Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1872-12-05
Care Of Stock In Winter.

| DAYS remind us that winter Is approach.
| ing, and farm stock will soon need shelter.
| Very many otherwise good farmers allow
| their animals to remain in the open yard
| or field during the entire winter, without
the least protection from cold storms, and
| instead of being ashamed of such cruel
neglect they boast of it, and try to make
themselves believe they are practicing
economy in not giving their stock proper
care. There is no locality in these United
States the climate of which is so mild that
a shelter for animals in winter is not re-
| quired, both for their comfort and health
In some portions of Texas, and further
West, there is little cold weather, even
during the winter months, but cold rains
occur quite frequently, and animals suffer
almost as much from them as they do
from snow storms in more nothern To-
calities.
OF course "land agents" in all new
countries will talk nonsense on this sub
iect, declaring that the climate is so mild
that cattle remain out on the range" all
winter and sabsist upon the wild grasses
which are always abundant, but as soon
as these geptlemen's occupation is gone
and they leave for other localities, the
climate suddenly becomes colder, and
cattle begin to require shelter and food
during winter. Every one of the Western
States has passed through these various
stages of climatic change, but in theory
only, and now animals in all these States
require most thorough protection and
careful feeding during winter. Colo
RADIO, Arizona, and Montana are at
present the stock raiser's paradise;
no shelter or feed other than that
which nature provides in great abund.
ance is required; that is, if we are to be-
lieve the stories of those who have land
to sell but the latitude of these Terri
tories, with their well-known elevation
and exposure to cold winds, is proof
enough that the climate is a severe one,
and if animals are left to shift for them.
selves their lot is a hard one indeed.
The fearful loss OF life Of domestic ami
mails last winter upon the plains should
teach their owners q useful lesson, and
make them prepare both shelter and food
for their stock before they are likely to
require either. A shelter make of prairie
sods is far better than none; in fact, a
good warm stable can be made of such
materials, and we are sure that there are
thousands of animals in the Western
States and Territories which will not be
provided with even such poor quarters
during the approaching winter. II we
lay aside all other considerations except
that of economy, we must still see that
shelter and good care in winter will re-
suit in greater profits than the reverse !:
because, if our animals do pass through
the cold months without becoming
diseased, they will certainly lose flesh
which requires time in the spring for its
restoration, and this is 50 much loss. Of
course, the lralf.Wild breeds so abundant
in the Western States will pick up q liy-
ing where the improved and most valua.
BILE breeds would suffer more OF less
severely, but improvements in stock can
never take place until an improved system
of feeding and care is introduced.
The first thing to be learned is how to
properly care for our common breeds,
after which the change to better ones will
be so slight that success is almost certain,
The higher grades of Attorneys, Short
Horns, and similar breeds rust receive
the best of care, or they will soon show
it, and the negligent farmer will find that
pure improved breeds are little better
than the most common mopgTels. I'M
proved breeds Of animals are very much
the same as improved varieties of plants,
requiring excellent care to produce the
best results We are not to suppose by
this that they are more tender or liable to
disease than wildings, but being more
thoroughly domesticated they belong to
a higher order and require treatment ac-
cordingly. A man who expects his cows
to give large quantity Of rich milk dur
ing winter must see the reasonableness Of
the demand for warm stable, as well as
rich and nutritious food. The animals
must also have plenty OF water, and it is
not economy to compel them TO 60 half a
mile or more through snow banks, and in
the coolest weather, to procure it. Ii
water cannot be brought directly into the
barnyard from spring or brook, then a
well should be dug or a large cistern
made that will furnish q full supply. In
stormy, cold weather, water should be
supplied 10 animals in the stables, for it
is far better that they should remain in
their warm quarters without exercise
than be turned out in the cold, and there
fill themselves with ice water. Exercise
is certainly necessary to the health of the
animal, but not half so essential as pro.
If a man cannot afford to erect stables
and sheds for his stock, he certainly can
not afford to keep any, and, therefore,
should dispose of them at once to some
one who can. If man has only two
cows, and thinks he is too poor to give
them proper care, he should sell one and
spend the money in taking care of the
other, This rule should be practiced
with those who keep stock on a more eX-
tensive scale and ii no better plan can
be devised, sell portion Of the food laid
up for the winter and use the money re-
ceiyel therefrom in making the stables
warmer, for ii is well known that animals
viii subsist on less food in comfortable
quarters than when exposed to cold with
out shelter.
There Is a constant and increasing ten
dencY toward making animals more com
Portable in winter among all OF our pro.
grossive arriculturists, not only in provid-
Ing warm stables, but in supplying a
greater variety OF wholesome and nutri.
tl0Cs food, bat these ale still exceptions to
Inc general rule, as the thousands Of poor,
sic6ly animals that are seen in almost
every neiEhborhood during the spring
months fully prove, Our farmers sell too
much grain, and feed too little; they
own more land than they can cultivate
with profit and keep a greater number
ofaaimais than caa be properly cared for
during winter. There viii never be
better time for reuledyfng The evil than
the present, and we would urge upon
every man the Importance of preparing
comfortable sheds ard stables for his
stock, ii such are net already constructed,