The Opelousas courier., 1895-10-12
FARMER PLANTER.
TREATMENT OF STOCK.
Hints Regarding the Care and Handling OF
Youup Animals.

Young Animals.
The foundation Of national character
and prosperity is laid in the nursery
and school room.
III no less degree does the profit to be
derived from domestic animals depend
upon the treatment received by these
animals while young and growing. If
these are stuhted in their growth by
undue exposure. or insufficient or lm-
proper food. entire recovery and full
and normal development is rare.
Oar winters are usually SO mild that
we do not make proper provision OF
fond and shelter fer our stock. andcon-
se4uentiy the COWS TINT come to the
pail i'll the spring arc not i'll the condl-
ton necessary for profitable milk pro-
duction.
1t is natural for all females to lay III
flesh and lat while pregnant and thus
store up supplies for the young in adj
ance. If their surroundings are such
as to prevent this they are not able to
provide proper nourishnent for their
young, either before or after birth.
Since u profits are derived either
from the milk provided by the mother
for it's young, Or from the rapid and
healthful growth of the young, we for
felt our profits by the neglect of either.
it was distressing to read reports. dur-
Ing the winter just past. OF the death
of stock from starvation in many parts
of this favored land. 1t is a disgrace
to the owners of stock to allow such
suffering and loss. Not only hunani-
ty, but self-intcrcst, should preventth the
occurrence of such suffering and loss.
The mill owner who allows his ma
chinery to rust and wear for the want
Of oiling. and deprives himself of the
profits of his investment because OF
failure to provide the raw material
to keep the mill at work, will soon
fail to meet his liabilities, and declare
that the manufacturing business docs
not pay
Such manufacturers are the excep-
ton.
Nine-tenths of the stock in the cot
ton states are allowed to grow very
poor during the winter, and very many
barely survive until the buds put
~ tAi IL Spi INK. CIllA ttlS
food consumed is entirely appropriated
to rebuilding the wasted frames, in
stead of being devoted to the produc-
ton of milk or growth. No animal
that is alternately starved and pam
pcrcd can maintain a probably healthy
condition.
There is a very prevalent idea among
far-,arc f1,ot CirS fhut ~ allowed a
run Of the pea fields or of the fatten-
ing pen in the fall will die the next
spring" They grow excessively fat in
the pea field or in the ~''fatteniug pen
and :be supply of peas are exhausted,
or the fattenirg hogs arc killed, the
food supply is suddenly cut Off, and
they have only starvation @ratioEs dur.
ing the winter and spring. They thus
fall an easy prey to disease. They
have the luck of the lousy calf
Pigs of good breed will be ready for
the knife at nine to eleven months OF
age, if properly fed; while under the
treatment which they generally re-
ceive they are not ready until eighteen
or twenty months cid.
1t would be poor economy for a mill
to run on half time or half supplies,
and require two years to accomplish
what might be done in one with proper
management.
From a business standpoint domestic
animals should be regarded as ma
chimes for the conversion of cheap, raw
material into more costly and valuable
products. Thetoaluc of a COW depends
upon her daily yield of milk or butter,
or her capacity of converting hay Oh
grass and mill-feed into milk, butter
Or beef. The calf that requires three
years to attain a weight Of 200 pounds
is less than half as profitable as one
which ettains that weight in half the
time.
All young animals should be kept ir
q constantly-growing condition with
out being pampered. Agriculture.
South.