The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-07-07

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devised. On most farms 1t will not be at
all hard to find a corner shaded by trees
or vines where this trough and a light
chain or tie rope hitched to the lower
branches of the tree to hold the horse
while drinking If it's owner wishes to leave
it a few minutes. BY a little care In the
setting of the trough SO that the lower
back corner is tilted away from the side at
which the horse approaches the trough,
the overflow may be readily conducted
away from the trough and the wet stamp
ing place avoided. A good plan is to dig
out the soil for a foot in the spot where
the horse would stand while drinking and
fill in with coarse gravel which would
surely do away with the wet spots.
GARGET FROM CEMENT FLOORS
All sorts of objections have been urged
against the cement floors for COW stables,
the most important one being that such
floors are slippery. If they are built with
the proper slope and built the proper
length, so that the eXcrements will fall
beyond the floors, there is no reason why
they should be wet and slippery. OF course
such floors are made so that they are
rather rough, this being easily accom-
plished by the Introduction of considerable
gravel in the cement mixture. Lately sew
eral writer's have claimed that the udders
Of their COWS were injured by coming IN
contact with the cold cement floor and
that, in some cases, garget resulted. This
is q serious statement and doubtless has
more or less truth in it. 1t Is plain that in
a cold climate the cement floor does get
very cold, but an abundance of bedding
will easily rectify that rouble Even II
the animals displace more or less Of this
bedding in their movements the floor has
been warmed by their bodies, so that there
Is little danger. While there is a posi-
| bility of such injury as stated, X seems
as if the bedding would overcome 1t. We
have an old mop In the barn, made of
heavy ropes. with which we go over each
floor of cement before the COWS are bedded
during the winter to remove any moisture
which may nave gotten there from any
cause and then we supply the bedding
literally; for a dozen years we have used
cement floors in a climate where the
thermometer goes far below zero, and
have vet TO discover an udder trouble with
any of the COWS.
VARIOUS WAYS OF USING SKIM
MILK.
Much of the skim milk which is fed on
the farm is given without much idea OF
its value or what it should accomplish. II
is a by-product of the farm, and the man
idea seems to be to feed 1t and get 1t out
of the way. In our experience the best re-
~. -. fonJ;-r - nr,,a from a hirl
ton of grains except when 1t is fed &c
poultry. In this feeding several interest.
ing experiments have been made and the
conclusion reached that the egg return Is
best when the grain is fed by itself. The
skim milk Is invariably fed in the morn
ing. about 10 o'clock, and we have had tht
entire flock of poultry come in from the
range for their feed of skim milk. In the
winter we feed the warm mash In the
morning. mixing it with a mixture of eQua
parts of water and skim milk: at 10 O'CLOCK
we give them skim milk in the trough
irving to dole it out so that each bird vii
get about a cupful; at noon we feed TIT
whole grain in the litter in the scratch
ing shed, and at night whole grain again
arranging 1t so that three or four suppe
out of the seven are of whole corn heated
in the oven and fed nearly hot. For swim
the best results come from making a mix
ture of finely chopped vegetables, mid
dlings and enough skim milk to make tn
mass like porridge. In the summer thl
is fed cold and in the winter as warm a
the swine can swallow 1t.
SUMMER INDIGESTION IN COWS
1t Is a common expression to speak of
COW as losing her cud when she stops rum
mating: the trouble Is due to indigestion
wholly and may be easily remedied In mos
cases by a proper diet. Usually thi
trouble occurs most frequently in the win
ter when the cows are heavily grain rec
but sometimes occurs with cows In tn
summer who are on the ange, but are re
ceiving some grain. In such cases a goo
plan is to cut out the grain ration entire
" for a few days or until the COW agai
chews her cud. For a time after she re
sumes Illuminating feed her largely on tn
grass with some good hay and gradual!
get her on to the grain. A day or tW
after the grain ration has been cut OF
the COW should have a single dose OF on
mound of EPSON salts and two ounces Q
ground ginger root mixed in two quart
of warm water. In the winter reduc
the grain ration one-half, give her tn
medicine named above at the beginnin
of the treatment and make up the rauo
with roots or ensilage. At all times co"
should nave free access to rock salt 10
1t is a great digestive.
WATER FOUNTAINS FOR FOWL
Thu water fountains, in regulation form
or the pans used as substitute which ar
porcelain lined are expensive but they az
easily cleaned and last for a long TIM
If one feels these are too expensive the
the agate pans should be bought but II
vessels should never be used. The chea
agate pans may be used and with car
will 90 through one season in good shap'
1t is a good plan TO empty the water frol
each vessel In the early morning, and the
with a stiff brush wash 1t out with scale
ing water: then stand 1t where the gu
will shine in it for awhile. Twice or thre
times weekly a strong mixture OF ca
bouc acid water should be used to was