Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-04-22
agricultural.
Spring Care of Animals.

Animals require special care ut this sea
son. This weather is very changeable
and horses and cows are shedding theiI
coats and liable to catch cold.
Sheep must be managed according tc
circumstances. If the yards are large and
dry and you have plenty of roots, it is prob
ably best to keep them out of the pastures
until there is good bite of grass. If the
yards are small and muddy it will be well
to let them run out every fine day. A sod
field that is to be plowed for corn will
make good run for them and will save
the regular pasture. Feed all the hay they
will eat 1t is Il great mistake to stop
feeding hay and grain rs soon as the sheep
are turned to pasture. They may not eat
much hay, but they should have access
to it and be allowed to eat it at will, EtOeS
md lambs need warm, dry, sunny quar-
tiers. Feed the ewes plenty of bran,
early cut clover OF other hav, and rs many
roots rs can be spared. Unless the ewes
are very fat, pound of oats each per day
may be fed with great advantage. Be
careful to avoid exposing the sheep and
lambs to rain storms If "A lamb gets chilled,
wrap it in warm blanket or in extreme
cases, put the lamb in tub of warm
water. Lambs apparently dead have been
restored in this way.
HOrseS-Feed literally and allow plcn-
ty Of time to rest and digest their fool. 1t
is better to work them steadily for eight or
nine hours than to keep them in II field
ten or twelve hours, letting them stand
still one third of the time. When n man
needs to 90 home to lunch or supper, the
horses need food also. A pail of water
with pint of corn or Oat meal stirred in it.
is capital thing for u tired horse. 1t will
enable him to work an hour or two longer
in IN emergency.
C0VS should be carded every dav, 1t is
especially important to feed new milch
cows literally and with good Judgment at
this season. Do not be in Il hurry to turn
them out to grass. Give plenty of early
cut hay and have enough to keep their
bowels moderately loose. If thin, give Il
little cOrn-meal, in addition. Cut the hay,
moisten it with water, and mix about two
quarts of bran and a quart of cOrn-meaI
with u bushel of the chaffed hay. and let
the cows have all they will eat up clean
When turned out into the yard, let them
have little long hay in the racks to pick
mt. A COW giving milk needs Il great deal
of water. Let her have access to It all day,
or at any rate nig hit and morning. If you
can give each cow half bushel of man
gels, or beets, or parsnips, or carrots daily.
it will be of advantage.
S1Oine-It now Looks rs if pork would
next fall and winter bring higher figures
than for the last two or three years. Last
fall pigs should be fed very literally al
this season, in order that when they arc
turned out to grass or clover they NAV be
strong and vigorous. If they are fat now
they will keep fat all summer on good
clover. With us this is the cheapest way
to make pork. 4 S0e0 sh 'uld be placed in
Il warm, comfortable pen some days before
she is expected to farrow. The object is
10 let her get accustomed to the new pen
1t is well to let her out every day for excr-
else before she pigs, and occasionally after
wards. Give a little fiaN-seed tea or oil
meal slops and bran to keep the bowels
open. litter fdrroaCing give her for It few
days thin, warm bran Stops three times &
day. Gradually give richer food, as oat
corn or pea meal, mixed with bran anc
mixed with Stops from the house or witt
milk. If cooked and fed warm it vii
favor the production of milk With well
bred sows tbs milk is often too rich, anC
we should aim to feed in such u wav as tc
increase its quantity, but not its quality
Perhaps there nothing better for this pur.
pose than brewers grains, or warm whey
or skim-milk and scalded bran-Aneeri
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