The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1856-02-14
VOL. XH...................NO. 43.
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Shelter Your Stock.

Notwithstanding much that has been
written during few years past especially
in the agricultural journals, on the true
principles of Winter protection and feed
ing OF domestic animals, there is still
great amount of costly ignorance on this
subject.
Last winter we Glanced upon the farm of
Il man who possessed a fair share of inteli-
gence upon general matters, and we were
not little surprised to find him still cling
to the old opinion, that his stock wintercd
better when exposed to cold, than if warm
y housed. He kept no account of the
amount OF food consumed, but his observa-
ton had taught him-and truly that his
sheep, for instance, consumed more food in
cold winter than in one Of moderate fem
per"ture; and he reasoned that if they alto
mole it Indicated better health, and a faster
growth OF flesh and wool. and of course. q
greater profit. Following out this opinion
lie kept flock of sheep in an open field,
exposed to bleak winds and peitng storms.
In this field he had placed number of
small stacks Of hay, to one after another Of
which they had free access, and upon which
they made rapid nroads. Their only shell
ter was afforded by the lceward side of
these hay stacks, and by the stone walls
that surrouE,!cd the field, together with n
grove upon the northern side that surronn-
ded the field, that served to break off the
wind from that direction, hut from entering
which they were prevented by the interven-
ing fence. lie WIS quite sure they ate bet
ter when thus exposed than if housed or
allowed warm shelter around and under
the barn. His other stock were treated in
similar manner. Instead of warm sheds
or stables they fed and slept in cold open
yard. lie said it kept them in better
heart and gave them sharper ap-
Petitc-as to the latter, he was doubtless
correct.
Gut he, like thousands of others, had
drawn his conclusions from a false theory
which "a few careful experiments would have
corrected. lie should have considered that
the proiitablencss of keeping animals de-
pends not upon ;tho absolute amount of
food they consume, but upon the greater or
less product Of flesh, wool, &c, obtained
from given amount of nutrilncnt. Had
he weighed his animals in the fail, divided
them, keeping one part in close, warm
sheds or stalls, and the other part in tho
colder situation, lie would have found that
the protected animals while consuming less,
food, gained more i'll weight than tie 9th
crs, and in May or June would have been
i'll superior health and heart. In the case
referred to, it was found necessary to give
the sheep dose of tar, by applying it on
their noses in the spring, to operate asa
tonic and to counteract the "runniny at the
nose,' produced by colds, Which sheep,
"catch" as well as men.
There is principle or two invo.sed in
feeding and nutrition, which, if veil under
stood 10y all who have the care of animals.
would render their labor doubly profitable,
The food consumed by animals serves a
double or treble purpose. 1t supplies the
waste of the system produced by the nat,l--
raj wear Of the various organs, and keeps
up respiration and the resulting heat
What is left after these ends are served, GOES
to increase the flesh or weight.
The ve"r depends upon the amount Of
exercise taken; hence the more quiet ami
mails are kept after allowing just enough
exercise to preserve the organs in healthy
state, the less will be the amount of food
required to supply the waste.
The heat Of the body results from tile,
consumption Of carhonaceous food, espe-
eiaIIy the oily and starchy portions. Tho.
union of the carbon in tallow candle or
oil lamp with the surrounding air, pro-
duc"s the heat and the flame, has an ex-.
act counterpart in the lurgs and blood Of
the animal, where tho air drawn in at.
respiration unites with the oily or fatty
matter in the blood, and gives heat to the
system.
On warm day not much heat is re-
moved from the surface of the body, and
the animal brenthes less rapidly and fully,
and less fat is consumed to supply the Was
ted heat. If the same amount Of oily
food is consumed and digested as on ~
cold day, there will he larger surplus TO-
he stored away as fat. AS matter Of
course, the colder the weather the less sur
plus fat, or profit, will be obtainsd from the,
food.
Another point usually overlooked is this:
In the coarser substance-such as lay and
straw-consumed by animals, there il bts
small proportion Of oily or carbonaeeous
matter {; and, to get at this, it is necessary
TO TO digest Prodigious quantity of food
@ lh.a overtaxes the digestive organs, and re-
suits in more or less debility. sa
we have here an explanation Why -
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