Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-09-21
KEEPING STOCK HEALTHY.

Live STOCK can only 90 eInclenI WOTh
when kept in a healthy condition, and
ii is safe to say that we have still much
to learn about the best methods of
feeding and handling of farm animals
so as to enable them to perform hard
work continuously and at the same time
keep them in good flesh and in a vigor-
Gus condition. Many farmers make the
mistake of thinking that they canno;
keep their animals healthy except by
the use of large quantities of what are
known as continental foods, condition
powders, tonics or stlmulants. Things
of this kind nearly all tend to give In
digestion and animals that are tempo
rarily suffering from Indigestion are
often completely upset by the curious
combination of medicines poured into
them. Instead of needing a large quanti-
| ty OF medicine they should be given h
good and complete rest or a change of
| food or dietary. Moreover, there are
many foods on the market for which
extraordinary claims are made. 1t is not
possible for one mixture or comblna-
ton, for instance. to cure all the ills
to which horse flesh is heir. A farmer
| should. therefore. use good judgment
in selecting such medicines as are nee
essary for his live stock.
On account Of the seriousness of this
question and its Importance in year
when the production of foodstuffs is so
essential the veterinary department of
the State College Of Agriculture has
seen proper to issue some advice along
this line. a portion of which is sum-
married. below
Prof. w. A. Henry, the best American
authority on animal nutrition. says IN
his book on Feeds and Feeding" Con
dimental foods not recommended. The
basis of the better class Of continental
foods is 1axseed meal oil meal or the
by-products from oleagenous seeds To-
Gust bean meal, etc They are speed
with anise, cumin and other aromatic
seeds. Fenugreek slippery-elm bark,
charcoal, common salt, saltpeter, cop
peras, etc, are added according to the
notions of the compounder Tumeric is
sometimes added to give a yellow color.
As to these nostrums. it may be said
that vigorous, healthy animals do not
make better use of their feed because
of their addition. If animals are out OF
condition, they should receive SPECIFIC
treatment according to their ailments.
A good manager of live stock will have
no use for these high-priced continental
foods or condition powders; a poor man.
ager will never have fine stock by en-
ploying them"
The usefulness of Irritating sub
stances such as cayenne. mustard ana
ginger in condiments Is confined to an
increased production of saliva and d.
gestive juices, but the continued use
of these substances may in time have
an injurious effect, as the membranes
of the digestive tract become accus-
toned to their irritant action and WIN
not respond to the ordinary stimulation
/ OpCa qinnad nv fond ma nriala
and indigestion in it's chronic form may
! be the ultimate result, rather than the
improved condition hoped for by the
owner.
Good teeth. a variety of grain and
roughage in sufficient quantity, access
/ to salt and a plentiful supply Of clean,
pure water will do more to keep ami
mails in good, thrifty condition than all
the tonics and continental foods Manu-
! featured.
Investigations carried out at many of
the experiment stations in the United
| States and foreign countries demonstrate
| the failure of these preparations to do
what the manufacturers claim for them.
| In no case has their use decreased the
| cost OF the ration, and in no case has
| their use cheapened the cost of the
product-whether 1t be beef. pork, NUT
ton, wool, milk butter or eggs. In many
/ cases the use Oh the I6e0S
has proved detrimental, as they increas-
ed the expense of feeding and lessened
the gains of animals receiving them in
the ration.
1t may appear In some instances that
the use OF stock foods OF egg producers
are beneficial, as improved condition
of animals or poultry is frequently to
be observed after the preparations have
been faithfully used for some length Of
time We must observe. however, that
the directions usually require the prep
aration to be given three times a day
| on grain or chopped feed" If the stock
owner will pay just as much attention
I to the regular feeding of his live stock
all the time as he does when proprietary
feeds and tonic powders are being used,
I there will be little need for worry on ac-
count of rundown condition" weak d.
/ gestive powers" bad blood" and other
kindred ailments.
\ The analyses and experiments per-
formed by the state experiment stations
\ lead one to form the following conclu-
sions
\ l. The brand of stock food is no indi-
cation that ii is what is required to put
/ live stock in good condition
2. The claims of continental stock
food manufacturers when not ludi-
/ crous and preposterous are misleading
and exaggerated
g. No one remedy or combination of
drugs will serve as treatment for all
diseases and ailments of all kinds of
| farm live stock.
| T. When manufacturers do use useful
drugs in compromising their feeds and
tonics, the quantity used Is insufficient
4 to be beneficial.
|. 3 rundown condition or loss of ap-
I petite caused by overwork or an INSULT
/ cient variety OF food materials may
\ often be corrected by a change of diet
and a laxative. Common salt should
be kept within reach of all herbivorous
animals.
A good digestive tonic for horses,
mules and cows is the following:
| Glauber's salts -. pounds
! Common salt .....l pound
/ Sodium bicarbonate IL pound
H Mix. Give a tablespoonful on feed
| three times a day when the digestion is
poor.
H As a preventive of worms in hogs
the following mixture is recommended:
Sodium carbonate POUNDS
Salt 49, . -. -. d pounds
4 sulphur -. ..... 80. pouhu