Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1915-10-27
Unnecessary for State to Send
Away Large Sums for This
Product Annually.
BIG DRAIN ON RESOURCES
Money Now Spent For Mules Would
Purchase Coed Draft MARES From
Which to OBTAIN Mules-Points on
Care of Marc and CoIt-Home
Raised Mules as Good as Any.


! The tremendous outlay for mule
! power on the farm can be eliminated
to a large extent In South Carolina
| Already a considerable number Of far
| mers in the state are raising their
mules at home and il this policy is
adopted by all the states farmers, the
| large annual drain on the states re-
| sources for this product will be
| stopped.
Invested in brood mares, the
amount usually spent for mules would
purchase large. well-bred draft mares
Of the right type for producing mules.
The cost of raising mule colts on the
farm to an age at which they can be
put to work is about 500 each, when
even every item in the process is
charged against him. This amount
sounds large, but the fact is that most
Of it Is charged against things that
are not missed on the average farm,
| since the colt can be developed large
ly on pastures and products of the
farm that would probably not be mar
keted in any other way.
Mares selected for mule raising
should be Of draft type, with quality,
and should weigh about /, 400 pounds,
though smaller mares are used with
| good results for producing mules OF
| light weight. II mares are bred to
| foal In fall, when work on the farm is
| usually lighter and fall pastures are
good, they need lose very little time
during the year from their work in
the field. Light work is beneficial to
brood mare even up to the time Of
| foaling, and the resultant colt is
stronger and more thrifty because OF
| 1t, provided the mare has been proper
ly nourished with succulent feed for a
few weeks before foaling.
The average period OF CESSATION, or
time between service and foaling, is
about $40 Gays or II months, although
this varies somewhat in both direc-
tions. With this information, a farm
er can have his mare foal at about the
proper time.
| The pregnant mares grain ration
| should be proportioned to the amount
Of work she does About three weeks
before foalng, wheat bran should be
added to her feed, the proportion Of
this being gradually Increased and
other grain proportions decreased as
foaling time approaches. Her food
should be altogether free Of moldy
grain or woody fodder or straw.
An essential point is TO give the
mare in foal a large, roomy box stall
After foaling, mares should rest for
about two weeks before being put back
at work.
Give the mare and her colt as much
pasturage as possible. with the addi-
tion OF bran and grain while the colt
Is young. Care and attention are es-
sential to mature the colt to proper
size and grain should be given to it
regularly with it's pasturage or clean
hay.
Do not let a colt follow its mother on
the road or in the field. Do not let a
colt suck while the mare is overhead
cd. Always let the mare cool off first
That mules can be raised profit
ably in South Carolina has been dem.
onstrated by several farmers in the
state. who save the expenditure usual
ly made for mule power and claim for
tho home-raised mule many advan-
tages over it's imported competitor
Write to Sidney s. Rittenberg, Glenn
son College, for an itemized statement
OF comparison Of mare and mule.
JOHN o. WILLIAMS,
| Livestock Dem monstration Agent,
Clemson Agricultural College.