Stock Township (part 2 of 9)

Clover, alfalfa and other crops for pasture, grown in rotation with other form crops, may be utilized to good advantage under proper supervision. The system of pasture that will provide the greatest amount of feed and the largest returns in beef, may be regarded best for a respective locality and type of farm. The climate and amount of rainfall have a marked influence upon the amount of feed a given pasture will provide and judgment will always have to decide to what extent other feed should be used to supplement pasture or in what manner extenuating circumstances shall be met. Rotating cattle from one to another of two or more fields, using meadow land after hay has been removed and grass has made a start, will be beneficial to both cattle and pasture land. Corn silage where it can be produced, is one of the most valuable feeds for supplementing pastures that become scant or are too limited in area for a given number of cattle.

Turning Cattle Onto Pasture. - Cattle not accustomed to grass should be gradually changed to it. This is true in the case of turning onto any luxuriant grass pasture and especially should one be careful in turning cattle onto clover or alfalfa. It overcomes the difficulty and danger of serious loss from bloating and a good plan is to turn cattle to grass for only an hour or less the first day after they have been well filled on regular feed and the grass is free from dew or wet. Allow them to remain on the pasture for a little longer time each succeeding day until their systems have become accustomed to the grass as indicated by the bowel condition when the danger is past and they may be allowed to remain on pasture continuously. It is always a safe precaution to watch cattle closely and be prepared to treat cases of bloat while they are being accustomed to pasture. Having access to dry feed, hay or straw after coming off the pasture, helps cattle to correct for themselves any abnormal conditions that might arise from too much grass being eaten when first turned to pasture.

Fattening Cattle on Grass. - Best authorities agree that if cattle have been grain fed during the winter with the idea of marketing them in early summer, it is best not to turn them to pasture at all. Two and three year old cattle that have been wintered largely on roughage will make gains on luxuriant pasture that may be more profitable than gains made in any other manner. A lower price is usually paid for grass- fat cattle than for corn- fed cattle and the character and value of land and the cost of producing gains, should determine the policy of utilizing the pasture land. Young cattle under two years of age which are to be marketed for beef during or at the close of the pasture season, will require continuous grain feeding. Older cattle in fair condition of flesh can be marketed to good advantage by giving them a full grain ration in addition to pasture and turning them off about the middle of July before the fly season or dry, hot weather comes on.

Corn is one of the best concentrates used in combination with pasture. Shelled corn should be soaked 12 to 18 hours prior to feeding it to overcome its dry and flinty nature at this season of the year. For young cattle and for older ones that it is desirable to finish in the shortest possible time, the corn should be fed with some concentrate like oil meal, cotton seed meal or gluten feed rich in protein. Clover or alfalfa pasture make the rich protein feeds less necessary. Steers fed corn on pasture should be followed by hogs which utilize the droppings from the steers to a better advantage on pasture than they do in the feed lot.

Fattening Cattle in the Feed Lot. - In corn belt regions where the land is practically all tillable and capable of growing large yields of corn and other feeds adapted for fattening purposes, it is profitable to fatten steers in feed lots during the winter months. Corn fed cattle, well finished, produce beef in the largest quantities and of the best quality. Steers for fattening purposes are purchased usually at the leading cattle markets and fed for periods ranging from 90 to 160 days. Much of the profit in fattening steers depends upon the type and quality of steers selected and one's ability to buy them at the proper time and at suitable prices to insure a fair margin when they are returned to market in finished form. A market classification of cattle can be found in the market reports of any reliable live stock journal which should always be consulted carefully during the seasons of buying and selling live stock of any class. The following classification without market prices is submitted. "Class" indicates the use to which cattle are put, and "Grade" the quality or degree of fitness of the animal in a given class.

Market Classes And Grades Of Cattle

The Most Desirable Type of Beef Cattle. - What are classified on the general market as beef cattle, constitutes the most desirable type of cattle on the market. In general this type includes animals that are blocky in form, with a short, broad head, a short neck, and a broad, deep, low set body with straight and parallel top and bottom lines. In finished form there is a thickness and mellowness of flesh over the entire body, indicating a finished condition. Beef cattle have the characteristic disposition of taking on fat over the entire body, more or less of which is mixed with muscle fibers to produce the rich, marble condition so much appreciated in a good carcass of beef. The steer that is compact, with a short, broad back, wide top line, deep, thick thighs, and a full twist, not only produces the best quality of beef, but the highest percentage of dressed carcass and commands the highest market price. It requires experience to feed and finish steers that will top the market and at the same time be most profitable. Not infrequently does the feeder of beef cattle realize greater profits on feeding cattle of the commoner grades and classes than he does on feeding better cattle.

Advantages In Finished Cattle. - There are three reasons for feeding and producing a finished condition of the steer. It increases the percentage of dressed carcass, renders the beef most tender and juicy and insures its curing properly when hung in the cooler. The evidences of steers being finished in the feed lot are fullness at the throat, well covered shoulder points, thickness of the flank and a full purse or scrotum. When cattle approach this condition, quotations should be watched and the cattle disposed of at the most opportune time. The amount of feed required for producing a pound of beef increases as the feeding period advances and one cannot afford to feed finished cattle except to secure an advance in the market price.

The Feeding Margin. - The difference between the cost price per 100 Ibs. and the selling price per 100 Ibs. is known as the margin. Without a sufficient margin it is impossible to make a profit in fattening steers or to secure market prices for feed supplied to them. Ordinarily 800 to l,ooo Ibs. of concentrated feed is necessary to produce 100 Ibs. of meat. The cost of producing gains at this rate, makes it evident that in order to secure a profit, there must be a considerable margin between the cost and the selling prices. The following factors influence the necessary margin in fattening cattle:

Distance necessary to ship cattle to and from feed lots. Shrinkage in cattle during shipments. Expenses incident to buying, selling and shipping. Losses which may result by accident or disease. Prices for feeds and cost of producing gains.

Other Conditions Influencing Margin. - The class of cattle fed have an influence on the margin required as does also the season of the year and the character of the winter months. A wider margin is necessary in winter than in summer because the cost of gains at this season is greater. Young cattle are fed more economically than are mature cattle and may be fed on narrower margins.

A uniformly good class of feeder steers can be fed on a narrower margin than a poorer class of feeders, when both classes are relatively high. In some instances, however, poor feeders are relatively lower in price than the difference between their quality and the quality of a better class of feeders would warrant, and under such conditions one may sometimes secure a better margin and greater profits in feeding such classes. Margin must necessarily increase as the length of the feeding period and the cost of feeding increases. The heavier the cattle fed the less the margin must necessarily be. It is evident that the necessary margin will vary under different conditions of time and circumstance. By taking into account all the items of cost and probable loss in buying and feeding a lot of steers, one can calculate the approximate margin necessary to break even or make a given profit. When cattle 'are finished or tKe feeding period is about to close, one should study the market situation and endeavor to sell in a manner and at a time to make the actual margin, which is the difference between the cost price and the selling price, as great as possible.

Suitable Rations for Fattening Steers. - Rations to be most satisfactory for fattening steers must conform to the age of steers and their ability to make the best use of them, to the condition of the cattle and the length of the period they are to be fed, to the stage of the feeding period and to the prices for cattle and feed. The tendency at the present time is to fatten cattle before they are full grown and take advantage of the more economical gains that occur with the younger classes of cattle. This is a good tendency where cattle are grown on valuable land and quick returns on the investment are required. The ration in this instance must be suitable for growing and fattening, otherwise a proper finish will not be secured. Legume hay and nitrogenous concentrates, together with a liberal supply of fattening concentrates are required. Young cattle do not have the strength to eat and masticate shock and ear corn that older cattle have, and greater preparation of the ration like crushing, chopping or grinding the corn is necessary.

Cattle that are thin may be profitably fed for longer periods than cattle in good flesh, during the first part of which the ration may consist of good roughages that will be reduced as concentrated feed takes its place with the advance of the period. The cattle in this instance should make gains that will produce the desired finish at the time it is aimed to dispose of them. Heavy cattle as a rule should be fed a heavy allowance of concentrates that will produce a finish, to satisfy the market demands in as short a period as possible.

The ration for fattening cattle should become heavier as the feeding period advances. Corn and a liberal allowance of legume hay may be sufficient to make good gains in the early part of the feeding of comparatively thin steers. With the advance of the period, however, and as the hay is reduced and the corn increased, a nitrogenous concentrate like cotton seed, gluten feed or oil meal will prove profitable.

When the market is slow and does not. pay a premium for highly finished steers or the market price of feed and cattle is not such as to warrant fair profits in feeding, one should regulate the ration accordingly.

Silage from well matured corn is fast becoming a popular feed for fattening steers. The cost of producing silage may be considerably more than feeding shocked corn, but the amount of fodder saved and the results secured may be regarded sufficient to more than offset all of the extra labor. The shrinkage on steers fed corn silage at time of marketing has been one of the principal objections to silage as part of the ration. This objection, however, is largely overcome by substituting dry feed in place of the silage a few days prior to shipping. Grass in abundance and more or less shelled corn constitute suitable summer feed for fattening- steers. The corn should be soaked 12 to 18 hours and barrels or boxes in which it is soaked kept clean and sweet.

The following average rations will be suggestive in preparing rations for steers in the feed lot and for securing the most satisfactory results :

Getting Steers on Full Feed. - The amount of feed supplied all steers must be comparatively small when cattle are first put into the feed lot and the amount gradually increased until they are on full feed. Mumford of Illinois recommends that cattle be given all the clover or alfalfa hay they will eat and in addition 2 Ibs. of corn per steer per day to start with. The amount of grain can be increased one pound daily until 10 Ibs. per head daily is reached. After three days increase the daily ration one pound again until 17 Ibs. is fed; 15 days later this amount can be increased to 22 Ibs. Cattle getting from 12 to 15 Ibs. of corn daily should have 12 Ibs. of clover or alfalfa hay per 100 Ibs. of live weight. As the amount of grain increases the hay should be reduced to about one-fourth of the ration.- The length of the feeding period should determine how rapidly the ration is increased from day to day. Where .the feeding period is to be 180 days, thirty days to six weeks should elapse before the cattle are on full feed. Judgment on the part of the feeder in watching steers consume the feed from day to day and in watching the condition of the bowels should largely govern the amount of feed supplied.

Use of the Self-Feeder. - The use of the self-feeder offers two advantages, it economizes labor and is regarded by some feeders as being more reliable than a careless man who may be entrusted with the work of feeding. The self-feeder must be used judiciously, however, to overcome objectionable features incident to its use. Cattle must be accustomed to their grain ration and practically on full feed before being allowed access to the self-feeder. The self-feeder is best adapted to long feeding periods or where cattle are to be fed liberally from three to four months. Watching the selffeeder and the condition of the cattle in addition to the precautions incident to getting them onto full feed, should overcome objections to its use. It has been suggested that the self-feeder may be used to advantage from the start by shredding or cutting the roughage and mingling it with the concentrated feed prior to putting it into the self-feeder. Under these conditions cattle may be safely turned to the feeder as soon as they are turned into the feed lot, and as the feeding progresses the roughage can be reduced to the extent that the cattle utilize concentrates to the best advantage.

Hogs Should Follow Cattle. - It is unprofitable to feed steers without hogs in the feed lot. Decreasing the cost of preparing feed is an item of saving in the steer feeding operation. The usual manner of feeding corn incurs considerable waste unless hogs follow the steers and utilize that which would otherwise be wasted. Hogs weighing 100 to 150 Ibs. that are active and capable of making good gains, are best for the steer lots. Hogs that are too fat are not active enough to serve the purpose. Brood sows and a small class of hogs are very likely to be injured and, are therefore, unprofitable. The age of the cattle and the character of the ration fed to them, de-' termines the amount of feed available for the support of the hogs, and the character of the feed will also affect the gains made by the hogs.

On the average the number of hogs per steer in the feed lot according to the Missouri Experiment Station, Bulletin 76, should be as follows for rations of different character, the steers being two-year-olds and the hogs weighing 100 to 150 Ibs.:

It is profitable to include more hogs than are necessary to utilize the waste and to supply additional feed to the extent that the hogs are satisfied and do not disturb the steers too much.

Equipment for Cattle Feeding. - Ordinarily feeding sheds about 20 ft. deep and of sufficient length to accommodate a given number of steers with lots or yards approximately 24 ft. deep and feed bunks suitable for supplying grain, constitute the equipment for fattening steers. It is advisable to have the shed arranged to offer as much shelter as possible from prevailing winds and storms. The roughage may be fed in racks inside the yard or shed or in racks located in yards adjoining the shed where the cattle can be turned. Feed bunks in which concentrates and silage are fed, should be made of heavy material. It is advisable to so construct them that they can be moved about from place to place as circumstances necessitate. They should be arranged in a manner to make feeding most convenient. Having the feed lots paved or the floors arranged to keep the droppings where hogs have the best chance to get them will be an advantage. The condition of many feeding lots is unsatisfactory at seasons of the year and in localities where the ground does not freeze and becomes wet and muddy. Experiments indicate that a sufficient gain and return is secured as a result of having the feed lots in suitable condition to justify the expense of paving and main- taining them in good condition. Steers in a muddy condition do not command the best prices on the market. Grading the yard in a manner to control the water that comes in contact with it, will be helpful and should be done whether the lots are paved or not.

General Care of Fattening Cattle. - The operation of fattening cattle should not be regarded as an easy task. The feeder has many details to keep in mind. Excitement prevents cattle from making the largest gains and the feeder should endeavor to do everything possible to keep cattle in a quiet condition. Successful feeders endeavor to gain the confidence of cattle in charge and do their work with the regularity that does not disturb them from their usual habits of eating and resting. The majority of cattle feeders feed cattle grain and roughage twice a day in winter and under summer conditions grain once a day. Steers may run in bunches of 100, although it may be more convenient to feed and handle them in groups of 50 which will require three fee^d bunks, 3 feet wide and 15 feet long. The size and age of the cattle would affect the number most conveniently fed in a given yard.

Salt and Water for Fattening Cattle. - Cattle should have free access to salt, and pure, clean water supplied in the feed lot. Advantages in feeding dehorned cattle make it desirable to have cattle of the stocker and feeder types dehorned prior to being put into the feed lot. A difference of lOc to 25c per hundredweight is frequently made, due to the presence of horns. The shrinkage in weight during shipment is also less with dehorned cattle and as a rule they are quieter and subject to few bruises.

Grooming Fattening Cattle. - Some cattle feeders advocate grooming fattening cattle. The practice is not generally considered a necessary one, however, for best results. Only in the case of carload lots of show cattle can it be generally recommended. It is desirable, however, to have posts or other arrangements that will enable cattle to rub and thus groom themselves. Under summer conditions fattening cattle may be protected during the heat of the day by placing strips of burlap across the doorway or opening of the shed. The darkened shed is undoubtedly the most practical method of overcoming the difficulty with flies.

Marketing Cattle. - Selling cattle at home to local buyers or shipping them to packing house centers are two ways of disposing of them. The condition of the market, quality of the cattle, number of cattle one has and one's familiarity with market conditions, should determine which plan will be adopted. Selling to the local buyer is the only plan where one has only a few cattle to sell. Cost of shipping and commission charges do not warrant shipping less than a carload lot. There is less risk in selling to local buyers for the reason that the home market is always steadier than is the larger market and the expenses are reduced to the minimum. On a declining market it is well to sell at home. To ship on a falling market is unsafe unless there is necessity for doing so and the home market is very unsatisfactory. There is opportunity to sell to advantage to the home buyer when

If one has two or more cars of stock in fit condition to sell and understands the market conditions, there is no reason why he should not ship and sell on the market. Selling in this manner insures the producer getting all the possible profit that might go to the local buyer. He also incurs the same risk of losing that is incurred by the shipper. Shipping and accompanying stock to the market offers advantages in one's becoming familiar with market types and classes and their values. To be on the market with cattle enables one to come in contact and make the acquaintance of men from many sections of the country and to gain a knowledge of their methods, conditions and opinions, which is valuable from the standpoint of fattening cattle in the most profitable manner. To make the acquaintance of commission firms at the leading markets also secures their interest in one's welfare and it should be understood that they are glad to keep feeders posted accurately on market conditions and the most suitable times for buying and selling to* the extent that it is possible for them to do so.

How to Ship Fat Cattle. - The feed for fat cattle should be changed for a day or two prior to loading cattle for shipment in order to avoid undue shrinkage. Cattle fed silage, grass or beet pulp are subject to greater shrinkage than cattle fed otherwise unless particular precaution is taken. In all instances cattle should be filled when loaded, with feed having as little moisture in it as possible like the best of hay and whole oats if any grain is supplied- Clay, of the Chicago Union Stock Yards, writes : "A steer full of water is apt to have loose bowels and show up badly in the yards. Properly handled cattle should arrive in the sale pens dry behind and ready for a good fill of water ; not very thirsty, but in good condition to drink freely. As to feed on the road, nothing excels corn or other grains because it is easily digested and does not fever the animal. Cattle should arrive at the sale yards at 5:00 to 8:00 A. M., appearing on the scene as near the later hour as possible' since they always look better just after they have been fed and watered."

Baby Beef Production

Farms that are worked intensively on which beef cattle are maintained have in many instances adopted the practice of producing baby beef. Cattle falling within this classification are from one to two years of age, and ordinarily weigh about 1,000 Ibs. Only well bred beef cattle capable of producing calves of quality and natural beef tendencies are adapted to the production of this class of cattle. Breeding high grade and cross-bred animals of beef type may be regarded excellent for baby beef production. Beef cows that tend to produce large quantities of milk add much to the initial growth and quality of baby beeves.

Mumford in writing on the subject, states that profitable baby beef production requires experience, judgment and skill of a high order and that it is a mistake for the inexperienced to dip heavily into this enterprise.

it is marketed. Calves should be accustomed to grain before they are weaned and must be fed continuously on rations that will prevent shrinkage at any time. Any shrinkage in baby beef production is expensive and lengthens the time required to mature them. Good roughage such as clover or alfalfa hay, silage during the winter months and abundant pasture during the 'summer, together with corn, oil meal and other grains to give variety, where prices permit their being used, should be supplied in a manner to keep the calves in a fat condition as they develop. Liberal feeding is necessary for the reason that calves tend to grow rather than fatten. Heifer calves tend to fatten more quickly than steer calves.

Male calves should be castrated before they are weaned and this may be done when the calf is less than one week old. Vaccination to prevent blackleg is recommended. It is seldom possible to get spring calves ready for the baby beef market before July of the second summer. More frequently they are not marketed until the fall when they are approximately 18 months of age.

General Care of the Breeding Beef Herd. - Cows of the breeding beef herd should be cared for in a manner to maintain them in the most economical manner and at the same time keep them in a condition to produce strong, vigorous calves that will develop rapidly while getting the benefit of nursing their dams. Cows may be wintered at a more reasonable cost if bred to drop their calves in the spring of the year. This is also regarded the best time to have the calves dropped for the production of baby beef steers to be finished off at two years of age.

Where pasture is available it is more economical to secure growth and gains on the part of calves during the summer than during the winter. Beef cows will also produce more milk during the summer season with which to give the calf the best start in its development. In the case of cows that are milked and calves that are hand raised on more or less skim milk, there is undoubtedly more profit in having cows freshen in the fall of the year. In any event cows should be bred in such a manner that the calves of the herd will be as nearly uniform in age as possible. The breeding herd should be culled from time to time of cows that do not possess the size and ability to produce calves of the most desirable type and character for beef production.

Feeding the Breeding Herd. - Beef cows that have access to good pasture will require little attention during the pasture season. Where pastures become short to affect the milk flow of the cow or cause her to seriously reduce in flesh, it is best to supplement the pasture with silage, clover or alfalfa hay, soiling crops or concentrated feeds. An abundance of pure, fresh water, shade and salt should be provided.

In winter the cows should be fed in a manner to keep them in a thrifty, normal condition of flesh. No more grain should be fed than is necessary. A ration of corn silage and good clover or alfalfa hay under ordinary conditions will be highly satisfactory. A ration composed of 18 to 20 Ibs. corn silage, 4 Ibs. clover hay and cheaper roughage like straw, corn stover, should provide ample feed for keeping cows in good condition and gaining 1 to 1^4 Ibs. per day. Where silage is not available, shocked corn and clover hay together with straw may be fed to advantage. Where cheaper and lower roughages are utilized enough grain should be supplied to keep cows in a thrifty condition.

On farms where cattle are raised primarily for beef production, it is customary to allow calves to run with their dams until six or eight months of age.

Calves should be taught to eat grain before being weaned to prevent shrinkage at weaning time. A good grain mixture for beef calves consists of corn meal 50 parts, ground oats 30 parts, wheat bran 20 parts. In addition to this grain mixture clover or alfalfa hay should be fed in such quantities as calves will clean up without waste. Cotton seed meal is not a good feed for young calves. Daily gains of \l/2 to 2 Ibs. should be expected.

In some instances half the cows of the herd are hand milked and the other half are required to nurse two calves. Under this system it is best to select the easy and heavy milkers for hand milking and let the calves nurse those that are indifferent. Additional calves may be bought if necessary to have all cows nurse- two calves. Where two calves nurse one cow it is well to have a shady paddock or stable in which calves spend the day and are turned with cows to nurse twice daily. Grain and other feeds should be supplied in such quantities as to keep them growing and in a good condition of flesh at all times. In some instances beef calves are raised by hand and the cows hand milked throughout their lactation periods. In such instances the calf is left with the dam for only two to four days and raised practically in the same manner with all of the precautions heretofore discussed with reference to raising dairy calves.

Ringing The Bull

Act 1. Snub the bull's head securely to a post, letting a second man hold the rope in order to loosen it should the bull throw himself, and insert a trocar and canula.

Cattle Production 59

A sufficient amount of grain of the mixture suggested for beef calves should be fed to keep the calf in a thrifty, growing and well fleshed condition. The amount of grain fed a beef calf varies from a handful up to 4 or 5 Ibs. at six months of age.

Selection And Management Of Bulls

Selection of Bulls. - In the dairy or the beef herd there is no more important duty than the selection, care and management of bulls suitable to head the .herd. In all instances the bull should be a pure bred, registered animal with ancestors representing the leading families and the most typical individuals of the breed. In no instance can a breeder of cattle feel himself justified in using a bull of common or indiscriminate breeding. Beef bulls should be the progeny of animals that excel in the production of beef and dairy bulls the progeny of cattle that excel in the production of milk and butter fat. Improvement in the beef and dairy cattle interests of the country can be accomplished most economically through the selection of choice bulls.

Management of Bulls. - Under some conditions it may be advisable to allow the bull to run with the cows. In most instances, however, it is more desirable and 'much better to keep the bull by himself in quarters especially provided for him. Such quarters should consist of a strong pen and paddock in which he can be comfortably housed and permitted to exercise, and at the same time be handled without incurring the danger of his doing injury to attendants in charge. Bulls should be kept in a thrifty condition- but not in high condition of flesh where best results in using them are to be secured. An abundance of exercise and a moderate ration of legume hay, grain during the breeding season and a small amount of silage not to exceed 10 to 15 Ibs. should keep the bull in suitable condition for doing best service.

The number of cows to which the bull should be bred during the year will depend upon his age, condition and treatment, together with the distribution of the cows bred to him. The bull should not be used for service until a year old. The number of cows bred to him should vary from 12 to 15 during the time he is a year old to 30 to 60 a year when he is full age.

Frequently the feet of a mature bull get into a condition that renders it difficult for him to do service. A bull's feet are best trimmed by throwing him in a manner illustrated in the accompanying cut on opposite page. Bulls that are inclined to be vicious may be rendered manageable by throwing them in a similar manner. At the age of 8 to 10 months a ring should be inserted in the nose of the bull in order to handle and control him without difficulty. Mature bulls should be handled with the staff especially dairy bulls that are more nervous and treacherous than beef bulls. Handling and managing the bull in a manner to never allow -him to realize his strength and possibility of gaining mastery over his attendant, should be practiced to the fullest extent. The disposition of bulls is in most instances a reflection of mismanagement at some time in their development.

The greatest mismanagement on the part of many owners of bulls is in disposing of them to the butcher before their merits as sires have been proven. The most valuable bulls are those that have proved themselves capable of siring most satisfactory calves. Prepotency or that power of a bull to get calves of uniform, excellent type and character is rare and for this reason every precaution should be taken to preserve sires that have proved themselves valuable in this respect.

A Guide To Diseases Of Stock

In this department the general symptoms are alphabetically arranged so the reader may easily determine what is troubling his stock. The general symptoms of the diseases of each kind of stock are placed just before the treatment of those diseases.

How to Use This Guide. - An animal cannot talk to tell you what the trouble is but he acts and makes signs peculiar to his ailment. To use this guide one only has to observe the actions and appearance of a sick animal, notice any particular symptom and find it in its proper place. When he looks up that symptom he will find the other symptoms of the disease. He can then pick out the group which suits the particular case. This being found he sees the disease indicated and can then look it up in the main department.

Explanation. - The subjects in this department are arranged in alphabetical order so as to help the reader find what he is looking for without even turning to the index. However, a complete index will be found at the back of the book.

Diseases Of Cattle

Back arched; quick breathing; fast pulse; sweating; poor appetite; colicky pains; high fever; frequent but scanty passage of urine that is dark and thick ; moves hind quarters with difficulty. - Inflammation of the Kidneys, Page 89.

Back arched ; stands alone ; moves slowly with a wabbling gait ; kicking towards belly; switching tail; as the disease develops there is severe pain and delirium; moaning; bellowing. - Cornstalk Disease, Page 81.

Back arched ; tail elevated ; bowels irregular ; milk flow stops ; breath offensive ; manure streaked with blood ; straining severely ; high fever ; walking slowly ; great thirst ; loss of appetite. - Dysentery, Page 82.

Blisters following red swollen parts ; blisters break causing severe lameness ; inclination to lie down ; chill followed by fever. - Foot and Mouth Disease, Page 84.

Blood in milk; dullness; fever; shivering; pus coming to surface of udder; in some cases there is no pus but udder gets hard ; part of udder may fall off in severe cases; udder hot, swollen and tender. - Garget,

Bloody, foul smelling fluid runs out of swelling when opened ; lameness, stiffness; swelling of affected parts; the swellings emit a crackling sound when rubbed ; high fever ; poor appetite. - Anthrax, Page 75.

Breathing quickened ; fever ; quick pulse ; standing with elbows turned out ; well marked crease extending from the flank to the back of the elbow; placed to chest ; lying down ; chill followed by fever which gradually increases for a time. - Pneumonia, Page 95. Chill followed by fever ; affected parts red and swollen ; followed by blisters

Chill followed by fever; dullness; discharge of mucus from nostrils that becomes pus-like ; constipation. - Catarrh, Page 80. Chill followed by fever ; pulse full and rapid ; cough short, dry and husky ; fever ; pulse fast and full. - Inflammation of the Stomach, Page 89. Delirium; breathing fast and hard; loss of appetite; fever. - Blood Poisoning,

Ears and legs cold; nose hot and dry; fever; pulse fast and full; diarrhea followed by constipation. - Inflammation of the Stomach, Page 89.

Elbows turned out when standing; well marked crease extending from flank to back part of elbow ; coughing ; pointing nose toward the side ; if the ribs are tapped over the chest a clear hollow sound is heard. - Pleurisy, Page 94.

Eyes inflamed and swollen ; pulse full ; bowels constipated ; tips of horns and extremities cold; sneezing; fever; cough; thin, watery discharge from nose, but this soon thickens. - Catarrh, Page 80.

Eyes, mouth and nostrils reddened; muzzle and mouth dry; urine colored; v pressure on the abdomen causes pain; falling down and moaning; manure covered with slime; flanks heave; gait staggering. - Inflammation of the Bowels, Page 89.

Eyes very red with thick discharge; head hangs; loss of appetite; weakness; constipation ; fever ; watery discharge from nose ; throat sore. - Pink Eye, Page 94.

Falling down and moaning; manure covered with slime and often streaked with blood; flanks heave; gait staggering; nostrils, mouth and eyes are reddened ; muzzle and mouth dry ; urine colored ; pressure on abdomen causes pain. - Inflammation of the Bowels, Page 89.

Falling in partially unconscious condition after staggering; constipation; scanty urine ; uneasiness ; poor appetite ; lessened secretions of milk. - Milk Fever, Page 93.

Fear of imaginary objects; fits or crazy spells especially when warm; head trembles violently ; sluggishness ; difficult locomotion ; almost impossible to get up after lying down. - Loco Disease, Page 92.

Fits or crazy spells especially when warm ; head trembles violently ; sluggishness ; difficult locomotion ; almost impossible to get up after lying down ; fear of imaginary objects. - Loco Disease, Page 92.

Flanks heave; gait staggering; nostrils, mouth and eyes reddened; muzzle and mouth dry ; urine colored ; pressure on the abdomen causes pain ; falling down and moaning; manure covered with slime. - Inflammation of the Bowels, Page 89.

Diseases Of Cattle 65

Gait wabbling; stands alone; kicking toward belly; switching tail; as the disease develops there is severe pain and delirium; moaning; bellowing. - Cornstalk Disease, Page 81.

Head hangs ; loss of appetite ; weakness ; constipation ; eyes very red with a thick discharge; temperature rises to 104 or 105 degrees; watery discharge from nose ; throat sore. - Pink Eye, Page 94.

Head trembling violently; sluggishness; difficult locomotion; almost impossible to get up after lying down; fear of imaginary objects; fits or crazy spells especially when warm. - Loco Disease, Page 92.

Hind quarters stiff ; recurrent fever ; gradual falling away in spite of a normal appetite ; excessive urination ; mucous membranes of the eyes and mouth are pale ; extreme weakness. There may be improvement for a time and then the same symptoms will return with more severity until the horse may die from weakness or heart failure. - Swamp Fever, Page 179.

Itching severely ; water blisters on skin which leave the skin moist with their contents ; sometimes swelling and large sores. - Eczema, Page 82.

Kicking towards belly; switching tail; wabbling gait; stands alone; as the disease develops there is severe pain and delirium; moaning; bellowing. - Cornstalk Disease, Page 81.

Lameness; stiffness swellings on affected part; these swellings emit a crackling sound when rubbed; high fever; poor appetite. When one of the swellings are opened a foul smelling, bloody fluid runs out. - Anthrax, Page 75.

Legs and ears cold ; nose hot and dry ; fever ; pulse fast and full ; diarrhea followed by constipation. - Inflammation of the Stomach, Page 89.

Legs close together; bowels constipated; fever; labored chest breathing; shivering fits; nervousness; turning head to sides; muzzle dry. - Peritonitis, Page 94.

Manure covered with slime; flanks heave; gait staggering; nostrils, mouth and eyes are reddened ; muzzle and mouth dry ; urine colored ; pressure on the abdomen causes pain; falling down and moaning. - Inflammation of the Bowels, Page 89.

Manure dry with glazed covering; muzzle dry. - Constipation, Page 81. Manure thin and watery; weakness, loss of flesh; thirst, back arched; milk dries up. - Diarrhea, Page 82.

Milk flow stopped; breath offensive; manure streaked with blood and very offensive ; straining severely ; high fever ; walking slowly ; great thirst ; loss of appetite; back arched; bowels irregular. - Dysentery, Page 82.

Milk given in less quantities; constipation; scanty urine; gait staggering; falls down in partially unconscious condition. - Milk Fever, Page 93.

Milk streaked with blood or curdled; dullness; fever; shivering; pus coming to surface of udder; in some cases there is no pus but the udder gets hard ; part of udder may fall off in severe cases. - Garget, Page 79.

shifts position. - Impaction of the Rumen or Paunch, Page 87. Mouth has discharge of saliva ; is red and gives off a foul smell. - Sore Mouth,

Nervousness ; turning head to sides ; muzzle dry ; legs close together ; bowels constipated; fever; labor breathing; chest breathing. - Peritonitis, Page 94.

Nose has thin watery discharge at first but this soon thickens ; eyes inflamed and swollen ; pulse full ; bowels constipated ; tips of horns and extremities of limbs cold. - Catarrh, Page 80.

Diseases Of Cattle 67

Nose, watery discharge from ; throat sore ; eyes very red with thick discharge ; head hangs ; loss of appetite ; weakness ; constipation ; fever. - Pink Eye, Page 94.

Pains, colicky ; high fever ; frequent but scanty passage of urine which is dark and thick; moves hind quarters with difficulty; arched back, quick breathing; fast pulse; sweating; poor appetite. - Inflammation of the Kidneys, Page 89.

Pains come suddenly in abdomen ; animal falls down and moans ; manure covered with slime and often streaked with blood ; flanks heave ; gait staggering; nostrils, mouth and eyes are reddened; muzzle and mouth dry; urine colored; pressure on abdomen causes pain. - Inflammation of the Bowels, Page 89.

Saliva discharges ; mouth red ; gives off foul smell. - Sore Mouth, Page 96. Saliva runs from mouth; neck arches; coughing, heavy breathing; poking

Sneezing; fever; cough; thin, watery discharge from the nose at first but this soon thickens ; eyes inflamed and swollen ; pulse full ; bowels constipated; tips of horns and extremities of limbs cold. - Catarrh, Page 80.

Sound - rattling sound heard; breathing quickened; lying down; chill followed by fever which gradually increases for a time. - Pneumonia, Page 95.

Staggering and falling in partially unconscious condition ; uneasiness ; poor appetite; lessened secretions of milk; constipation, scanty urine. - Milk Fever, Page 93.

Staggering gait; nostrils, mouth and eyes reddened; muzzle and mouth dry; urine colored; pressure on abdomen causes pain; falling down and moaning; manure covered with slime; flanks heave. - Inflammation of the Bowels, Page 89.

Stiffness; swellings on affected part; these swellings emit a crackling sound when rubbed; high fever; poor appetite. When one of the swellings are opened a foul smelling, bloody fluid runs out. - Anthrax, Page 75.

Straining severely; high fever; walking slowly; great thirst; loss of appetite back arched; tail elevated; bowels irregular; milk flow stops; breath and manure very offensive and streaked with blood. - Dysentery, Page 82.

Sweating; poor appetite; colicky pains; high fever; frequent but scanty passage of urine which is dark and thick; moves hind quarters with difficulty ; back arched ; quick breathing ; fast pulse. - Inflammation of the Kidneys, Page 89.

Swellings on affected part ; the swellings emit a crackling sound when rubbed ; high fever; poor appetite. When one of the swellings are opened, a foul smelling bloody fluid runs out ; lameness ; stiffness. - Anthrax, Page 75.

Swollen red feet followed by blisters which burst and cause severe lameness ; inclination to lie down ; chill followed by fever. - Foot and Mouth Disease, Page 84.

Diseases Of Cattle 69

Thirst excessive loss of appetite ; back arched ; tail elevated ; bowels irregular; milk flow stops; breath and manure very offensive and streaked with blood. - Dysentery, 'Page 82.

Ticks that are very small found on the thighs, forelegs and belly; extreme weakness; high fever; loss of appetite; bowels constipated; urine highly colored. - Texas Fever, Page 97.

Udder tender; swollen, hot; milk streaked with blood or curdled; dullness; fever; shivering; pus coming to surface of udder; in some cases there is no pus but the udder gets hard; part of udder may fall off in severe cases. - Garget.

Uneasiness ; poor appetite ; lessened secretions of milk ; constipation ; scanty urine; gait staggering; falls down in partially unconscious condition. - Milk Fever, Page 93.

Urine colored ; pressure on abdomen causes pain ; falling down and moaning; manure covered with slime; flanks heave; gait staggering; nostrils, mouth and eyes reddened ; muzzle and mouth dry. - Inflammation of the Bowels, Page 89.

Urine - frequent but scanty passage of urine that is dark and thick; moves hind quarters with difficulty; arched back; quick breathing; fast pulse; sweating; poor appetite; colicky pains, high fever. - Inflammation of the Kidneys, Page 89.

Urine scanty ; staggering gait ; falls down in partially unconscious condition ; uneasiness ; poor appetite ; lessened secretions of milk. - Milk Fever, Page 93.

Urine very highly colored ; very small ticks found on the thigh, forelegs and belly ; extreme weakness ; high fever ; loss of appetite ; bowels constipated. - Texas Fever, Page 97.

Water blisters on skin which leave the skin moist with their contents ; sometimes swelling and large sores ; severe itching. - Eczema, 'Page 82.

Weakness, extreme; high fever; loss of appetite; bowels constipated; urine very highly colored; very small ticks found on the thighs, forelegs and belly. - Texas Fever, Page 97,

Treatment For Diseases Of Cattle Anatomy Of Cattle

While there is considerable difference in the bony construction of the ox and horse the bones and joints are known by the same names. The ribs of the horse are joined to the breast bone by cartilage while those of the ox are united by joints. The horse has eighteen pair of ribs and the ox has only thirteen pair. The breast bone of the horse is more round than that of the ox. When suffering from diseases of the lungs the ox usually lies down and the horse stands up, because he has more breathing capacity when standing and the ox has more when lying down. The ox has a divided foot and of course the bones are different than those in the foot of the horse.

The Digestive Organs. - The digestive organs of the ox differ in some respects from those of the horse. The tongue is rough and thicker than that of the horse and is used to convey food to the mouth. The teeth differ very much from those of the horse. There are eight front teeth in the lower jaw but none in the upper jaw, their place being filled by a thick hard tissue which answers the purpose of teeth. This makes it difficult for cattle to thrive on short pasture. The molars (grinders) are quite similar to those of a horse. The palate of the ox is small and does not close the opening into the pharynx as does that of the horse. The pharynx is larger than in the horse. The fibers of the gullet have a double action. While the animal is eating, they carry the food from mouth to the stomach ; while chewing the cud, they act in opposite way, carrying food from stomach to mouth.

The stomach of the ox has four compartments : the first, called the rumen or paunch; the second, the reticulum; the third, the omasum, and the fourth, the true stomach or abomasum. The first three have an important part in the preparation of food for the fourth, or true stomach, where the greatest part of digestion takes place. The rumen or paunch is held in position by ligaments which attach it to the left side. It occupies a large space and is the organ operated on in tapping for bloat. The rumen has two openings on the front side. One for the food to enter and the other for its passage into the reticulum. The food enters the reticulum from the front and passes into the omasum from a back opening. From the omasum the food enters the true stomach, to be digested and passed into the small intestines.

Both the large and small intestines are similar to those of the horse, but are larger and longer and less liable to become diseased. When the food enters the intestines, it is acted upon by the bile secreted in the liver; the nourishment is carried into the blood and the balance is passed out as manure.

Skeleton Of The Cow

Some knowledge of the skeleton is advisable to facilitate the study of diseases of bones and the accidental injuries to which they are exposed. The skeleton of the adult ox is made up of the following number of bones:

Respiratory Organs. - The respiratory organs of the ox are not as susceptible to disease as those of the horse although they are much the same in construction. In the normal animal the heart beats from forty-eight to fiftysix times in a minute. The pulse may be taken on the under side of the lower jaw, taking the artery between the first and second fingers. The normal respiration is from ten to twenty per minute and is easily counted by watching the nostrils. The temperature in cattle is very important in ascertaining the presence of disease and every cattle owner should possess a clinical thermome- ten The temperature may be obtained by inserting the thermometer in the rectum for two or three minutes. In normal cattle it should register about 101 degrees. If very much above 101^ the animal is considered feverish.

Action Of Drugs In Cattle And Horses

Certain remedies do not always affect cattle and horses the same way. Mustard acts better with cattle than horses but turpentine does not act as well. Oils make a good cathartic for horses, but melted lard is much better for cattle. It is generally better to dilute the drugs well that are to be given to cattle because of the great size of the stomach and the amount of food in it. Also cattle require nearly twice as much medicine as horses.

Drenching A Cow

It is quite a simple matter to drench a cow. Hold the animal's head high enough to form an incline for the medicine to run into the back of the mouth. Stand on the left side and hold the nostrils with the thumb and finger. The only thing left to do is to put the nozzle of the bottle into the mouth and let the medicine run down. Caution: Pour the medicine down slowly so that it will run into the fourth stomach where it should go.

Bandaging And Stitching Wounds

In some way, the edges of the wound must be brought together and kept there ; in case it is on the legs, a bandage or strip of adhesive plaster applied smoothly around the leg may be sufficient to hold the wound together, if not, and stitches are required, a surgeon's needle having sharp edges and silk thread or catgut should be used. Bring the edges together as smoothly as possible by passing the needle through both edges of the wound. Do not draw the stitch too tight as a little swelling of the parts will cause them to tear. A small opening should be left near the bottom for pus to drain out. After the wound is sewed, it should be treated with antiseptics, and carefully protected from injury. If catgut is used in stitching it will absorb, but if thread is used the stitches may be removed in five or six days if the wound has done well. In treating wounds, see "Horse Department."

Castration Of Calves And Bulls

This operation consists in removing the reproductive organs. Calves should be thrown on their sides to be castrated, but a bull is usually castrated while standing. He should be fastened in by stocks or else tied to the wall and a stout post. His right side should be towards the wall. He can be held there by means of a surcingle around his body. Wash the ccrotum, hands and knife in a carbolic acid solution (1 part to 30) before performing the operation. In this operation the testicles are forced low down in the sack with the left hand while a bold incision is made with the knife on the back side of the sack clear to the bottom. Draw one testicle down and cut off the cord well up. Tie the end of the cord with silk or catgut or else use the ecraseur or emasculator. Be sure the string is long enough to be pulled off later.

The cord in calves can be cut off with a knife without danger. The parts should be washed thoroughly in peroxide of hydrogen or one part carbolic acid to thirty parts of water at least once a day until they are healed.

Explanation. - The subjects in this department are arranged in alphabetical order so as to help the reader find what he is looking for without even turning to the index. However, a complete index will be found at the back of the book.

Abortion is the expulsion of the immature young. It is more common in cattle but it occurs in other farm animals, especially where large numbers are kept together. Usually caused by copulation but may be transmitted from one cow to another. Some assert that consuming affected food or water is often the cause.

Symptoms. - In the early months there is usually no warning before an abortion has taken place. A sticky, rusty and odorless discharge a few days

Treatment. - The treatment can be very little aside from good care and sanitary measures. To prevent the bull from carrying the infection, clip the hair from the opening of the sheath. Disinfect the parts with */2 percent of compound cresol solution or lysol. Irrigate the uterus of the cow daily with the same solution. Remove diseased animal from the herd. Do not breed her again for two months. Use antiseptics, taking precautions against breeding to infected animals, and keeping the stock in good vigorous condition. A cow that has aborted should not be bred for some time after all discharge has ceased. For two days before breeding wash out the vagina with a solution of corrosive sublimate (4 drops to a teacupfnl of water). On the day of breeding use warm water instead of the solution, as the latter will destroy the semen.

Home Prevention for Abortion. - Mix ten pounds of salt, one pound of sulphur and one pound of powdered hyposulphite of soda. Give a medium handful about three times each week to pregnant cows.

This occurs because of inflammation of the womb; lack of preparation because of abortion ; imperfect power of contraction ; innutritions food ; rapid closure after calving; a too prompt milking by attendant or sucking by the

Treatment. - If the cow is in low condition or the cause is connected with food, give hot drinks and hot mashes of wheat bran. If besides the above conditions the bowels are tight, give an ounce of ground ginger, or \l/2 pound of Glauber's salt in 4 quarts of warm water, or half an ounce of black pepper given with a quart of sweet oil. Give one or two quarts of boiled flaxseed tea frequently. Seize the dependent part of the afterbirth between two sticks, roll it on them until they lie against the vulva, by careful drawing and moving from side to side the afterbirth is wound up until finally its last connections are severed. Do not neglect attending to this removal.

This is a contagious disease usually affecting young cattle. Germs entering through some abrasion in the skin while the animal is on pasture, or taken into the body with the drinking water or with the food. It seems to affect calves that are in good flesh rather than those that are thin.

Symptoms. - Lying apart from other stock, lameness, stiffness, swellings on affected part, which swellings are full of gas and emit a crackling sound if rubbed ; high fever, poor appetite. When one of the swellings is opened a foul smelling fluid runs out, which is often streaked with blood.

Treatment. - Animals with black leg generally live several days, but few recover. Put the well calves on new uninfected pasture or barns and give uninfected water. This is a reliable and safe preventive and should be done before the trouble occurs, if there is black leg in the country.

Dissolve a scant teacupful of Glauber's salt and one-half to two-thirds teacupful of table salt in a quart of water. Give this dose again from 4 to 6 hours and once a day for several days. This is one of the most effective remedies known.

Take three pounds each of air-slaked lime and saltpeter, six pounds of sulphate of iron and ten pounds of sulphur, pulverize and mix thoroughly. Instead of feeding salt alone, use a pound of this mixture to a gallon of salt. This medicine is used to prevent black leg in many parts of the West.

Slight hemorrhages may be stopped by the continual application of ice, snow or cold water to the wound. Lint or sponges may be forced into a wound and held with bandages. Tie a piece of string tight around the end of a cut artery. When necessary saturate a bandage in vinegar or alum and apply tightly to the wound.

Bloat means an enlarged condition of the paunch caused by being filled with gases of fermentation. Green food, choking, acute indigestion, gases in the digestive tract are the causes of bloat.

Symptoms. - The animal has an anxious expression, moves uneasily and is evidently distressed. Drum-like sounds are made when the fingers are snapped against the left flank. The animal moves slowly, breathes with difficulty, often emits a grunt or moan as it breathes. There is a dripping of saliva from mouth, colicky pains are shown by kicking at belly or stepping about uneasily. The animal may stagger and fall as bloating increases and die if not relieved.

Treatment. - In a light case of bloat no medicine may be needed ; it may be sufficient to walk the animal around for half an hour. When the life of the animal is in danger, tapping should be resorted to since there is little danger from this operation. This should be done, if the flank is drum-like, in order to let the gas escape. After medicine is used the bowels should be opened by injections of warm soapy water.

In moderate cases give adult cattle two-ounce doses of aromatic spirits of ammonia or dissolve half an ounce of chloride of lime in a pint of warm water and give as a dose. Repeat every half hour until relieved.

Dash cold water against animal's sides until relieved. A prominent farmer writes that covering the animal with wet cold blankets and changing them often brings relief.

Pull the tongue out of one side of the mouth and throw a small handful of salt well toward the back part before loosening the tongue. The cow will then work the tongue and stimulate the flow of saliva which promotes the gulping up of gas. This will often work better if the mouth is bitted open.

Hold the mouth open by putting a stick about the size of a fork handle through it. Tie this in place with a rope around the horns. Daub some pine tar on this stick if you have it. If the bloat is not relieved tap the animal.

Give one tablespoonful of baking soda and two tablespoonfuls of salt in a quart of warm water as a drench. If bloat is reduced give from one to two pounds of Epsom salts. .

Tapping should always be done when the medicines do not give relief and the paunch becomes drum-like. Tie the animal's head securely if possible and wash the part where the body is to be tapped, with any good disinfectant. Make a small incision through the skin over the most prominent part of the swelling on the left side about midway between the last rib and the point of the hip, to admit the trocar. Push the trocar in boldly in a downward and forward direction and you will not fail to tap the paunch. Remove the trocar and leave the canula until the gas escapes. If the food clogs up the canula, push the trocar in again to clear it out. In some cases it may be necessary to remove both the trocar and canula and plunge them in again in a different direction, using the same hole in the skin. It may be even better to perform the operation in a different spot. Give the animal one pound of Glauber's salts after the operation to avoid constipation.

In case the paunch becomes drum-like and you have no. trocar and canula do not desitate to tap the animal with a small bladed knife. Make the incision on the left side at the most prominent part which is usually half way between the last rib and point of thejiip. Direct the blade downward to avoid making too large a cut if the cow jumps. Insert a quill or clean pipe stem into the opening to allow the gas to escape. If the gas does not escape tap again.

This often happens to cows. It is caused by some irritant inside the teat, injuries, a growth inside the teat blocking the passage or unhealthy condition of the glands.

Treatment. - When the trouble is caused by a growth it may often be removed by looping a fine spring passed as a loop through a fine tube and insert into the teat.

Blood letting is not practiced any more by the most enlightened people except in the most extreme cases and then only when everything else has failed.

If an abscess has formed apply peroxide of hydrogen (1 part to 2 of water) after breaking the abscess. Then apply a carbolic acid solution (1 teaspoonful to a cup of water). Use this treatment several times daily and give a good tonic three to five times a day. Watch the bowels and give a good cathartic when necessary.

Symptoms. - Injuries, excitement caused from heat, circulation increased by more abundant food than usual, tumors in the udder, eating of logwood or madder, all may cause blood in the milk.

Clear the mouth and nose, and remove the membranes, then start the calf to breathing. To do this press the chest in and out gently or blow into the nostrils.

Inflammation of the mucous membrane of the bronchial tubes is a common disease with domestic animals. The usual causes are: exposure to cold and dampness, it sometimes follows sore throat, breathing irritating gases, etc.

Symptoms. - Bronchitis often starts with a chill and is followed with fever. The pulse is hard and rapid; the cough short, dry and husky; the bowels are constipated ; loss of appetite.

Treatment. - Supply fresh air but avoid drafts. Keep the contents of the bowels in a soft condition by enemas. Keep the body warm by blanketing. In the early stages give a solution consisting of 4 fluid ounces acetate of ammonium, 2 drams extract of belladonna and yt> pint water. Give this three times daily.

These are known also as black flies, they have a humped back and are about one-eighth of an inch long. They breed in running water. Their bite is poisonous and causes heavy losses.

Treatment. - Burning of smudges often keeps them away. They appear more on sunny days. Cattle will not be molested when in darkened stables. Use repellant as shown under flies.

This is an inflammation of the mucous membranes of the nose and parts of the head. It oftens affects the eyes and throat by making them red and watery.

Symptoms. - Often some fever and cough ; discharge from the nose that is watery at first but soon thickens ; eyes inflamed and swollen ; constipated, poor appetite ; tips of horns and ears have variable temperature.

Treatment. - Take good care of the animal. Give him a roomy dry stable. Feed laxative foods. In severe cases hot medicated inhalations may be given. Give the animal about one pound of Glauber's salt to loosen the bowels. Repeat this dose in 24 hours if necessary. Give from one to two ounces nitrate of potassium in the drinking water three times daily. This is to reduce the fever.

Treatment. - Applications of vaseline are very good. A mixture of equal parts of oil of sweet almonds and spermaceti may be applied producing excellent results. If very severe, wash with a solution of one dram sugar of lead in one pint of water, then apply benzoated zinc-oxide ointment. Equal parts of sweet oil and belladonna rubbed on after milking is an excellent remedy.

This is caused by attempting to swallow too large an object such as a beet, potato, pear, apple or turnip. Sometimes caused by bolting dry food.

Symptoms. - Animal coughs frequently; saliva discharges from the mouth; after drinking, the water is soon ejected; the expression is troubled; breathes fast and sometimes there is bloating.

Treatment. - Remove the object by pressing it up if possible. To assist this give the animal a half pint of raw linseed or olive oil before doing as above stated. A well wrapped, twisted wire, a piece of thin garden hose or a piece of new rope with the end closely wrapped, waxed, and oiled, may be used in emergencies, as a probang. Also the end of a tug may be used.

Tobacco formed into a ball half the size of a man's fist and forced down the cow's throat as far as possible, will often make the animal sick and cause it to throw up. This will relax the muscles of the throat and throw the object out.

Cold water poured in the animal's ear is often effective. This causes the animal to shake the head violently and thus dislodge the object. This is more applicable to a horse than a cow, writes a prominent Michigan farmer. Throw a handful of salt into the animal's throat. Put a small handful of gunpowder on the back of the tongue. This oils the passage and helps loosen the obstacle.

Symptoms. - Distension of the abdomen but no gas. Animal is nervous and restless. Often seized with a fit of trembling or a chill. The distention and pain occur immediately after the animal has drunk the water.

Treatment. - Walk the animal about for ten minutes. Then give a tablespoonful of powdered ginger in a pint of warm water. Put two tablespoonfuls of spirits of camphor in a pint of warm water and give as a drench.

This is more a symptom of disease or of faults in feeding than a disease itself. It occurs most generally in fevers, from feeding on bulky or dry food, and from obstructions of all kinds.

Treatment. - Remove the cause which gives rise to constipation. Then give purgatives in repeated small doses instead of one or two large doses. Flaxseed is a fine feed laxative. Give the animal plenty of salt. An enema of soapsuds and warm water is good.

At birth the calf's bowels contain a sticky, brownish-yellow material partially derived from the liver. Before they start their normal functions this must be expelled. The cow's first milk is nature's remedy to expel this

Canvbe found in Central and Western states. It is caused by poisoning from cornstalks; sometimes from too much bulky food. Young cattle are the most easily affected, especially in wet weather.

Preventive Treatment. - Feed and water the cattle well before turning them out into the field at first. Leave them in the cornfield but half an hour the first day. Give laxative foods and salt regularly. Drench with strong tansy tea to affect a cure, writes a Missouri farmer.

This is a contagious inflammation of the udder and usually spreads from animal to animal by the hands of the milker. Sometimes it affects the legs or heels of the horse and is thus transmitted to the cows.

Symptoms. - Cow has slight fever. Tenderness of the teats is usually noticed first, and pale-red bunches appear. These grow from the size of a pea to nearly an inch in diameter. The yield of milk lessens. Blisters form in about ten days and soon become yellow from containing pus. Milking causes raw sores instead of blisters.

Treatment. - Heal the sores. Milk gently using teat tube or dilator if necessary. Wash the teats in a solution of half an ounce hyposulphite of soda in a pint of water.

This word as commonly used signifies a severe form of diarrhea. It is a symptom of irritation of the intestines causing increased muscular contractions or secretions. Some- Chronic Dysentery times the result of improper feeding, chilling

Symptoms. - Passages from bowels are frequent, consisting of watery and offensive dung which may be streaked with blood. The animal becomes weak and restless, lies down and shows evidence of abdominal pain. Sometimes loss of flesh and strength quickly results.

Treatment. - If caused by irritating properties, give a pint of castor oil or raw linseed oil. When there is lack of appetite but no fever, mix two ounces of powdered gentian and one ounce Tannic acid and give one-twelfth three times a day until normal appearance is shown. Parched rye flour, strong coffee, raw eggs or a tea from oak bark are excellent remedies for this disease.

This is a noncontagious inflammation of the skin, caused by filthiness, overfeeding, overcrowding, or stables which are too damp or excessively warm.

Symptoms. - Swelling and increased heat of the skin, small rounded elevations containing a water fluid. Water disappears and crust forms. Skin becomes red and thickens, crust peels off. Animal keeps parts raw by rubbing.

Treatment. - Feed moderately such feeds as ground oats, clean hay, bran mashes, green feed and plenty of salt. Give half an ounce of acetate of potassium twice a day. Give Epsom salts if a purgative is needed. If animal is poor give a tablespoonful of the following mixture in feed twice a day : Sulphur, gentian, powdered copperas and sassafras bark, equal parts by weight. Be careful the animal does not have lice.

Treatment. - Treat the case promptly. In partial eversion, have an assistant pinch the back to prevent straining while the operator pushes the mass back through the vagina with his closed fist. In complete eversion, with the womb of its natural bulk and cow standing, pinch the back as before mentioned, have two men to hold a sheet to sustain the womb and raise it to the level of the vulva. Sponge clean with cold water ; this reduces the bulk and drives out the blood. Plant the closed fist in the rounded end of the largest horn and push, turning it back within itself and carrying it on through the vagina. Use the other hand to assist in the inversion. Retain the returned womb by tying a strap or rope around the neck and a surcingle around the body. Make a rope truss from two ropes each about 18 feet long and one inch thick. Double each rope at its middle, and lay one above the other at the bend so as to form an egg-shaped loop about 8 inches in its long diameter. Twist each end of the one rope twice around the other so this loop will remain when drawn tight. Place the rope truss so the loop will surround the vulva. The two descending ropes are carried forward on the sides of the animal and tied to the surcingle and neck collar. Twist the other ropes and proceed forward on the cow's back tying them to the surcingle and collar. The rope ring should press firmly around the vulva. See that this is worn for several davs.

This disease is highly infectious and attacks cloven footed animals chiefly. It affects the mouth, between the toes and above the hoofs. Every outbreak starts from a previous outbreak.

Symptoms. - There is tenderness of affected parts, lameness, loss of appetite, and the quantity of milk diminishes. The animal opens and closes its mouth with a smacking sound and ropy saliva soon hangs from the lips.

Treatment. - Keep healthy animals1 of all kinds away from infected cattle. Keep people connected with other animals away from the premises. While the affected cattle may recover in a few weeks, the virus may be carried on them and the disease thus spread. Get rid of all cattle that have had the disease. Disinfect with any of the following solutions : A 5 percent solution of pure carbolic acid; standard chloride of lime, 1 pound to 3 gallons of water; formaldehyde, 1 quart 40 percent solution to 5 gallons of water; or a 3 percent solution of cresol compound. Burn the manure and plow under. Do not purchase other cattle for at least 60 days after disinfection.

The following is said to protect cows for a week : One pound common laundry soap, 4 gallons water, 1 gallon crude petroleum, 4 ounces powdered naphthalin. Cut the soap into thin shavings and dissolve in warm water; then dissolve the naphthalin in the crude oil and mix the two solutions thoroughly. Stir well before using and apply with a brush, or use 1 pound rancid lard and one-half pint kerosene. Mix into a creamy mass. Recommended by Minnesota Experiment Station. A mixture of cottonseed oil and pine tar has produced excellent results. Use every day or two.

A day or two after freezing, the ear becomes swollen and painful. The dead part is cold and begins to shrivel. Mix one part each of turpentine, ammonia and chloroform, then add six parts of sweet oil. Rub this on affected part. It relieves pain and stimulates the circulation.

These grubs develop from the eggs of the heel fly or warble fly. The fly resembles a small black bee. It appears early in summer and lays its eggs on the skin of cattle. The usual mode of entrance is through the skin, although the eggs or newly-hatch larvae may be taken into the mouth by the cattle licking themselves.

Treatment. - When the grubs have reached a late stage of development they may be squeezed out and killed. When lumps are small, cut with a sharp knife and press out the grub. You can kill the grubs by forcing grease or oil into the openings of the lumps. The only objection is that the dead grubs remain beneath the skin.

Treatment. - Give a drench consisting of two ounces of ginger and one and one-half pounds of Glauber's salts. Twelve hours after the bowels have moved feed moist mashes or gruels and keep this up for several days at regular intervals.

On being swallowed the food passes into the first (A) stomach from the gullet (E). In (A) and (B) a churning motion is kept up which keeps the food passing from stomach to stomach. From (A) the food is returned to the mouth through (E) for rechewing before it is finally passed on to the third and fourth stomachs, and the small intestines.

Symptoms. - The animal is greatly distressed. It breathes as though it was suffocating. Fever develops. The animal moans frequently. The bowels are bound and the manure is foul smelling.

Treatment. - A drench consisting of 2]/2 ounces of ginger and one pound of Glauber's salts often gives relief. Raw linseed oil is also good. When paralysis has actually occurred, the operation termed rumenotomy must be performed. This is an operation for the removal of the contents of the paunch through the side. Cut into the paunch on the left side and remove a large part of the contents with the hand. The incision should be made up and down midway between last rib and point of hip. The incision should not be more than six inches in length. Cleanse the parts well and sew up with catgut. Be careful about feeding anything but nourishing slops for eight or ten days. Animals have often recovered from this operation, when a common jackknife was used, but get a surgeon if there is time.

Treatment. - Cleanse out the system with a good cathartic. Charcoal or sulphur will purify the blood. Give lots of exercise and plenty of salt.

Treatment. - -Give sweet silage, roots, or selected hay several times each day in small quantities. Feed sparingly. Dissolve one pound of Glauber's salts in a pint of molasses and a quart of linseed tea. Diet should be laxative; avoid ice water.

Indigestion is caused by the milk being too rich or too plentiful; constipation ; allowing a calf to suck the first milk of a cow that has been violently excited ; too long between meals ; feeding fermented or spoiled milk ; keeping calves in dark, bad smelling pens.

Symptoms. - Dullness, uneasiness, sour breath, loss of appetite, indisposition to move or lying down and rising as if in pain, and fullness of stomach. Diarrhea may carry off the offensive matters and restore health, or the bowels may become inflamed, fever set in and the calf die.

Treatment. - Prevent the causes mentioned above. Remove the irritant by giving castor oil, about 2 ounces at a dose. Then at each feeding give 30 grains of pepsin and a teaspoonful of tincture of gentian. Injections of warm soapy water will help.

This may follow severe indigestion, or it may be caused by swallowing irritant poisons. The disease may be produced by exposure to cold or inclement weather.

Symptoms. - Drooping of the ears, dullness, dry skin, rough coat, dryness of muzzle, loins sensitive, fullness of left flank caused by distention of fourth stomach by gas, loss of appetite, pulse weak, animal staggers and grunts. Passages few at first and often coated with blood. Later a severe diarrhea begins and passages have an offensive odor. Animal has colicky pain which may continue. Fever occurs, there is general depression and insensibility before death. The disease is often fatal. After death the walls of the stomach are thick and soft and often show ulcerations.

Treatment. - Feed selected food carefully. Do not force the appetite. Protect from cold and dampness. Give boiled milk, rice water, boiled oatmeal gruel, or linseed tea. Subnitrate of bismuth in 2 teaspoonful doses is good, as is also Y-2 to one teaspoonful dose of Tannopin.

This results from the presence of a foreign body in the stomach. The animals often swallow their food without chewing it carefully, thus undigestible objects may be swallowed. Calves often get this disease by eating frozen or decomposed food.

Treatment. - If the presence of a foreign body is recognized, the animal may be killed for beef if there is no fever. Give a good dose of Glauber's salts and two ounces of ginger in warm water. Raw linseed oil is also good. Feed easily digested foods.

Eating irritating plants, exposure to wet and cold, stone or gravel in the kidneys, injuries to the back or loins, drinking alkaline or stagnant water, consumption of musty fodder, are all causes of this disease.

Symptoms. - Hurried breathing, rising temperature, fever, dry, hot muzzle, loss of appetite, sensitiveness in the loins, suspended chewing of cud, burning at the roots of the ears and horns, back arched, hind legs extended backward and outward, passes thick highly colored water frequently in driblets, hesitates and groans when moved, are all symptoms of this disease.

Treatment. - Remove the cause if possible. Acrid plants may be removed from stomach by doses of olive or castor oil. Warm blankets or mustard poultices over the loins are important. Check the fever by 15 drops of tincture of aconite, or one-third ounce of acetanalid every four hours. As the disease lessens in severity give 2 teaspoonfuls of quinine or 4 teaspoonfuls of gentian powder daily as a tonic. Warm drinks are preferable. In its

Symptoms. - Yellowness of the white of the eye and the lining of the mouth ; appetite is poor ; the urine comes often and is very dark ; pain is caused by pressing over the liver; the dung is light colored. Animal lies down often and rests its head on the side of its chest.

Treatment. - Give Glauber's salts to cause a good bowel movement. After it has operated, give a heaping tablespoonful of artificial Carlsbad salt in the feed three times each day.

Blows on the udder, exposure to wet or cold, congestion, overfeeding on rich albuminous feed like peas, beans or cotton seed, sore teats, insufficient stripping of the udder in milking, are causes of the trouble.

Symptoms. - Following exposure, the animal shivers, with general erection of hair and cold extremities. Then there is a reaction in which the horns, ears and limbs become very warm and the glands swell up. In other cases shivering is not noticed but tenderness of the bag, heat and the firm swelling are first observed ; animal straddles with its hind limbs and lies down on the unaffected side if at all.

Treatment. - If the animal is shivering, drench with plenty of warm water and give warm injections. Wring a blanket out of hot water and place on animal, or place bags loosely filled with hot salt, sand or chaff on the loins and back. Give one ounce of ground ginger to help shorten the attack. Sweat the animal for half an hour, rub it well and cover with a dry blanket. If there is little or no fever and but slight inflammation, rub briskly with a weak iodine ointment or camphorated ointment and milk gently from 3 to 6 times a day. Each time the bag should be rubbed thoroughly. Where fever and inflammation are more advanced, give 2 pounds of Glauber's salts, and 1 ounce of saltpeter.

The poison injected by bites of certain poisonous insects and snakes under the skin of animals is a very powerful agent. It usually produces serious local irritation, oftentimes causing death. It does so by checking the heart action through narcotic influence and through diffused inflammation.

Treatment. - It may be local or general. First make every attempt to prevent absorption of the poison. If found immediately, cut out the bitten part. At least run a stick through a rope tied about the limb affected and twist it tight to stop circulation in the bitten part. Enable the wound to bleed freely. Squeeze out the poison with the fingers. Permanganate of potassium in 5 percent solution should be applied to and injected into the wound. Drench with stimulants such as Jamaica ginger, coffee, digitalis, or aromatic spirits of ammonia.

Cattle lice fasten their eggs or nits to the hair. Infested animals rub against trees, posts, etc., and lick themselves. Mange is often suspected by the hair coming out and the skin becoming thick.

Treatment. - Mix one-half pint kerosene and one pound lard, then smear it on the body. A good home-made nicotine dip is prepared as follows: for each 18 gallons of dip desired take 4 pounds of good prepared tobacco leaves, soak them in luke-warm water for 24 hours in a covered container; then for a moment bring the water to the boiling point and let it stand over night. Strain and dilute with water.

This is a chronic infectious disease that chiefly attacks the lower and upper jaw. It may also appear under the skin in different parts of the body. It is conveyed into the tissues through decayed teeth, slight wounds, or shedding of the milk teeth.

Symptoms. - A large swelling appears, in which one or more smaller peculiar tumors are formed. These tumors vary from the size of a nut to that of an egg. These break through the skin as reddish, small, fungus-like bodies. Or sometimes the original swelling changes into an abscess which finally discharges creamy pus, the abscess cavity soon filling with fungus-like growths. The disease may start in the marrow of the bone or on the covering of the bone.

Treatment. - Give \l/z or 2*/2 teaspoonfuls of iodide of potassium once each day. This should be dissolved in water and administered as a drench. Vary the dose according to the size of the animal and the effect produced, lodism appears in course of ten days if the dose is large enough. There is loss of appetite, weeping from the eyes and the skin becomes scurvy. When these symptoms appear, stop the medicine for a few days and then resume. Do not give iodide of potassium to milch cows. It decreases and spoils the flow of milk. If given to an animal in advanced pregnancy, it may produce abortion.

This disease is most prevalent among plethoric cows or those having excessive fullness of the blood vessels. It occurs only at or near the time of calving.

Symptoms. - Sudden loss of voluntary movement and sensations, showing collapse of nervous power. In the congestive form the cow droops the head, shows uneasiness, sudden dullness, staggers, eyes appear red and pupils are dilated, no longer notices feed or calf, unable to rise after lying down, her nose often resting on the right flank. Pulse is high and she struggles convulsively.

Treatment. - The distention of the udder with common air has proved invariably successful in all kinds of cases. It is best to have on hand an elastic rubber ball such as the common Davidson syringe with tubes. Into the free end of the delivery tubes fit a milking tube. Before using, sterilize by boiling the entire apparatus for 30 minutes. Use warm soap suds to wash the teats and udder, rinse with a 5 percent solution of carbolic acid. Insert the end of the tube into the teat and fill as full of air as it will hold. After withdrawing the tube, tie a broad tape around the end of the teat to prevent escape of the air. In case of emergency, use a bicycle pump ; even an automobile pump has been used successfully. Be as careful to prevent infection as possible.

The navel or umbilicus is the passage through which the blood vessels pass from the womb to the fetus or unborn calf. Sometimes this aperture remains open and a portion of the bowels or lining of the stomach may slip through the opening. This may be caused by any severe straining or blow on the belly.

Treatment. - The smaller ruptures often cure themselves. Where there are no indications of the rupture healing of its own accord, place the calf on its back and gently assist the organs to return into the abdomen. Clip the hair from the skin covering the hernia, smear the skin with pitch and cover with about ten folds of cotton or linen used as a compress. Next pass a bandage about 4 inches wide round the body to hold the compress in place. Smear bandage and compress with pitch to hold it in place. In extreme cases where the sac will not return, cut the skin open in the long direction, replace the parts and sew with catgut. This should be done by a veterinarian.

In unthrifty, weak, or ill-fed cows, the hind limbs and tail may become paralyzed during the last weeks they are pregnant. Exposure to wet and cold in this condition hastens this disease.

Treatment. - Give an abundance of warm food and a dry warm bed. Rub the back loins and limbs vigorously with a liniment of equal parts of oil of turpentine and sweet oil. If an electric battery is handy send a current of electricity through the muscles in the hind limbs daily.

This consists in an inflammation of the delicate membrane lining the abdomen and its organs. It is usually caused by a wound and may follow an operation for hernia or castration.

Symptoms. - Animal is uneasy and shivers; turns its head towards its belly; has no appetite; nose is dry; does not chew the cud; legs are placed well under its body; pulse is weak; pressing the flanks produce pain.

Treatment. - Discover and remove the cause. Give 2 ounces of borax every six hours until three doses are given, then give 6 teaspoonfuls three times daily. Use injections instead of laxatives to loosen the bowels. Sustain the strength by giving camphor or coffee. Place a blanket wrung out of hot water over the stomach, cover this with several dry blankets and strap them to the body. Change the wet blanket as soon as it cools. The object is to bring as much blood to the skin as possible. Give laxative food and such drinks as linseed tea. If the disease assumes a chronic form, give nutritious food such as grass, selected clover hay and linseed cake ; also give one dram of iodide of potassium in a pint of water three times daily.

This is an inflammation of the thin membrane lining the chest and enveloping the lungs. It often makes pneumonia more serious. It often arises when a rib is broken, or from exposure to wet or cold.

Symptoms. - Severe pain, increased when animal moves. The pulse is hard and quick; the breathing is from the stomach, the chest being quite fixed. When pressed between the ribs, the animal flinches and grunts; nose is hot and dry ; mouth slimy and the secretions scanty. After a few days the severity of symptoms lessen, patient loses strength, the countenance is haggard and the eyes sink into their sockets. In unfavorable cases death occurs during the second or third week.

Treatment. - To reduce the fever in the early stages, give one to two drams of Fleming's tincture of aconite for a short time ; discontinue as soon as the fever begins to abate. For relief of the cough, place a small tablespoonful of the following mixture frequently on the tongue or back teeth; 8 ounces pulverized Chlorate of potassium, 2 ounces fluid extract of belladonna, 8 ounces powdered licorice root, sufficient quantity of syrup. In the stage of effusion, give the following three times daily : one ounce Digitalis tincture, one-half to one teaspoonful iodide of potassium ; mix. Give Glauber's salts or linseed oil to open the bowels. A plaster made of mustard and lard and fastened on the chest will give relief.

This disease is an inflammation of the lining substance caused by congestion ; this may be brought about by exposure to wet or cold, or sudden change in temperature. A cow with this disease always lies down as she has more lung space for breathing in this position. A horse always stands up for the same reason.

Symptoms. - Animal chills, pulse quickens, nostrils are dilated, nose is hot and dry, the skin is harsh and dry, the tongue is slimy, the urine is diminished and high colored and the bowels constipated. Animal stands with forelegs wide apart. In second stage the cough is quick and painful, the secretions are suspended, the animal has a haggard look and the pulse is small. In the third stage if the animal recovers, the cough loosens, the appetite returns, and the symptoms leave.

Treatment. - Good nursing and surroundings are necessary. If the pulse is strong in the early stage, give one to two teaspoonfuls of Fleming's tincture of aconite every 4 or 5 hours. Do not give this after the fever begins to abate. If constipated, give 1 to 3 teaspoonfuls of calomel. In the second stage give the following mixture in a gruel three times daily : 2 ounces Spirits of nitrous ether and one ounce aromatic spirits of ammonia. Two to five teaspoonfuls carbonate of ammonia has been found beneficial. Apply counter irritants such as turpentine, mustard plasters or ammonia liniment.

Symptoms. - Circular patches on the skin soon loosens the hair, the skin is slightly inflamed, later scaly, brittle crusts appear. The patches then appear a silvery-gray.

Treatment. - Wash with soap and water to remove all crusts, then apply sulphur ointment, tincture of iodide, acetic acid or nitrate of mercury ointment once a day. Cleanse and whitewash the stable thus destroying the spores scattered by the crusts.

When one of the abdominal organs escape through a rupture in the abdominal muscles, the skin remaining intact, it is called a rupture and is caused by falls, kicks or blows.

Treatment. - When possible push the hernia back into the abdomen. Then place a layer of melted pitch and turpentine on the skin over the hernia, cover with a layer of soft cloth, then a new layer of pitch and turpentine is spread on the cloth. Then cover this with a piece of pasteboard which in turn is covered with the same preparation. Place a bandage about four inches wide so that it will retain the hernia long enough for the wound to heal permanently.

Overloading the stomach by sucking the cow at long intervals, improper feeding of the cow, exposure to cold and damp, indigestion caused by feeding cold milk at long periods, feeding calves, damaged, sour or dirty food.

Symptoms. - Appetite is poor, calf is depressed, extremities are cold, sometimes there is fever, dung gradually grows cream colored and as light as milk. It has an offensive odor, later contains mucus and gas bubbles. There are pains when passing dung, belly contracted and back arched.