Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-11-26
Shelter for Stock.

The proper sheltering of stock dur
ing the winter months is a subject
which has never received proper at
tention from farmers and stock rails
ers througoui the West. Yet it is
one in which they are deeply interest
ed, every motive of self interest, as
we'll as humanity, demanding that
dumb animals should be well housed
during the driving SHOWS and tresz-
ing storms of midwinter.
Already the weather is turning
cold, and before long the snow and
sleet and northern winds will con-
spire to envelop us in a biting, arctic
atmosphere. All the signs presage
hard winter for man and beast. In
deed, we may say that every winter
in this region is hard OH horses and
cattle, and that good shelter is abso-
lutely essential to their comfort and
healthy condition. Notwithstanding
this, it is much to be regretted that
many of our farmers permit their stock
to 90 through the worst Of the winter
without any shelter from the inclemen-
cies of the weather save such as
they might find under friendly trees
or under the caves of old barns and
outhouses. There are others who
provide shelter, but in such an made
quate manner that little comfort is
secured to the dumb beasts.
The annual losses in valuable
horses, COWS and sheep from exposure
to the SHOWS and sleets of our trgid
winters are much greater than is gen
orally supposed, and would figure up
to an amount perfectly astonishing in
the entire country. In Western Tex
as last year the loss of cattle from
freezing amounted to over 81 100000
If the storms Of winter bring such IA
tality to cattle IN a country where
the climate is usually equable and
temperate, what must we expect III
latitude where the thermometer will
mark twenty degrees below zero?-
Besides the large number of animals
that actually die, there are thousands
either partially or totally disabled by
the influenza, dis. emper and various
other diseases which are superindu-
ced by exposure.
Horses are just as liable to rheum-
atism, pneumonia and fever rs human
beings, and they need protection from
the heat and cold as we'll as we.-
Therefore, humanity as well as self
interest requires that no person who
has the care of stock should neglect
to secure ample sheds for them dur
ing cold or stormy weather, such as
will not only protect them from the
rain and SHOWS from above, but also
the fierce, raw winds that prevail SO
largely in the West during certain
periods Of the winter.
Many farmers entertain the mista-
ken idea that all farm animal re-
quires is plenty of food and water,
and that, SO far as shelter is concern
ed, nsture has provided skin and a
physical anatomy for beasts which
defy the rigors OF wiIter. This erro-
neous belief, coupled with conse-
quent failure to properly care for
stock, is the cause of the lameness,
wheeling and general inetficiency of
many pillow horses during the period
of spring plowlng. There are, per-
haps, a few who are induced, from
feelings OF parsimony, to omit to
make the necessary OUTLAWS in build
ing stables and sheds, but we are con-
strained to believe that this class is
quite limited, and that the source Of
SO much suffering among live stock
during the cold season is either the
ignorance or lazincss Of the owner.
1t is subject entitled to the seri-
GUS consideration of all stock-owners,
and better time than now to begin
the reform could not be elected.-St.
Louis Globe-Democrat.