I was interested in this new (to me) use in Dr. Bill's article:

For the next three to four weeks, the bull will work at gathering a harem of cows, breeding each one in turn as she hits the peak of her estrous cycle.

Many (most?) AWADers will have far more experience of breeding than I do, but I always understood the transitive use to refer to people choosing two animals to mate with each other in order for them to produce offspring with traits the humans think desirable. Here it seems to be used to mean "mate with". Is this a standard term that has hitherto escaped my notice or is mate with now considered too blunt to be used in polite company (assuming the readers of Close to the Land are considered polite company, of course)?

Bingley

Bingley