhaps people noticed through generations, but it wasn't until modern research showed that falling barometric pressure effects the digestive system of cattle and can cause them to stop grazing and lay down. Falling barometric pressure also can negatively affect the fish bite. See where I'm going? People knew this all along, just didn't really know why.
I'm personally a very analytical person...I love research, and I like being able to find hard evidence for the things I choose to put trust in. I live by the addage of believing nothing of what I hear and only a portion of what I see. I refuse to ever believe that I should do something or believe something just because someone said it was so. Times change...methods change and just because something was good years ago doesn't necessarily mean it is good today.
In regards to breeding animals...look at anything bred for work, sport or show. Horses, cattle, dogs, even down to the 4H rabbits, goats, etc. They're better today than they were years ago and there's a reason for that. Progress is inevitable and you either keep up or get left behind.
