The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-03-30
Raising Colts.
BY j. W. DAVIS, FAlRLKE, VT.
FIFTH PAPER.
WEAVING THE COLT.

The time to do this may vary, accord
ing to necessity or convenience, from
three and one-half months in the colt
raised by the farm mare, to six months
of age in the colt raised by the one
kept especially for brood mare and
put to no other use. The old and ira
ditional "four months old" is however
very good age for weaving.
We like colt foaled about the first
of May, SO that it can be weaned in the
fall while it can still eat green grass, as
the change from it's mothers milk to
dry hay and barn-feed is greater and
more unnatural than to simply take
away the mothers milk while the colt
is still feeding on grass; but this is not
really essential. If nicely cured rowen,
or second crop, can be laid in store for
the baby colt it will be found nearly
equal to good fall feed, and continue
his growth without any serious set
back. And much depends upon the
care and condition of the colt during
it's first two years.
We think that whenever the colt is
weaned it should be taught to drink
milk, for we have fed oats, shorts,
bran, mixed feed, etc., and never
found any grain that would do the
growing colt 30 much good in health,
growth, thrift, soft smooth coat and
general appearance, as proper amount
of skinned milk each day while kept
ia the barn and fed dry hay. We have
seen colt over-fed with milk 30 it
did not have appetite enough for hay
to keep we'll filled up, and looked too
gaunt and "shin wasted" though
sleeked haired. But three or four
quarts of milk at feed, once or tw ice
day, will take the place of so many
grain feeds, and we would omit the
grain feed for each time the milk was
given; but be sure to feed the colt some
grain every day. Ground oats are the
best colt grain we have ever used, but
an occasional feed of ears of corn is ex-
cellent. 1t is believed by many horse
men that biting the corn from the cob
keeps the lampas down. We use the
corn, but do not use the old burning
iron, or the cutting or puncturing
process of reducing the lampass, unless
requested by owners to do 80. Shell
and count enough average sized ears to
make quart of corn for test. Call
the quart of shelled corn equal to two
quarts of best oats and know how much
you are feeding at time. We do not
believe in feeding ground feed and
whole grain mixed together, as bran
and oats. The bran is more quickly
and easily digested, and carries and
passes the oats whole and undigested,
and with little or no benefit. But each
is good feed if alternated, or fed sepa-
rately.
The only easy and good time to teach
the colt TO drink milk is at weaving
time. We suggest the following meth
od Assuming that the colt was well
halter broken in his younger days, take
the mare and colt into a good pen or
large box stall and hitch them where
they can both eat at the same manger,
and perhaps touch noses, but SO that
the colt can not suck. Now, as soon
as they are hitched Cor if not conven-
lent to thus hitch them, give each a
pen where they can see each other and
get their heads together), and before
the mares bag gets full and tender, be-
gin milking her. If she resists use the
footstrap, taking up forward foot on
the side you wish to stand to milk.
Twice or three times day milk into a
clean bowl or basin enough to prevent
undue pressure in the mares bag.
Gently get the colt to put in his nose
and taste the milk, and 80 continue I'M
til he learns to drink it. OF course you
must bring water for the mare. Let
the colt see her drink. The colt will
also be very thirsty. Do not give il
much, if any, water until it will read
lily drink its mothers milk from the
basin, which will not be long time
unless it is one of those rare specimens,
"too contrary to do as it likes to do"
Then give in place of the mares milk
some good sweet cows milk, then
sweet skinned milk. Then let it have
nice clean water from the same pail its
mother drinks from. You can later,
in the same progressive manner, teach
the colt to drink thick sour milk. AS
the mares milk dries up, milk her al
longer intervals and in smaller proper
ton to amount she has. Use vaseline