Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-04-04
I he
Livestock on the Farm.
written for the Republican by
w. j. Kennedy, Iowa State College

Livestock on the Farm.
written for the Times Republican by
w. j. Kennedy, Iowa State College
of Agriculture)
Better breeding, better feeding and
bester management nf animals ere
three things which every farmer should
practice In his farming operations.
With high priced land it is the quail
ity of the livestock. and not the num-
pers, that counts. While we can never
raise too many good animals, it Is a
very easy matter to overstock the
farm with inferior ones. Grain fed to
good animals finds good market, while
that fed to inferior stock is usually
sold for half its value. Improved live
stock does not necessarily mean reg
istered animals While every farmer
should use nothing but pure bred
sires still, the female portion OF the
herd or flock may be good grades. A
good grade female Is much more USE
full and profitable than a pedigreed
scrub 1t is the animal that meets
the market demand that makes the
producer money. Such animals are
always sought for and command the
very highest prices. while the rnis-
fits go begging, and as q rule, are
money losers to the producer.
Before using a stallion, get the
groom to lead him away from you.
stand square behind him and see that
he moves in straight line, neither
webbing his hooks nor throwing out
his front feet, and that he picks up
his feet and places them on the ground
properly travelling at both the trot and
the walk clear and clean, and not
striking the toe and then bringing
down the heel. The head should be
well carried, denoting style--a feature
which commands money on any horse
market.
Recent Investigations at the Iowa
Experiment Station show that q RAJ
tion composed of seven parts corn
meal and one part Of either tarlkage
or meat meal, produced 20 to 80 per
cent greater returns than a ration OF
corn alone for swine feeding purposes.
Glover pasture and corn produced the
most economical gains of any ct the
rations fed to young and growing
pigs in the grain and grass feeding
experiments. Every Iowa farmer
should provide some clover, pasture
for his pigs. An acre of clover pas
ture Will produce from $15 to S4o
worth OF pork in one year, when used
to supplement the corn ration.
1t is not necessary to allow calves 10
suckle their dams, or even feed them
on whole milk. after they are three
weeks old. Excellent calves can be
reared on skim milk when the proper
adiuncts are supplied. Skim milk IS
simply whole milk from which the
butter fat has been removed! This
deficiency may be supplied thru the
use OF pure flaxseed or flaxseed
meal. A very satisfactory way to
feesd the fiaxseed or the flaxseed meal
t, young calves is to boil the 11axseed
in about five times the amount of wa
tie. that there is f1axseed for some two
Ecurs or until it has formed a jelly
like substance Then add "a teacup-
full of the flax jelly morning and even
ing to the milk fed to each calf of
three weeks of age. AS the calf grows
older, gradually increase the amount
of flax jelly fed. SO that a calf of six
weeks will be getting two teacupfuls
of the jelly at each feed. BY The time
the calf is ten or twelve weeks old
the boiling of the flax may be dis
continued and the f1axseed meal added
10 some ground oats and corn and fed
to the calf in the dry form immedi-
ately after the milk. The advantage
of feeding the grain Immediately after
the milk is very manifest where sew
eral calves are in the one per or pad
dock, as 1t dries up the saliva OF the
mouth and prevents the too common
tendency towards the sucking, OF each
others ears or other portions of their
bodies. Good bright hay. grass or some
green food should be placed within the
easy reach Of the calf before 1T Is a
month old. 1t is surprising how soon
these youngsters will learn ito eat
roughage and grain.
During the spring months work
horses should not be fed amy other
than first- class hay-especially hay
that is free from dust. The amount
fed should also be limited. The aver
age man feeds about twice the amount
of hay necessary to keep his horses in
a good, healthy condition. One pound
of hay for every hundred pounds of
the live weight of the horse is ample.
For instance a 1.500-pound horse
should be fed from fifteen to sixteen
pounds of good hay each day, of which
amount about ten pounds should be
fed in the evening. The grain part OF
the ration must be varied in accord
ance with the feeds available. Too
much Corn is very harmful during
warm weather. A very good combina-
ton is a mixture Of oats two parts.
corn one part. and wheat bran one
part by weight. OF this mixture feed
from one to one and a quarter pounds
for every one hundred pounds weight
of the horse. Feed the grain ration In
three feeds, the heavier of which
should be given at midday, as the
horse has not sufficient time to eat
much hay then.
If every farmer would have his
horses teeth examined each spring.
In many instances a great saving of
feed would be effected and many a
thin horse would soon get in good
condition. Sharp edges on the teeth
lacerate the gums and render thorough
mastication impossible, thus these
sharp corners should be removed by
the use of the floating IRON or