The Nevada County picayune., 1916-07-13
Eight Studies in the Growing of
 Our Own Live Stock.
EDITORS NOTE.
GROWING ANIMALS ON THE
 FARM .ssa.s,sa s,ssa

NO. D. Growing Horses and Mules. By H. A. Sandhouse, Assistant Profes-
 sor of Animal Husbandry, Uni
 yersity of Arkansas.
 The breeding of horses and mules is generally considered as side issue In general farm practice, more so than in breeding any other class of stock. The majority of farmers raise only a few colts each year. the number de- pending somewhat on the number of animals used and the nature of the work required of the mares at foaling time. Even though we are living in what might be termed the motor age, there is still great demand for good farm and heavy draft horses, which should be an incentive for the farmer to breed more and better horses The mule is especially adapted to South srn conditions, having a greater re- sistancs to heat, and they are hardier, more docile and sure-footed than the horse.
 In selecting breeding animals the average breeder generally selects his brood mares from his best farm work mares. The brood mare should have refined and mstronly appearance. and still have sufficient capacity for the foetus as shown by large, deep ribbed body. Since most of the mares are grades, the relative influence of sire and dam is apparently in favor or the sire.
 The grade sire may possibly have . good appearance. but. coming from mixed breeding of unknown ancestry, it is hard to determine what his colts will resemble. The pure bred will improve his offspring as the tendency is to produce animals like the sire.
 The characteristics of the mule mare should be emphasized. since the mule inherits much of it's form from the mare She should have size. weight and good conformation. Be cause of the generally recognized comparatively coarse qualities of the jack, mule mares should have refine ment and quality. Heavy draft mares
 
 have some hot blood from the lighter breeds, such as standard bred or thor sughbred. Too much refinement will produce undersized mules, which are not as salable for remunerative prices. The body of the jack has a tendency to angulsrity, and therefore he should be mated to mares of a square, smooth form to overcome this tendency.
 In order to raise colts, the average farmer must either breed his working question which confronts the farmer is how to secure natural conditions for his mares while at work The marc nt work Is just as well off for fresh air. sunshine and exercise as the mare in the pasture, but the labor requires more energy and tissue building mate rial in addition 10 that for body up keep and development of the foetus. Furthermore. she is subject to fatigue and mechanical injuries, such as jerk ing. slipping. extreme speed and rough treatment The best way is to grad uallv decrease the work so that dur inS the last few weeks of pregnancy the mare will be doing the lightes work The majority of the foals ar foaled in the spring, which is tn natural time. However, if mares are expected to do the seasons heayl work in addition to raising a coli. the fall will be a better time
 A few days before foaling the grain ration should be decreased and bran or linseed meal should be fed to act as laxative and keep the bowels loose at this time After foaling, tn first feed may be bran, and this ma be followed with oats or equal part by bulk of cora and bran, feeding light feed for the first ten days
 There are two active causes c. death in young fosls One Is due to impaction in the bowels because oj failure to receive sufficient colostrun or first milk, and if this be the case the colt should be given d tablespoon full of castor oil and a warm water injection. The other cause is due to navel infection before the navel heal over. Give plenty of clean, dry bed ding and dip the stump of the nave cord in saturated solution of boric acid, which will prevent infection.
 The feeding Of the colt should be gin as early as possible. as the foai makes more than half of its entire growth during the first year. For bone and muscle forming feeds blue grass pasture and oats has no supe, rior Corn, barley kadr. etc, may be fed if properly balanced with leguma hays, which have lime for bone growth
 While -ae are is a work the foal