McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-05-29
LIVE STOCK NOTES.


1t is reported that eight per cent. of
the sheep in Polk county, Oregon, were
killed by coyotes last year.
Texan ponies are being sent to Eng
land. They are trained for saddle
horses and are highly valued by polo
players.
Bran mashes are recommended for
mares that foal early in the spring
before grass appears. Oats are said to
be better than corn for mare and suck
ing colts.
Fault is found with grade Norman
horses that they are not proportional
right. In some the bones are too small,
in others the feet are too large for the
rest of the breast. Care in the selection
OF mares to breed to Norman stations
would remedy these defects and pro-
duce the quality of animals wanted.
The Shropshire Down is q reliable
breeder and good mother, will average
more than one lamb year and yields
close heavy fleece of medium long
wool of fairly fine texture. 1t is a
larger, leggier sheep than the South
down, but has not such good forequar-
tiers. 1t combines excellence of both
carcass and fleece.
The Kansas Farmer has been claim
ing for some time that indications
pointed toward lower range of prices
Or American woods, and now says:
more recent experience confirms our
opinion. Wool growers may as well
ccept the gloomy prospect as fixed
pct and brighten it up with renewed
nergy and more economical meth
ds."
It is estimated that there are 15,OOO,-
DO horses in this country, and in order
keep up the supply 100000 must
bred annually. The Importation in
lrge numbers of late of Percheron and
lydesdale horses has increased the av-
rage size and capacity of our stock of
orses, and further improvement will
necessarily follow.
The national horse show, at their
next annual exhibition in New York
city, May 81 to 81, invite western breed
ers and importers of draft horses to
send their best specimens. The Sec
rotary Cat 48 Broad street) writes that,
recognizing the great Norman horse
interest in America, they have offered
over $12, 900 in premiums to that spe-
cial breed.
Brood ewes that will have early lambs
are better in yard and shed by them
selves, as they need more generous
feeling than those coming in later.
Rams and wethers should never be kept
with ewes they are rough hammered,
and butt the weaker sheep too much.
Sheep are better off if kept in an open
yard and shed, than if penned up too
closely.
A horse has been known to live to
the age of sixty-two years, but the av-
erage life time is between twenty-five
and thirty years. From one of the
New England states comes the report
of horse, now past thirty -eight, which
is hale and hearty, and able TO draw as
heavy load as most of the young
horses. It is noticeable fact that
when horses of remarkable ages are
found they are generally from we'll
bred stock.
Our present losses of $780, 900 year
from animal diseases of minor degree,
says the Country Home, are enough
without adding a third as much more
by do-nothingism. Fortunately con-
gress seems inclined not to listen to the
pessimists, and the chances are favora-
BILE to the creation of force which will
check the wild horde of diseases which
only good luck has kept from overrun-
ming our herds.
In breeding colts the influence of the
dam can scarcely be overrated. 1t has
been too much the habit of horsemen
to consider only the sire. They appear
to have proceeded on the assumption
that if the sire was good it mattered
little what was the quality of the other
animal. Greater things would have
been accomplished than have yet been
in the improvement of our horses had
care been exercised in this respect.
In Indiana when a man has sheep
killed by dog he must report the loss
to the township trustees within ten
days, and any person making a false
statement of the amount of damage
done may be fined 500 and confined
in the county Jail thirty days. An
assessor who fails to list any dog is liza
BILE to fine of SIS for each case, and
any one making false statement as to
the number of dogs he keeps may be
fined 500. A dog caught killing
sheep may be killed without ceremony.