Coarse hay and straw are readily eaten by cattle, when brine is sprinkled upon them.
Corn-stalk fodder should always be cut or chopped,–otherwise the body of the stalk is wasted. This is the best part. It is sweetest and most nutritious. And it is the chief part in bulk. Chop it fine, and cattle will eat it, if the fodder has been well cured.
Quantity.–An acre of corn-stalks, cut and well secured, and chopped when fed, is quite as good as an acre of hay.
Currying.–Nothing contributes more to the health and appearance of cattle, than frequent curryings and rubbings; and nothing enjoys currying more, or shows greater improvement from it, than hogs.
Hoven Cattle.–A band of straw, the size of the wrist, placed in the mouth, drawing it tight, and making fast the ends over the head, just behind the horns, will cause the beast to endeavour to rid itself, by chewing the band; and the act of moving the tongue and jaws will permit the pent-up air to escape.
Over-Feeding.–Administer a pint of cider and half a pound of old cheese, grated and mixed.
Remarks on Neat Cattle.
1. The head small and clean, to lessen the quantity of offal. 2. The neck thin and clean. 3. The carcass large, the chest deep, and the bosom broad, with the ribs standing out full from the spine. 4. The shoulders should be light of bone, and round off at the lower point 5. The back ought to be wide and level throughout; the quarters long; the thighs thin, and standing narrow at the round bone; the udder large when full, but thin and loose when empty–with large dug-veins, and long elastic teats. 6. The bones, in general, light and clean.
To Select.–Adopt the practice of selecting best limbs every year, for stock. In a few years you have first-rate sheep. The same course will produce the same effects in every kind of animal.
THE HORSE.
There is no more danger of injury to the horse than to ourselves by eating a hearty meal when warm. And who ever heard of a man killing himself with a hearty dinner, because he ate it when he was fatigued or heated!
It is hard driving immediately after eating grain that kills the horse. Not an instance can be shown in which he has sustained injury from eating grain merely because he was warm.
We have known men, prudent in most matters, yet guilty of stuffing their horses with grain in the morning just before starting on a journey!
How absurd to let your horse stand for hours, after a violent exercise, to chop up his own fodder and attempt to appease his hunger on hay.
Give the horse half a bushel of oats or one peck of corn–if he has been used to grain–as soon as you lead him into the stable, and he will fill himself in an hour or two, and be willing to lie down and enjoy a nap, even before you retire to rest yourself.
In any part of the country, if you see the grain put into the manger you may be pretty sure the hostler has not forgotten his duty.
Watering.–If you ride moderately, you ought to let your horse drink at any time on the way; but if he has been long without water, and is hot, a load of cold water, greedily swallowed, will chill and deaden the tone of the stomach: but two or three swallows are really necessary to cool his mouth, and may be allowed him at any time.
Spavins are seldom cured: though cures are made by Rigler, at Frankford, Pa.
Heaves.–Mix ashes in his food, and lime-water for his drink.
Prevent Botts by cleanliness, and giving salt often and regularly; and, occasionally, a few potatoes.
When your animal has fever, nature would dictate that all stimulating articles of diet or medicine should be avoided. Bleeding may be necessary to reduce the force of the circulation–purging, to remove irritating substances from the bowels–moist, light, and easily digested food, that his weakened digestion may not be oppressed–cool drinks, to allay his thirst, and, to some extent, compensate for diminished secretions–rest and quiet, to prevent undue excitement in his system,–but nothing to be done without a reason. We might sum all in one general direction:–Treat your brutes like men.
Cuts should be cleaned, laid smooth in the natural position, and allowed time to cure.
Sores, when large, should be protected from the air and external irritation.
Bruises and Sprains should be kept quiet, or inflammation will ensue: endeavour to reduce the heat, if more than natural, and avoid the certain ‘cure-alls.’
Colic.–The horse rolls and is in pain. Administer a table-spoonful of strong mustard, dissolved in a black or junk bottle of water. Wrap the neck of the bottle with twine, to prevent its breaking. If inflammation is suspected, breathe a vein.
A damp stable produces more evil than a damp house; it is there we expect to find horses with bad eyes, coughs, greasy heels, swelled legs, mange, and a long, rough, dry, staring coat, which no grooming can cure.
Lock-Jaw.–Throw two or three hogsheads of water on the spine. The skin becomes loose, then wrap in blankets–feed with gruel and nourishing diet.
Botts are said to be too deeply buried in the mucous coat of the stomach, for any medicine that can be safely ministered, to affect them. Symptoms.–The horse hangs his head, is drowsy, and bites himself. Try a mixture of molasses and warm fresh milk, and rub externally with spirits of turpentine; all of which may loose the botts–then work them off with a large dose or two of oil.
Lampas (the roof) sometimes grow level with the front teeth, and impede the feeding. Touch with a lancet gently, and allow to bleed freely, instead of the usual painful cure of burning.
Age.–From 5. black cavity, like the eye of a bean, in two middle teeth of lower jaw, is filled up. At 6, the two second are filled up, and at 7 until S, the black marks of corner teeth of lower jaw fill up and disappear, and the tushes are no longer concave on the surface next the tongue, but become round or convex. The marks being now obliterated, the age cannot be exactly known; though extreme length of upper fore teeth, their yellow or brownish colour and projecting over the under teeth, disappearing of bars in the mouth, and sinking in of the eye-pits, are proofs of great age.
Ring Bones.–Blister of oil turpentine 1 oz., to which add, slowly, vitriolic acid two and a half drachms, lard 4 oz., powdered Spanish flies one ounce and a half. Mix.
Spavins.–Blister, same as Ring Bone, adding oil of origanum half an oi nee. Apply. First fire the part.
Sand Cracks, owing to excessive dryness of the crust. Moisten in stable, or turn him out into moist ground.
Verdigris is useful in some cases of soreness or inflammation of the foot.
Corns.–Remove the shoe and cut out the corn. Tack on the shoe after applying some tow dipped in tar.
The Frog should never be cut away, nor raised by the shoe above pressure with the ground, as it then loses its function of expnding the quarters of the foot, and will also become diseased.
Canker.–Cut the diseased part away; apply each day a fresh liniment of oil of turpentine 1 1-2 oz., sulphuric acid half an oz., mix slowly; tar 3 oz. Pressure is one of the best remedies.
Shoes should nowhere be in contact with the horny sole.
Pole Evil.–Open and apply ointment, hot, of oil of turpentine 1 oz., verdigris half oz., yellow resin 3 oz.; mix. After disease is destroyed, dress as a common abscess.
Staggers produced by too high feeding and little exercise. Bleed largely and give aloes 7 drachms,
