Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-06-04
Care of the Brood Mare.

The spring during the short period before
foaling, must be considered critical, both for
welfare of the dam and foal. Does it not
appear self.evident that the mare should not
be subjected to hard physical labor during
this period Yet it is common practice
among large class of farmers to do their
spring work, which is generally about the
hardest in the year, with their brood mares.
| wish to call attention to and condemn this
bad practice. Is not this one good reason
for the many poor and few good colts ? Gentle
exercise daily is good for the dam and the
foal, but blowing and heavy narrowing, all
day long, does not come under this head.
The mare, at this period, has two lives to
support, and it requires all the nourishment
she can digest to sustain her own system and
that Of the foal. Besides, heavy work heats
her blood, and is likely to prove great 10.
jury to both. In all this | do not mean
that the mare may not properly be used
moderately in the team till some six weeks
before foaling, but the spring work often
lasts till the time Of foaling, with no respite
from work. Care must be taken not to feed
too highly, especially of milk producing food,
for this may cause too great secretion OF
milk before foalug, requiring it to be drawn
from the bag Every brood mare should be
treated so gently and handled so much that
she will permit the milk to be drawn without
uneasiness. If her bag and teats are often
handled, she will become used to it and offer
no resistance, This handling will also as
sst in making her kind TO the colt in its eff
forts to take milk. But do not subscribe
to the advice often given to feed the dam
only dry food just before foaling. A two
quart bran mash, with handful Of oil-meal
daily, will keep her in safer condition for
foaling than wholly dry diet. The food
should be slightly laxative, but the quantity
should be moderate. Soft, Laxative food is
not so heating as dry food, and, at this par
ticular time, you do not want to excite fever
in the system, but quite the contrary, My
experience has proved the safety Of small
mash as above mentioned, and a little oil
meal, especially is highly favorable to health.
We, of the West do not use this food, pro-
duced by us as much as we should. We sell
it to our wiser Eastern brethren, or for ex-
port to Europe, where its good qualities are
fully appreciated. Corn or corn meal is not
fit food for a brood mare at this time. 1t is
quite too heating to the blood.
When the foal comes, how shall it be
treated All our domestic animals are de-
veloped upon food. A full supply of the
right kind of food, then, is the first requisite,
and the dams milk is precisely of the right
kind, and cannot be improved; the only
question is as to quantity. If the dam is a
good mixer, and is well fed, the foal cannot
be better provided for. But the dam is fire.
quently poor mixer, even under the best
of feeding, laying on flesh and fat instead OF
secreting milk. In such a case. the colt
must be partially or wholly fed upon other
food. Aud if other food is to be sought let
it be from fresh mich COW; this is the near
est like that furnished by its dam. At first
only milk, unless little molasses is mixed
say tablespoonful in each feed. Sugar is
sometimes given, but this is constipating
and should be avoided. In a few weeks
add gradually, little bran or oat meal
Judicious feeding in this manner will rear a
fine colt, and all the extra feed will be paid
for many times over. There should be nc
forcing or overlooking; give il only so much
as il takes with a good appetite. | have
thus raised colt that could not be told from
one having an abundance of milk, Learr
the colt to eat grass, for this is its natura
food after short period of oflactatiou.
A farmers success in raising colts will de
pend largely upon his treatment Of tn,
young things during the FIRST six months.
have found tho generous treatment recon
mended by your Journal the most econom
ical, and yielding the largest pro6t.-B46a
10 Stock Journal.