The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1881-11-09
! Getting Ready for Winter.

coming winter. The farmer who has
plenty of food for his animals may con-
slider himself very fortunate, and II he
has more than he needs he can turn il
into cash and be this much ahead. In
all cases it is well to practice economy
and avoid waste, and the farmer should
make preparations for winter before il
| is actually at hand. AS it is q we'll
established fact that stock viii thrive on
much less food when well sheltered from
| cold storms than when exposed to them,
every farmer and stockbreeder should
see that his sheds, stables, and stock
yards are put in order, for there is now
/ no time to lose, as cold rains and SHOWS
have already made their appearance in
| some more northern localities. Com
pelling cattle to stand knee deep in mud
and snow for the greater part of winter,
! and when wanting food to have to seek
a strawstack, as frequently practiced on
many farm in our Northern States, is
not economy; neither is it treating the
animals fairly, even if we leave cruelty
out of the question.
| There is really no excuse for not pro-
| viding shelter for stock anywhere, and
all the talking and assertions of certain
farmers about stock not requiring warm
quarters in winter is purely nonsense,
and is never offered except by men who
are seeking an excuse for their shiftless-
ness and neglect of duty. The many
thousands of cattle that perished on the
prairies of the West last winter might
have been saved had their owners made
some slight preparations in the way of
food and shelter in the previous autumn.
The losses to the owners were not cons
fined to the stock that actually died of
starvation and exposure, but the ami
/ mails which survived came through poor
and much emaciated, requiring months
to restore them to health and regain
their flesh.
Now, we would like to ask the West
ern stock-breeders, What are you do
ing toward preparing for just such
| winter as the lastP The winter now ap-
preaching may not be a severe one, still
there will be cold storms, sleet, and
snow, which will be severe on stock un-
less under good shelter. 1t is not alone
in the Northern States that stock require
shelter in winter, for wherever there are
severe frosts, there also cold rains fall,
and shelter Is indispensable to comfort
and health. Cattle may live on the
prairies of Texas all lwinter without shell
ter, but If the animals could decide the
matter they would decide in favor of
something, il nothing more than sod
fence, to protect them from the cold
ssnorthers" which sweep over the West
ern prairies from Manitoba down to the
Gulf of Mexico. The larger proportion
!. of the diseases of stock which are most
prevalent during the spring months are
the direct result of exposure and INSULT
cient food In winter. The animal be-
comes weakened from the above causes,
and is therefore unable to resist the at
| H1&A ,rfa oil
lernal, as well as the ordinary ailments of
neglected stock. Catarrh, colds, fevers,
, hoof rot, mango, grease, scab in sheep,
and similar diseases seldom affect stock
carefully housed and fed with good nu-
tritious food during the winter months.
Sheep are usually considered rather
hardy animals, and their thick fleece
protects them well from cold; but this
: yery covering, so essential to their COM
fort in cold weather, Is but huge
sponge for collecting and retaining wa
, ter in wet weather, and for this reason
it Is lust as important-if not more So
to furnish shelter in Texas as in Mime
sofa. A man may not require quite as
elaborate or costly a structure in the
South as in the North, but an open shed
| covered with straw, if nothing better
, can be provided, will frequently be found
|
, Some corn-stalks, wheat straw, or simi-
lar coarse fodder, with little corn and
: cotton-seed meal, will also be very ac-
; ceptable to the animals during cold
storms at ths South. Anything to keep
! up the strength, and not permit OF q loss
of flesh, is al that is really required.
Ewes with lambs should be kept strong
3 and in good flesh for obvious reasons
and the flock owner who fails in this is
o certain to find that with him sheep hus-
bandry is not profitable business, nc
matter in how favorable regionh he may
{ be located.
In the older of our Eastern States it i
: supposed that most farmers have the
v necessary buildings for affording shelter
! to their stock during the winter. But
there are still q gOodiy number whc
cling to the old, and what ought to ,bt
obsolete, system of wintering their cat
tie in open yards, with perhaps shed
along the north side to ward off the colo
II winds coming from that direction
70 Sheds are convenient for shelter wher
stock are turned out for exercise during
, the day, but in our more northern State
they are not warm enough for cattle q
5 night, and something better should b
st provided. A warm, close, but well ven
-s tilated stable Is none too good 3 place
a for cattle in our cold climate, but the
animals should be turned out for exer
else every pleasant day. Next to pro
G viding plenty of food, quality should b,
s. considered. Good, sound hay and oat
e is usually thought about the right thin:
for horses, but change once or twice
week to feed of roots of some kind
9 always beneficial in keeping the bowel
: open and preventing constipation. Fo
old horses whose teeth are getting worn
IS cut hay and ground feed are preferabl
h to whole hay and grain; in fact all kind
. of stock can be kept more economical.
g on cut fodder end ground feed than ol
p whole; but 1t requires I,ore labor In pre-
ID pairing the food, and to this most far
S. mers object. Where roots can not b
n obtained, steamed hay and cookies
. grain may be used instead, although no
quite equal to roots as regulators to tn
u digestive organs. Sheep, if given ha.
le and straw, should also have rations o
ID grain and roots, with plenty of salt; II
little flower of sulphur is occasionall
mixed with the latter it will act as
preventive of scab, and also destro
many internal parasites.
after providing shelter and plenty G
lie good food for stock, there is still on
es other very important element to
n looked after, and that is pure, whole
some water, and this, too, in hbers
ie quantities. Animals often suffer fo
Or water even in cold weather, and not one
is half of our farmers possess the facilitie
v for watering their animals promptly an
n. at all times, both winter and summer
With many the brook or pond used
is summer is the only source of winter SUI
Us ply, and the stock is probably turned OF
as once a day to wander through the sno'
a. to some distant pond, and there drin
Il. from hole cut drought the ice. Wate
:, obtained in this manner and from sue
- sources frequently does the animal