The Red Cloud chief., 1884-02-22
Keep the Stables Warm.

! A farmer who Will let his animals
| suffer from cold when he could easily and
| with a very trifling expense keep them
| comfortably warm, not only ought to
| suffer himself, but most surely will suf-
| fer, if not from cold. from loss of the
growth and product of his animals. The
food itself. which is an already obtained
product of the farm. is lost in large part
If given to animals that are much of the
time curled up or ~shivering with cold.
Now there is no necessity for letting
cattle suffer, even in a large. cold barn.
If the outside boarding is old and loose,
and it seems like too great an under
taking to put the whole building in first
class order by new covering, a great
deal can be done for the comfort of the
animals by putting up tight board par
titiOns between the stables and the other
portions of the barn. 1t will do no
special harm to have tho hay-mows and
tOol-rOoms cold, if the rooms where the
animals are kept are made sufficiently
warm. First line the stable against the
outer walls with matched boards from
floor to scaffOld. mailing the boards upon
three-inch studding or jOists, set up on
end or placed horizontally, according
as the outside boards are nailed On.
The air space between the outside and
inside boarding will do q great deal to-
wards keeping the air inside the stable
of an yer temperature. The partitions
against the hay-mows need to be of sim
gle boarding only, but if there are large,
cold, empty carriage or tOOl-roOms, that
are very cold in extreme weather, dOu-
BILE boarded partitions here, too. will not
be Objectionable. Half inch. or quite
thin boards, if matched and laid tight,
will answer the purpose just as well as
thicker, if they are nailed closely. Have
double doors if you really want your
stable warm and your cattle comfort
able.
With stables arranged in this way we
have been able to keep a large stock OF
cattle comfortably warm in the very
coolest weather. and it has at the same
time been comfortable for those who
have had the care of the stock. But as
the hay-mOws get low. towards spring,
there is more open space in a barn to
be warmed by the heat of the animals.
and sometimes the stock suffers more
from cold in March than in the sharpest
weather of midwinter. Now we do not
fear to have it within our power to shut
cattle close enough in the very coolest
weather so that they will be able to
keep thoroughly warm. There is more
danger of loss from cold than from loss
from bad air in a clean stable in cold
weather. The tightest walls we will
be likely to build. if above ground. will
let all the fresh air through that will be
required to keep animals healthy in the
coolest weather. TO make 3 stable
still warmer, board down in part from
the scaffOld to the floor with single
boarding, jOinted but not matched. A
little draught at the noses is a good deal
more endurable than from behind.
Let tire lower part of the boarding be
nailed to cleats like doors, and hinged
so they 4 be opened for feeling and
for \ freer circulation of air when more
air is required. These doors may be
left open a little way at any time to
give ventilation, more or less. accord
ing as the other walls of the stable are
loose or tight. A man can keep q
single horse or cow in 4 stable finished
in this way. in a barn where one would
he in danger of freezing the extrnmities
if exposed to the open space of the whole
barn with its free connection with the
outside temperature. Of ourse the
stalls for one. or a few animals, must
be partitioned off smaller than for .
large stock. There are a good many
poor lrishmen who actually winter their
single COW in a hOvel with more ron
fort to their animals. and more profit
to themselves, than is obtained by some
Yankees in their old. cold barns. 1t is
good stormy weather work at this
season to fix up the stables so as to
keep the stock all comfortable, and in
condition to render the greatest amotnt
of profit possible to their owners The
cost will be found very triflinS CON-
pared to the gain that will result.-New
England Farmer.