Christina wrote: "Still, Bessie could wander off into the woods and 
potentially survive, but not
the average production animal, whose udders barely clear the ground and 
whose
frame is weakened by spending her life standing around in a freestall 
barn.  Are
there beekeeping parallels to that?"

You get what you select for (or don't select against).  The people who 
routinely rob their bees excessively and feed loads of sugar to get 
them through the winter are selecting for (or not selecting against) 
bees that rely on such artificial propping.  Such bees are less likely 
to get through the winter on their own.

It all depends whether you are keeping bees for the benefit of the bank 
manager or for the benefit of the species.  Most people< I suspect, are 
somewhere in between.

Chris






  

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