The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1921-10-26

This Purebred Bull Was Badly Stunt :,
ed When a Calf, Mainly for Lack Of
Suitable Food, but When Given
Adequate Feed and Proper Care De- /.
veIoped Rapidly and Later Teek !
First Prize in His Class at the State |
Fair.
specialists consider 1t dependable. for
the feplies have been received from a
large proportion Of farms on the &C
credited-herd list (having cattle fr,ee
from tuberculosis). and most Of the
remainder are from farms whose owh b.
ers are cooperate ting with the Depa az.
ment Of Agriculture and state agric- 4
tural colleges in the Better Sireor~
Better Stock" campaign. Those " no
answered the QUESTIONABLE are, the ne
fore, interested ia the control of DIS
ease and the Improvement In quality
Of domestic animals and, in general
are progressive live stock owners.
In addition to the three principal
causes Of runtiness previously men,
are numerous other contributing
causes. A summary OF the opinionS ;
| from 7S3 live stock owners shows thatN
| the principal causes of runty liSsd
| stock are: Inferior breeding, 31.6 Pc
cent; inadequate or unsuitable feed,
| BOA per cent; parasites and insect
pests. Isl per cent; inadequate hous-
ing and care, 12.4 per cent; contagious
| diseases, 40 per cent; exposure, %
| per cent; accident, 10 per cent E; other
| causes. IL per cert. 1t appears that
the breeding Of well-selected purebred
| stock produces very few understood
animals, but that with scrubs-espe-
cially when inbred-the percentage Of
| runty stock is high.
The reports show that runtiness ls
! most prevalent among hogs, the aver
| age percentage reported being 1O1.
! This. moreover, includes a number OF
| farms which reported no runts at all.
| One farmer who is breeding good,
purebred hogs and feeding them a
variety and plenty Of feed. states:
we have not had runty pig in two
] years, although the litters sometimes
contain from 9 to II pigs each"
The results Of the inquiry indicate
that the size of an animal Of good
| breeding at birth has but little rela.
ton to the mature weight where prop
er feed, care and management are
| provided This Is shown in a num-
Der of cases Of successful hog raisers
who report that lack OF uniformity in
fairly large lirters has been overcome
BY proper feeding. A cattle breeder
In Montana reports that proper feed
ing and care of runty animal re-
suited in developing # to such finish
that Ii took first prize in Its class at
the state fair.
J It appears from summary OF 92s
reports that comparatively small
number of animals are born runty.
and that most ssunting Of growth be-
gins a relatively short time before
weaving, or soon afterwards. More
ehan SO per cent Of runty live stock
appears during infancy or before
weaving, according to reports. while
IS per cent shortly after weaving. and
only "A per cent at birth.
In reply to a question on the prac-
urability of raising runts to market
size "A per cent Of the replies Indicate
that II Is not profitable, Ii per cent
answered either yes, or yes with quail
itcations. Comments show that
well-bred animal. even though under
sized. will develop into just as good
An animal when II is given an equal
chance. with inherited rununess
due 70 inferior breeding" one stock
man declared, lit does not pay. Other
cases due 10 lack of proper feed may
, no raised with profit"