Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-05-08
The farm aud firRside,
DRY FEED AND NO WATER.

Since last fall notice very many report
ing loss of cattle that are grazing in stalk
fields, and large majority of them attribut-
ing it to the fungoid growth called smut
scientifically called as titago naodis. /
have been investigating the property of
this smut, and the probable quantities
to be found per acre of corn and cannot
attribute any losses to it. 1t would take
very much more to poison cow than she
would be able to find in a good sized field.
Then we would have no evidence that
cattle are fond Of this substance, so as to
cause them to make any special search for
it; but all they do get comes by accident
in their effort to secure the husks and blades
remaining on the stalks. Some have said
that it was caused by eating too much of the
dry stalks, SO engOrging the stomach as not
to enable it to assmilate and digest the
same. They are more nearly approxima-
ting the real cause, for it is a positively DEM
onstrated fact that whether they fill up
with the stalks, blades, husks, or combi-
nation of any food in a stalk field, If they
have not been filled with water prior to
their meal of dry material, and also after
wards had access to the same fluid in abun-
dance, the fluids of the stomach will often
be inadequate to cope with so much dry
material, leaving an entire suspension of
digestion resulting in an impaction of the
stomach, which must in the animal econO-
nv cause death; and this same result must,
by the careful stOckmen be we'll looked after,
also, with other dry food such as hay,
straw, or even millet 1t may occur, and
have no doubt does in many feed lots, where
the animals are trusted to get water from
holes cut in the ice on streams or ponds. In
very cold weather, cattle will not exert
themselves very much to climb over the
ice and 20 often to these artificial fountains.
Unless the ice is carefully looked after,
being very often in cold weather, the cattle
may many times 60 only to find them re-
closed, which tends to make them discredit
the use of going, even when it is open, only
to let it again freeze up. All this time they
must eat in order to keep up combustion,
that they may be able to stand the cold,
and to the shame of too many stockmen,
cattle often have no better protection from
the storms of winter than the south side
of Western fence. They must eat, and
to enable them to digest their food, drink
also, twice as much as would suffice, had
they good comfortable shelter from winter
blasts; and all this time what do they have
to eat but simply dry .foods So, we see the
additional necessity for plenty of good water
at least twice day. Now, do they get it:
Very many who read this article, will say
no; and feel it too, by counting up their
losses from this most important element
alone.
Another point about trusting stock to 60
to these little icy fountains when opened is,
where cattle of various ages run together,
a few strong old cows will take their turn
of standing around the watering place, and
horning the weaker, more timid ones away.
So that they may not even get sip before
it is frozen over. Here we see the necessity
of having some one regularly drive them
away until all have their turn. In this way
I lost very fine high-grade Short-horn
heifer this winter, through the carelessness
of my feeder, while myself and foreman
were absent from home, and 1 felt myself
fortunate thatmore did not 60. They were
being fed on shelled corn, hay and straw,
with some corn, filling the stomach to dis
tension, and complete impaction; and as
dry as before eaten, being evident its water
supply was quite deficient, causing death.
It was trusted to water at holes kept cut in
the ice on Plum creek, that passes through
my feed lots, and did not get it from some or
all the causes above mentioned.
DIR. A. NJ. EDISON.
Readinp Kansas