The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-02-03
POULTRY AND DAMpNEss.

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dampness is probably the worst enc
my to success with poultry in winter.
Both are conducive to colds and roup
usually follows, and the flock is
practically done for. Whether roup
will start spontaneously without the
introduction of the specific diseases
germs, we do not know, but if it can
not, roup germs must be ever pres
ent, and ready to attack victim as
soon as conditions are right. The lat
ter is now the accete pd hiyoernre
ter is now the accepted theory in re-
gard to tuberculosis in human beings,
and 1t is not improbable that the
same thing holds true concerning
roup in chickens. Certain 1t is, that
when 1t once gets a foothold in the
flock all weakly specimens get it, and
mostof them go, and such as do not,
usually are worthless after having a
good vigorous tussle with it, so much
so that experienced poultrymen will
not breed from birds that ever had
the disease, claiming that stock from
such birds have a predisposition to an
attack and take it at the least pro-
vocation.
When the hen house is kept dry,
we'll aired and thoroughly summed,
roup seldom appears, and when it
does, the mortality is generally small
and confined to weakly specimens
such as lack of constitution. Sun
light and fresh air is deadly COM
binationt disease germs, an das both
are cheap and plenty in this country
no henhouse ought to be without them.
If the windows are so made that they
can be opened-and they should be
and so set that they admit the sun
to the part of the henhouse frequented
by the poultry-and they should be
that also-the opening of them during
the middle of all sunny days when
the win ddoes not set in such quarA
ter as to blow directly into the hen
house, will do much toward keeping
the flock healthy. In the middle of
the day the hens should be busy
scratching, an dwhile they are thus
at work, they will generate ample
heat to keep from suffering; in fact
the air will keep them from becoming
overheated and so from suffering all
the more in the coolest hours of the
night when they are on the roost.
Upon the subject of good physical
condition at conception much might be
said. 1t is safe to say that the prac-
tice of loading the sire down with
fat to hide his physical defects, or to
deceive patrons as to his size AMI
weight is serious error, and fraught
with serious dimunition of muscular
power, defective endurance, and lack
of docility in his get. A stallion
worked SO as to develop his muscles
and make him docile will transmit
this improved condition to his get The
writer has observed this through many
years of experience. A horse whose
pedigree and natural physical makeup
are faultless, produces many stupid
and fiabby muscled colts, besides be-
ing an Indifferent foal getter, while a
grade whose lack of pedigree necessi-
tates his being made useful whose
muscles are tense, and his docility in
sured by useful labor, is sure foal
getter, and his progeny prove large,
hardy, enduring and docile
The care of the dam through the
period of CESSATION is quite important
though not difficult. Provide natural
conditions and there need be no trou-
BILE. The care and rations that will
produce prime physical condition will
be fruitful of the best results. A
reasonable amount of work is bene-
fetal. The horse is a very active ami
NAL; he needs great amount of ex-
ercise and will take it if left to him
self. A box stall or a shed to run in
are much better for mare with foal
than to be tied up. Few realize how
much exercise an animal will find in
room ten feet square. have seen a
mare whose legs stocked up get en-
tirely over it when gwen the liberty
of such STALL
Some will tell you: Don't keep
your mares fat" The ract that fat is
often evidence of unnatural and con-
sequently unhealthy conditions is
what gives rise to such sayings. A
mare should be we'll nourished and in
good condition. She needs consider
able reserve for the sustenance of her
colt which makes heavy drafts upon
her vital forces during the last months
of the period of CESSATION. A mare in
sufficiently exercised and fed upon fat
producing rations, such as corn and
millet hay, will appear to be fat al
though really weak, and the colt she
carries will suffer with her, by reason
of improper care and a wrong kind of
nourishment There is no better
grain rations than oats and bran. It
is said that bran is great muscle and
bone builder. However that may be,
1t Is certainly great promoter of
digestion and for this reason makes
an excellent ration along with other
grain.
Just before parturition the mare
should be placed in box stall or shed
which has no traps or holes into
which the sprawling and awkward in
FAINT can roll, crawl or stick its feet,
nor harness in which it can hang it.
self. A very important detail which
needs to be emphasized again and
again is that the stall be thoroughly
bedded with dry straw. The fluid that
flows from the colt-bed and placenta
forms with manure a virulent poison.
The umbilical cord (naval string),
which has just been severed and which
Is the avenue through which the colt