Stock Township (part 4 of 9)

Symptoms. - The beginning of the disease is not noticeable. Hock lameness, rheumatism, and straining of the back are indications. Loss of vitality, irregular appetite and stumbling often occur. Balls of food drop from mouth into manger when the bones become badly porous. The disease spreads to other parts of the body.

Treatment. - A veterinarian is the one to perform the lesions oftentimes necessary. The animal should be given a change of conditions ; take to high altitude if possible.

Give a tablespoon ful of powdered bone meal with each feed and give free access to plenty of rock salt, also give foods which are rich in mineral salts, such as : oats, beans, cottonseed meal, etc.

This is shown by many different names, but the actual disease is a swollen inflamed condition of the leg usually affecting the two hind legs. Sluggish animals are susceptible also well fed animals in which case it is due to an excess of food elements in the blood.

Symptoms. - Disease starts with a chill ; there is high temperature, rapid hard pulse, quick breathing, uneasiness, bowels constipated, scanty urine, and the horse perspires freely. There is a swelling on the inside of thigh which surrounds the limb arid extends down to the foot. Swelling grows larger and becomes permanent. Hair often comes off.

Treatment. - Bathe parts with hot water and follow with applications of cloths soaked in a solution of hot vinegar and water, equal parts, to which has been added 2 ounces of caustic potash per gallon. Dry thoroughly and bathe with camphorated soap liniment. Put the animal on light diet and give complete rest.

This is known by a number of names. It is due to congestion of blood in the vessels of the brain, caused by excessive exertion, extreme heat, stimulants, or by an ill fitting collar stopping blood circulation. Short fat animals usually are the ones affected.

Symptoms. - The animal stops suddenly with eyes staring, with nostrils dilated and shakes the head, or stands quietly braced till he staggers and falls. Convulsive movements and death, as a rule, follow.

Can Be Cured

Treatment. - Remove above causes. A veterinarian should perform any operation necessary. Prevention is the easiest. Allow good movement, check the bowels carefully, give plenty of pure food and water.

Remove any obstruction of circulation such as a tight collar. If an operation, such as tapping the jugular vein or removing abscesses, is necessary, call a veterinarian. In case the horse becomes unconscious, bathe the head with cold water and rub the legs with strong mustard water.

Symptoms. - If the case has progressed far the symptoms are very marked. The animal is feverish, will not eat, breathes rapidly, and oftentimes it is delirious.

Treatment. - This trouble can mostly be prevented by the proper and immediate care of all wounds, no matter how slight. The wound should be washed out with some good antiseptic solution such as hydrogen peroxide. Clean it out thoroughly.

Kerosene is also good to pour on the part, or wash it with carbolic acid water, 1 part to 30 parts water. Bathe the part with hot water and if on the foot or lower part of the leg, rub the leg well toward the wound and away from the heart.

Treatment. - Rest is good. Strong liniments and blisters are satisfactory. Early, deep and well performed cauterization by a good veferinarian is the most successful.

This occurs on the hock joint and may be seen in various parts of it. This is a disease of the bone and tends to enlarge the joint, weakening it and then causing lameness. Sprains and torn ligaments caused by galloping, jumping or hard driving on heavy roads are causes. Any injury to the hock joint may bring it on.

Symptoms. - There is a lameness which is very characteristic of spavin and which is more pronounced when the horse first starts out. After being driven some distance the lameness may disappear. The horse steps on the toe of the affected foot while traveling and mostly stands with the heel of the affected foot resting on the toe of the other foot.

Treatment. - The object is to weld together the diseased parts of the bone. To do this give absolute rest. Apply fomentations of hot water to reduce inflammation. Blisters may be applied with good results. Firing is often effective.

Caused by gadflies laying eggs on the hair of horses. The horse gets them into his mouth while biting himself and they are taken into the stomach, where they hatch out, attaching themselves to the lining of the stomach where they feed. They cause indigestion and severe inflammation of the stomach resulting in the loss of flesh. A horse badly affected with bots acts something like one with spasmodic colic. It often turns head to side, rolls on ground, rubbing sides. Rubs against stall or posts trying to relieve himself.

Feed horses raw potatoes in feed. This has been found effective by farmers in driving bots from horses. Give the animal one quart of molasses in two quart of "milk, and follow with a good cathartic.

This is an acute inflammation of the bronchial tubes. When exerted the animal breathes heavily. Often appetite is lost and he becomes debilitated other cases, there is a cough, discharge of whitish matter, and a rattle wnicn be heard when the ear is placed against the chest, behind the shoulder blade. The causes are the same as those of a cold and generally starts in the same way.

Treatment. - Rest is necessary. One ounce of Fowler's solution of arsenic water, three times daily, is good. Mustard application on the chest is effective. Linseed mashes, scalded oats, grass or green fodder is good for food.

Symptoms. - A development of a bruise at the point of the hock. At first the swelling is spread, but later becomes like a callous. If pus collects the bones are liable to become diseased. It often causes lameness.

Treatment. - Sometimes a capped hock indicates a kicking horse. Hang a heavy bag, attached to a rope, directly behind the horse (see illustration). This will break him of kicking.

Symptoms. - Membrane is dry and congested. Then it becomes pink or red, a watery discharge follows, which later becomes thick and pus like. There are also chills followed by fever. The bowels are constipated.

Treatment. - Care should be taken to keep this disease from developing into something worse. Let the horse rest for a time. While feeding pour hot water on the hay. Give feed mashes and linseed gruel. Steam the head by holding pail of hot water to which has been added a tablespoonful of carbolic acid, under the nose.

There are several different kinds of colic but the most common are wind and spasmodic colic. It is a painful crampy condition of the bowels caused by some irritant or by undigested food. Frozen foods cause development of gas and a crampy pressure results. The intestinal movements are much like the opening and closing of the hand.

Treatment. - Baking soda, charcoal, or warm lard (1 quart), any one of which if given at once is good. Charcoal absorbs a thousand times its own weight in gas so a small quantity given immediately often saves much pain and trouble.

This is a "bound up" condition of the bowels- When permitted to go too far, it causes colic which is often very hard to deal with. Colts are very often troubled with this disease. It is due to improper food and feeding.

Treatment. - Always keep horses in good condition by great care and feeding. Prevention is best. Oils are good to give internally. Injections may have to be given to soften .f eces. Use warm soapy water. Light sloppy diets are good. Green foods give relief. As young colts represent potential farm and money values, one must make every effort to save them.

The forefeet are mostly subject to corns. These are formed on the sole in the angle between the bar and outside wall of the hoof. The color of the affected parts is often darkened by blood escaping from a ruptured blood vessel. The live horn is affected and dry, moist, pus gathering corns are formed. These are caused by contracted heels, long feet, bad shoeing, and excessive knee action in traveling.

meal, or a greasy hoof ointment to keep the hoof from becoming hard and dry. The horse may be made to stand with his feet in a box containing any of these.

Moist corns should be cut out. Inflammation should be poulticed and cold baths applied. If wound looks red, dress with oakum balls saturated in a weak solution of aloes or spirits of camphor.

This is a bunch on the back part of the hock, where in the normal state there should be a straight line. It is usually caused by a sprain of the tendon or one of its sheaths. Overbent, coarse, or thick hocks are especially subject to curb.

Symptoms. - There is usually a bunch spread over the affected surface, which sometimes develops permanent lameness. Later the bunch diminishes and becomes set. A curb makes the horse unsound.

Treatment. - Cold applications are best at the start. This stops the inflammation. Later, use pressure of bandages, to reduce the size. Blisters of cantharides and rubbing with iodine ointment are good. Strong applications of a mixture of salt, vinegar, turpentine and eggs are good. Take one ounce each of vinegar and turpentine, % cup of salt, eggs to make a good running fluid. Apply with a rag.

This is due to irritation of the intestines and bowels ; it is caused by eating bad food, by having poor teeth, low, damp pastures and stables. Colds and fast traveling are also causes. Long, rangy horses are subject to diarrhea. The horse suffers pain in the abdomen, has loss of appetite, passes liquid feces, and becomes thin and poor.

This is an infectious disease usually found in young animals. After its appearance, it usually leaves the animal in sound condition, however, it may develop a wind-broken horse. The abscesses most always break on the outside. It is passed directly from one horse to another or indirectly through the discharge being left on the fences, in drinking places or by contaminated air where the affected animals have been. Horses from 3 to 5 years old often get it in being shipped from one locality to another.

Symptoms. - During the coming of the last permanent teeth, the animal is most susceptible to this disease. Horse is sluggish, loses its appetite, its coat

Treatment. - Moistened hay, warm baths and coverings, with proper diet are the most practical. Keep the animal from catching cold as complications set in at that time. Isolate the animal so the other stock may not be exposed.

During the fever one handful of Glauber's salts, three times a day, is good. Give a tablespoon ful of baking soda several times a day. Steaming the head with tar is quite effective. Do not apply blisters or strong liniments to the throat. A serum can now be obtained from your veterinarian to combat the disease.

This is known by the tissues being distended with a liquid and the skin when pressed, does not fill out but retains the impression. Good food and plenty of exercise is found to give the better results.

The symptoms are much like those of colic. However, it may be distinguished from colic by the fact that the animal hesitates to lie down. It will often stand with all four feet close together. In colic relief is obtained in pressure on the abdomen, while in enteritis this causes much pain. If there is reason to believe that the disease is enteritis call a good veterinarian at once, as it is very fatal. The pain may be relieved by hypodermic injections. These must be given by the veterinarian.

This is a disease usually noted by tubes extending from the external wound to an internal defection of cancerous or tumorous nature. The tubes discharge a pus to the outer surface. There may be fistulas in the shoulder, poll or head, and foot. The treatment can be very similar. The disease is caused by abscesses, wounds or bruises, blows from a whip or a club or butting the head or shoulder against a post or building.

Symptoms. - Soreness in front legs often follow an injury. Swollen lines appear on the withers which are painful to the touch. The swelling enlarges and the animal objects to being rubbed or touched at affected spot. When the tumor appears it is well to probe with a stiff doubled wire for the tube or the opening. This may be hard to find until the pus begins to run.

Treatment. - At first applications of cold water are good as a preventive. Later, when the tube is found, flush it clean with warm boiled water. Then tie a small lump of blue vitriol to a cord and gently push it to the bottom of the tube. Leave six inches of string hanging out. As soon as the tube projects a little from the flesh this shows it has been eaten off at the base.

Pull out the string and the tube, and wash out the cavity with hydrogen peroxide and keep the wound clean. Take good care that no infection enters the wound. If there are several tubes, the same treatment applies, as it is the root from which the tubes start that one wishes to eat out with the blue vitriol.

This disease affects the feet and usually the front feet. In unusual cases all four feet are affected. Founder does not affect any other part of the body. There are many causes for this disease ; hot sand on feet, causing contraction of the hoofs ; giving cold water while warm, or after heavy feeding of grain ; or fast driving. Any injury to the feet is liable to bring it on.

Symptoms. - There are many symptoms, but the main one is loss of power to travel. The horse appears stiff and cramped because he does not want to use his feet. The horse stands with all four feet well under the body which is characteristic of the disease.

Treatment. - Prevention here, as in all diseases where possible, is suggested. Proper care and common sense, in the use of an animal gets the best results. Avoid the causes given in the above paragraph.

Fill a tub partly full of clay and stand the horse with the affected feet in it. Make the clay moist and cool. The feet should be placed in a tub partly full of warm clay or water. After an hour they may be changed to cold sand or water.

Along with the foot baths give large doses (four ounces) of saltpeter in a pint of water four times in 24 hours. If the horse Hes down put a good poultice in a sack and tie to each foundered foot.

Great care should be taken especially with tender horses to see that the harness, collar or saddle does not cause sores by friction. A gall is like a water blister at first, and when the skin breaks, the hair, dirt and sweat working into it will cause a bad sore. It is often called a "sit fast." When the callous forms it generally remains as a permanent bunch.

Treatment. - Proper adjustment of the harness and use of good pads will prevent these. Gradual work and good care in the spring will prepare the body for the harder work.

Two eggs in a pint of witch hazel is fine to rub on the gall. In well developed cases, the tumor can be cut off and treated with good results.

This is a break in a bone and is one of the most serious conditions to which an animal may become subject. There are many forms of fracture, and the displacements always call for the service of a good veterinarian. They are generally caused by external violence.

Symptoms. - The most positive symptom is the inability of the horse to use the part. Make a close examination ; if a grating sound is heard, or a bunch appears on the injured part, a fracture has likely taken place.

Treatment. - Call a competent veterinarian to take care of the injury. The rapidity with which a fracture will heal depends on the age of the animal. Old animals with broken limbs had better be shot. Young valuable animals can be rigged up in a sling until the fracture heals. The animal must not be allowed to use the injured part.

Glanders and Farcy are the same except that Glanders affects the head and Farcy other parts of the body, frequently the hind legs. This disease is very contagious and can be passed from animals to people. It usually results in death to the animal.

Cattle seem to be rather immune to tne disease. The cause of Glanders is due to a specific virus of this disease being transmitted by direct contact. It is spread by watering troughs, stable men, hitching posts and anything on which has been any of the discharge from the nose of an affected horse.

Symptoms. - There is a sticky, colorless discharge from the nostrils. Also little ulcers appear on the membrane lining of the nostrils. In Farcy little bunches which are' hot and sensitive to the touch appear under the skin. These are usually found on the hind legs.

Treatment. - Most states require the animal to be Killed immediately and allow an indemnity. This is perhaps best, considering its highly contagious nature. Good feeding and tonics sometimes stop the progress but usually the horse will ultimately die because of the disease breaking out again. The cost of a veterinarian is slight compared with .the damage an uncared case can do. All animals dying of this disease should be burned at once, and the stables thoroughly disinfected.

This is really a continuous affection of the breathing m'uscles which leads to paralysis of them. It is usually found where improper food, such as dry clover, or damaged feed is given. Horses are affected much as people are with asthma. This is not a fatal disease. It could be avoided if young horses were driven correctly and not over driven at the beginning.

Symptoms. - There is a catchy moving in the flanks while breathing, also a grunting cough. Anyone can detect heaves although stramonium, if placed in the mouth, will allay it. The lungs lose their elasticity. Indigestion often accompanies heaves. Be careful in buying a horse that he is not "doped" with certain things which makes it hard to detect the ailment for several hours.

A tablespoonful of baking soda given to the horse before a drive will enable it to travel well. A diet of chopped carrots, potatoes or turnips is good. Fowler's solution of arsenic, following directions, also gives relief. Give a teaspoonful of oil of tar in a pint of warm water.

There are two kinds - acute or that coming quickly, and chronic, the form developed by continuous irritation. It is usually caused by improper feeding, so prevention is the easiest and most logical thing. Weak digestive organs, improper food, bad teeth, worms, working too soon after feeding, are all causes.

Symptoms. - Irregular appetite, refusing food at times and at other times being greedy, loss of flesh, passed grain, and colicky pains are signs.

Equal parts of ginger, baking soda, and powdered gentian thoroughly mixed. Give one heaping tablespoonful morning and evening before feeding. Dissolve in l/2 pint of water and give as a drench.

Digestive Tonic. - One heaping tablespoonful of the following well mixed : Glauber's salt, 2 pounds ; common salt, 1 pound ; baking soda, Y* pound.

There are a number of different kinds of worms which infest the digestive tract of horses. They are usually more prevalent in the large bowel. They are known as: tapeworms, flukes, roundworms, pinworms, stomach worms and strongyles. They are often passed from the body in bunches.

Symptoms. - Colicky pains, poor appetite, constipation, or diarrhea are indications that a horse has worms. These symptoms with worms in the manure are proof the horse has worms.

Treatment. - Turpentine is one of the best and simplest remedies. Give one ounce of turpentine and half a pint of linseed oil as a drench. An ounce of tobacco, once each day, for two weeks, is good. For pinworms inject a quart of warm salt water each day.

This is a deformity of the fetlock joint. It is also known as cocked ankle. It is caused by a sprain of the tendon, or from weakness at birth.

Other diseases of the foot also bring it about. The hind legs arc usually affected since they do the greater amount of work in carrying the body.

Symptoms. - Dislocation or knuckling forward of the bones in the ankle. The heels do not touch the ground in traveling and this develops clubfoot.

Treatment. - It cannot really be cured in its later stages. Line firing is often effective in treating the disease. Complete rest is needed. Proper shoeing should be given. A thick heeled shoe will help. If necessary an operation should be performed by a veterinarian.

This is a disease of the muscles in the face, neck and body. It usually causes spasms. From the fact that this serious and fatal disease is caused by a germ entering the system from the soil through simple nail pricks, deep cuts, and skin bruises, which heal on the surface, one can see the great care necessary. All cuts should be immediately washed with kerosene oil or hydrogen peroxide. Use a small syringe and probe to the bottom of the wound before releasing the liquid. If the wound can be kept open in pure air it is better as the germ thrives best where there is no oxygen. The poison is easily absorbed in the system.

Symptoms. - In acute attacks the animal will die in four or five days. There is difficulty in chewing and swallowing; the "haw" covers the inner part of the eye; jaws become locked and cannot be opened; noises make the animal go into spasms ; the tail is elevated and immovable ; the muscles are rigid. Lockjaw is different from spinal meningitis.

Treatment. - In a serious wound an injection of serum should be given. Have a veterinarian give it. The animal should be isolated so as to be kept quiet. Seven drams of Barbados aloes and two drams of solid extract of belladonna should be given at once. No treatment can be sure. Often the cost of treatment will be more than the animal is worth.

This is caused by animals eating the loco weed which grows in the great plain region. Their appetite for hay and grass diminishes, and, owing to the scarcity of nutriment in the plant they starve to death. Barium salts are found in the weed and tend to develop an unsound mind. The animal staggers about and finally loses power to travel.

The animal has fits and delirium. If taken at once, coaxing will often cause the animal to eat mashes and well prepared foods. It should be immediately fattened and shipped out of the section.

Small mites burrow under the skin, especially when dirty, and lay their eggs. These hatch, causing a sore on which a scab is found. The head, mane, tail, and back are affected. Rubbing produces a pleasant feeling to the horse as shown by a stretching of the head and upper lip.

Treatment. - Wash parts well with soap and water, then brush in a solution of lj/2 ounces of tobacco and 2 pints of boiled water. Every 15 days a new brood of mites appear, so continue the application. The harness and stables should be disinfected. A lime and sulphur dip is good.

An external condition caused by blows, bruises, falls, kicks and other injuries. Carelessness in use of forks, boards, etc., result in cuts which cause the fluid to escape from the joint. A horse with a stiff leg is not of much value.

Treatment. - Warm fomentations or cold water applications should be applied at once. The joint fluid should be checked so it cannot escape. Immediate aid is essential and will save the animal lots of unnecessary pain and suffering. A sling in which to put the horse will be found to relieve the pain caused by standing on the limb.

This is a condition where use of the muscular parts of the body are lost. It may affect part or all of the body. Most cases are caused by some injury to the brain or spinal cord. The causes are pressure or tumors on the brain, or disease of the blood vessels of the brain. General paralysis causes immediate death.

Treatment. - Chloroform liniment may help relieve the local pain. The cause must always be removed. Fly blister or strong liniment should be applied. Internally give 1 dram powdered nux vomica or 2 grains of sulphate of strychnine. Some give a teaspoonful of Fowler's solution of arsenic twice a day in water. Light food, good air and clean stables should be had all the time.

This in an inflammation which extends over the eye and because of its color named "Pink Eye." Blows from whips, twigs, clubs, or dust, sand, flies or any foreign substance cause this condition.

Symptoms. - Watering of the eye, swollen lids, pink flush, fever, protruding "haw" and dilated ^upil distinguish the disease. Pus may form and the lid becomes granular.

Treatment. - Remove any cause. Examine thoroughly. Take horse away from any cause of ammonia gas ; keep off dusty roads. Wash eye with warm water mixed with white of egg. Salt solution is a good wash, also dissolve saltpeter in water (1 heaping teaspoonful) twice a day.

This disease is similar to fistula and is in fact fistula of the head. It is caused by hitting the head against a low beam or door. (For treatment see Fistula, Page 163).

A fissure in the front wall of the hoof of the hind leg is called a toe-crack. When in the front feet it is called a sand or. quarter-crack. They are caused by dry wall of the hoof, or a change from damp to dry roads, floors, etc. Thick hoofs on small feet are subject to cracks. Heavy nails, improper nailing, cankers, quittor or corns with pus cause cracks.

Treatment. - Prevent enlargement of cracks. Keep the horn of hoof well oiled. Put clasps on fissures. Poulticing the hoof gets it back into good condition. Sometimes a leather "shoe" will keep the sand out.

This is a disease of a fistulous nature on the foot which causes pus to form and flesh to slough off. It occurs in both fore and hind feet. The heels and quarters are most liable but the coronet or top of the hoof is also attacked. Bruises in which infection develops from mud, foul water, etc., are the widest source of this ailment. Heavy horses with heavy hanging hair on the fetlocks and thick skins are most usually affected.

Symptoms. - Lameness usually precedes the development of a quittor. The opposite leg becomes swollen because of doing work. Thirst increases. A rubbery feeling tumor develops. Pus usually comes from tubes that form in the injury.

Treatment. - Mud and dirty water should be avoided. Wash off the foot with warm water. Cold water should be applied to stop the increase of inflammation. Use poultices of linseed meal or boiled turnips. Great care should be taken in dressing the wound and the poultice should be renewed every two days.

Put wet balls of oakum in a solution of eight drops of bichloride of mercury to 2 tablespoonfuls of water and add a few drops of muriatic acid to dissolve the mercury.

This is a disease similar to that of people resulting from practically the same causes and treated in the same way. Damp, cold stables are always likely to develop rheumatism in not only the animal, but also the attendants. It is usually felt in the joints and is a condition which can be considered as one in which the joint fluid is affected. Plenty of exercise, good food and treatment, applications of good liniments to the swollen parts are recommended.

Often when a young horse is being trained, a slight bruise may be made near the coronet of the hoof, before the permanent hardening or development of the foot takes place. Much later, a ringlike or bulging surface can be seen. There are high, middle or low ringbones. Interfering while traveling causes many. Short, upright pastern joints are often affected.

Symptoms. - Lameness is the first symptom and there is some heat in the ankle. In traveling, the heel is placed on the ground first. If the ringbone interferes with the joints or tendons it may cause permanent lameness.

Treatment. - At the beginning, cold applications may stop the disease. Strong blisters may be applied. Firing is often successful. If in lower joints a cure is doubtful. Proper shoeing may help. No animal with ringbone should be bred as some consider the disease a hereditary one.

Usually the left side of the larynx is affected by some object obstructing the breathing apparatus of the horse. Well established cases cause the roaring noise when drawing air into the lungs. A paralysis of the muscles is caused by some derangement of the two nerves which supply energy to either side of the throat. Medical treatment is of no use in set cases. The insertion by a veterinarian of a whistling tube gives about the best results in the more serious cases.

An inflammation of the glands of the skin in the regions of the heels. It is usually the result of improper feeding or overfeeding on grain, or irritation while traveling on slushy, muddy roads. Caustic soap washes, improper bandaging or severe exertion are frequent causes. There are scaly substances on the heels and cracks develop similar to chapping on hands.

Treatment. - Clean the part. Clip the hair close to the skin and apply a warm poultice of bread and milk; repeat in 12 hours. Then cleanse thoroughly and dust boric acid into the sores.

A good vaseline or ointment of 1 teaspoonful sugar of lead, carbolic acid, 10 drops, and lard is used by many farmers. Pine pitch smeared on parts proves successful. Cover with a cloth. Grease the parts twice a day when the horse is worked.

The fly bites the horse and sucks the blood. It lays eggs in wounds, which develop into small maggots that burrow in and cause poisonous development. This may be stopped by applying kerosene oil to kill them. The kerosene is antiseptic and healing. It acts somewhat as though it seared the wound and causes it to heal from within toward the outer surface, in place of just on the surface leaving a wound that may later develop into a poisonous sore.

Kicking with the hind feet or chafing of the belly band of the harness causes a bunch to appear. It may appear on any part of the lower limbs. They have a core which distinguishes them from a common swelling. It is similar to both a tumor and an abscess.

Treatment. - These should be cut once across in both directions with a sterilized, sharp, clean knife. A good poultice will often soften the core which can then be pressed out. A mixture of salt and soap is a powerful application to soften and bring it to a head.

An inflammation of the throat is serious more from the point of the different diseases into which it may develop, than of the temporary disease itself. The chief causes are chills and exposure.

Symptoms. - A cough develops and there is difficulty in swallowing. Glands below the ears and between the jaws are swollen. Discharge comes from nostrils and breathing becomes hard.

Treatment. - Steaming the nostrils is advised. Put oil of turpentine in a bucket of hot water and have the animal inhale the fumes. Repeat this treatment frequently. The horse should be fed soft mashes and if possible, fresh grass. Good light liniments should be rubbed from ear to ear on the throat and a short distance from the windpipe. A mixture of kerosene and lard is good.

The small intestines often become clogged with indigestible food. It is often caused by drinking cold water while the animal is warm; also from cold rains or drafts.

Symptoms. - Spasmodic colic starts suddenly. Horse stamps; looks around to side ; cramps ; shows acute pain ; paws ; rolls ; gets up and down : sweats and only passes a small quantity of urine. Colic is usually quite plain to all horse owners.

Treatment. - Give the animal an injection of 6 quarts warm water which contains ^4 CUP of glycerine. Chloral hydrate is good given one ounce in a pint of water as a drench. Baking soda, 1 tablespoonful in a pint of water absorbs the gas. About 30 drops of tincture of aconite relieves the pain. Walking helps horse to pass the gas. Force must be avoided. Tansy tea has never been known to fail for many farmers who use it. Jamaica ginger in 2 ounce doses gives good results.

This is a bony enlargement on the cannon bone between the knee or hock and the fetlock joint. They are usually found on the inside of the forelegs. It is sometimes the cause of permanent lameness.

Symptoms. - Passing the hand over the limb will usually show presence of small bunch or splint. It is often caused by external hurts. Race horses often twist the leg and cause the small crack, which nature in healing and strengthening, covers with a bony bunch. There is lameness and limb is carried outward from below the knee. There is pain under pressure and usually swelling is shown.

Treatment. - Not much attention is needed in most cases and one is advised against continuously irritating the part. Surgical treatment is usually useless. Iodine applied to the part has given good results. White liniment is used also by many farmers. Eggs, vinegar, and turpentine mixed one ounce each with one or two eggs has been highly recommended.

Most ligaments and muscles are subject to external violence and falls, slips, etc., which often causes them to become torn. However, inflammation and loss of use are the usual indications of a sprain.

The stifle or patella in a horse compares to the kneecap in man and is held in place by the muscular tendons passing over the thigh bone. It acts in keeping proper action between the joint bones. Often a horse slips, wrenching the ligaments and muscles holding the patella which slips out of place. Heavy pulling also dislocates it, especially in stumpy land.

Symptoms. - The horse in most cases drags the affected leg on its toe. There is stiffness at the thigh joint. Horse will not back up. When led forward it goes in jumps, dragging the injured leg.

Treatment. - If the dislocation is discovered immediately, a slap with the line or whip will cause the bone to slip back into place. This is not advfoed, however, as it might chip or injure the lining surface of the bone. Backing the horse up against a two foot bank will aid in the replacement. Often the patella can be worked into place with the finger. Placing the collar on the horse then tying a rope to the fetlock and running the rope up through the collar makes a pulley effect which is used by many farmers in treating a stifled horse. The affected leg is strapped forward until it heals. After the bone is snapped back into place a paste of salt and eggs applied to' the joint will contract the muscles and heal the ligaments in a very short time.

In traveling, many horses step on sharp stones or get a stone wedged between the shoe and frog. The pressure is severe and causes lameness. The animal may hobble on three legs. Pus forms and poisoning is liable to develop.

Treatment. - Stone should be removed immediately. Shoe should be taken off and the foot placed in cold water, to prevent inflammation. The wound should be well cleaned and poulticed with oakum balls, turpentine, or kerosene oil. A blacksmith can pad the foot with oakum and a leather-soled

In this disease which results from improper digestion the circulatory system of the horse may be affected. The large colon or stomach becomes packed with unpassed feces. It gradually hardens until death comes. Dry hay or stalks often develop impaction.

Symptoms. - Slight pains come on. The animal keeps its head low. ^ It paws and walks around slowly. Lies down fully stretched out on its side for from fifteen to twenty minutes. Tapping the sides brings solid, deadened sound. The horse often trembles violently.

Treatment. - Immediate movement should be induced. A long hose should be soaped or well oiled and run into the rectum, then warm soapy water should, be gently injected. As this is a serious situation good care must be used. A large cathartic of 1 ounce of powder barbardos, 2 drams calomel and 1 dram powdered nux vomica; or 1 pint linseed oil and 15 drops of croton oil, are good. After a movement is induced a quart of castor oil will have a healing affect on the bowels which will be extremely sore. Twenty-four hours are usually required for the cathartic to work. Give plenty of water to drink. Rubbing the sides of the horse gently with a soft rag may aid in breaking up the packed material in the bowels and aid the horse in obtaining a passage. Ginger and red pepper are good.

So many conflicting theories are broadcast about this ailment that an attempt to explain it in detail is useless. It is usually recognized because of the jerking up of the leg. It affects both hind legs but usually only one at a time. Sometimes the downward movement is as hard as the upward. A competent veterinarian will be the judge of what to do. There is no need for a man to attempt the impractical things that may be done. Only those treatments that give known and definite results are the ones for an unskilled man to use on his stock.

During the hot summer months all horses that work continuously in dry open fields are subject to sunstroke. Heavy horses are the most liable to be affected by the heat. Improper care in watering and feeding induce improper respiration.

Symptoms. - Just before the critical period the driver will notice that he has to urge the animal more than usual to get it to work. Right then is the time to stop in a cool place and rest the animal. If the animal is not stopped in time the perspiration ceases, there is hard breathing, blowing nostrils, staggering, and a fall results. When the animal is down it is much harder to aid in recovering.

Treatment. - As stated above, prevention when first symptoms appear obtains the best and surest results. Take the horse to a cool place. Pour cool water on its head and take off the harness. Do not work the animal for several days. A horse that is once affected will always be susceptible to heat, so a few days rest at the right time is well given. Do not bleed. Rubbing the limbs is good. A half ounce of carbonate of ammonia given in a pint of water will be found beneficial.

In parts of Manitoba, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Virginia, Texas and New York, the horses are often badly affected with this disease. It is known by many names and is easily distinguished in these localities because of the sudden onset fever, continuous emaciation, great appetite and staggering gait. The mortality is so great that no satisfactory treatment has yet been found. Stimulating the bowels aids the horse and gives much relief. Cold water sponge baths are good. The sick animals should be kept apart and all places where the sick have been should be disinfected with a solution of six ounces of carbolic acid, chloride of lime or compound solution of cresol to a gallon of water. A potato sprayer is good to use in disinfecting.

Symptoms. - These are peculiar to this disease alone. The lameness is continuous. Shoulder movement is practically stopped. At rest the leg is1 carried forward. Upon stepping forward the leg is carried in a peculiar manner. The shoulder muscles become contracted and withers away.

Treatment. - Rest will tend to give the most relief. Cool applications give results. Good liniments and massaging will start constructive action. Pay close attention that the ailment does not get worse. Feed oats and good hay. Give the animal exercise if it is not lame.

This is found at the back and on the top of the hock in the part immediately behind the shank bone. It is round and smooth. The swelling is usually on both sides and a little in front of the hamstring.

Treatment. - Blister when found. Soap and salt is good. The famous farmers' liniment of vinegar, turpentine, and eggs, has proven successful. If you wish to get a "white" liniment add ammonia, which will prove beneficial.

Draft horses often get a bad wound in the cleft of the frog which develops pus. All horses are liable to the disease. Filthy stables and bad, muddy roads cause it.

Treatment. - Cleanse thoroughly and remove causes. Pare away the diseased parts. A blacksmith's knife is all right to use, but be careful not to cut too deep. Apply a good poultice of boiled turnips mixed with a handful of powdered charcoal. Some cases are not curable. Proper shoeing will help to relieve the animal.

Warts or tumors grow many places on the animal's body. Small ones can be cut off with shears and the larger ones with a sharp knife. On broad-surfaced warts a hot iron applied will give good results. Acetic acid applied with the end of a match to the wart will gradually eat it to the surface of the skin. Care should be taken to keep from burning the live skin, and hands in applying.

This is a common disease known also as leucorrhea which consists of a whitish discharge from the womb. It is due to subacute inflammation of the mucous membrane of the womb and is caused by laceration.

Treatment. - Flushing of the womb with warm boiled water should be done first. This should be followed three times a day with an injection of ? teaspoonfuls of carbolic acid ; y2 dram of tannic acid in one quart of boiled water. Three drams of iron sulphate may be given internally.

Small sized puffs appear usually on the forelegs in the upper part of the fetlock joint between the tendon and shin bone. Colts are often affected. Horses with small joints and too much knee action are most susceptible.

Symptoms. - When standing on the foot the tumor bunch is hard, but when foot is lifted the bunch is soft. Joint is bent while standing. The animal is often lame.

Treatment. - Resting the young horses tends to drive it away. Highheeled shoes give satisfaction, also cold water applications. Blisters are used by many. Elastic bandages help hold the joints stiff. Iodine often helps to drive them away.

In most cases local treatment must be given. Keep the wound clean from flies and infection. Kerosene oil is always handy and should be used. This will heal wound from the inside. Flour will stop bleeding. Cold water will also often stop bleeding. Bandage the inside of a dried puff-ball on the wound to stop bleeding.

Sheep Production

Their Adaptability. - Sheep are adapted and fit nicely into the conditions and systems of agriculture in many sections of the country. On most farms, at least a small flock of sheep would be profitable, if the farm organization and the help to care for them insures proper management. Sheep are valuable for their wool and mutton and for the utilization of lands that ordinarily grow up to brush and weeds or that are not adapted to other classes of stock and other purposes because of their hilly, broken condition. The success of sheep on ranches of the West and on small farms is evidence of their wide range of adaptability.

Necessary Requirements. - While sheep are capable of utilizing many weeds and can live on scanty lands more or less covered with brush, it is a mistake to expect or to think that they will thrive to the extent of being profitable if maintained under such conditions altogether. Thousands of sheep die every year from want of proper feed and shelter and because of improper management. An abundance of feed throughout the year must be provided if one is to expect the best results. Sheep are the most delicate of all classes of farm animals and require the attention of a conscientious and faithful attendant who understands the importance of regularity, gentle and patient treatment, protection from excitement caused by dogs, wild animals and even strangers, and who knows at all times when the flock is thriving properly. Sheep will not do well and cannot be maintained on low, wet ground. Rolling, hilly land is well adapted to sheep raising. Land that grows sweet, luxuriant grasses and that is pastured to the extent that the sheep get short, fresh bites, is ideal.

Sheep can endure cold weather and do not require protection from the cold during the winter unless the ewe flock should be bred to lamb in late winter or early spring when it will be absolutely necessary to have a warm place for ewes and lambs during the lambing season and until the lambs are well started. Sheep must be kept dry and sheds should be constructed in a manner to keep out storms and to prevent the sheep from being subject to winds and cold drafts. Plenty of pure, fresh air is necessary. Cold rains in the spring and fall often do great damage to flocks that have been turned out. Sheep are of a dainty disposition and subject to indigestion and infection by parasites where conditions are not absolutely clean. Pure, fresh water, clean feed boxes, wholesome feeds, pastures that are free from filthy pools and that are rotated to prevent infection from sheep parasites, should be provided and are important requirements for success in the sheep industry.

Types and Breeds of Sheep. - There is a greater variety of distinct types among sheep than any other class of farm animals. In considering sheep from the standpoint of wool production one has a choice of medium or middle wool, long or coarse wool, and short or fine wool types. Breeds representing these types will be noted in the tabulation of breeds and their principal characteristics. The variation in the form and thickness of flesh of sheep, produces a range in the size and weight from very spare wool types to very thick and heavy mutton types. The medium or middle wool and the long or coarse wool breeds are naturally of the mutton type. The smaller, fine wool breeds do not excel in mutton production. The larger, fine wool breeds, more especially the Rambouillet, have been improved in mutton form and compare more favorably with other mutton breeds.

Choosing a Breed. - One's preference can be indulged in the selection of sheep. The character of the land affects its adaptability for sheep of a given size. Smaller breeds will be most satisfactory on hilly lands, while the larger breeds are better adapted and require comparatively level land. Breeds that excel in mutton production are under ordinary conditions regarded with most general favor. Hot house lambs for Christmas and winter market demand breeds that will mate in summer. The Dorset Horn and Tunis are the two most profitable breeds for this purpose.

Selection of Ewe Flock. - The late summer or early autumn season is when the flock owner culls his flock and prepares the breeding flock that he expects to winter. There is usually a surplus of ewes suitable for breeding and this offers the beginner, or one desiring to increase his flock, the best opportunity to buy. The owner as well as the buyer of breeding ewes should avoid non-breeding, broken mouthed and diseased ewes. Ewes with injured

Si Ikk I' Production Types And Breeds Of Sheep

Nose short, wrinkly, white. Ears white. Skin wrinkled. Rams have heavy spiral - shaped horns, and neavy folds about neck and shoulders. Wool fine, short and dense.

Considerably larger and more rangy than Delaine Merino. Except in size and having fewer wrinkles very similar to American Merino. Popular for crossing with range sheep because of size and hardiness.

Face dark brown well covered with wool. A very popular breed, widely distributed because of its general purpose wool and mutton type. Hornless.

Face light brown. Breed resembles Shropshire slightly but is larger and more massive in frame and features. Wool is longer and more open in fleece. Largest of down breeds. Hornless.

Face and head bare of wool, glossy black ; wool on face not objectionable. Ears long. Resembles Hampshire except for bareness of head. Hornless.

Face yellow brown or mottled. Ears large and pendulous. Usually hornless. Similar to Dorset Horn in wool and ability to produce winter lambs.

udders and that are poor milkers are unprofitable for raising lambs and should go to the butcher. The condition of the ewe in late summer usually indicates whether she has raised a lamb successfully and as a rule the thinnest ewes at this season are the best breeders. Never select ewe lambs with the object of breeding them the first fall.

The Mating Season. - The gestation period of the ewe is on the average 147 days and on this basis and the time it will be most desirable to have ewes produce their lambs, one should determine when the ram should be turned with the ewes. March and April are desirable months to have lambs born if warm lambing quarters and all conditions are suitable for handling the flock. Early lambs have the advantage of getting more personal attention during the first week of their lives, making an earlier growth, and enabling the farmer to put them onto the market before the bulk of lambs are ready and shipped.

The care of ewes after lambs are weaned, has much to do with successfully mating them. Lambs should be carefully weaned so as to leave the ewe's udder in normal condition. To insure best results the ewes should be put in scanty pastures and partly milked by hand the day following, and again at intervals of two, three and five days respectfully, when usually there is no further necessity of milking them and the udders are in perfect condition for the next lambing season. Many ewes fail to raise a lamb because their udders become caked and ruined as a result of weaning the lambs without giving attention to them.

As soon as the ewe flock has been properly dried off and culled, it should be given an opportunity to improve in condition by having access to good pasture supplemented if necessary with special forage crop. Rape of the Dwarf-Essex variety is a good crop to supply extra forage. Pastures may

The system of improving the condition of the ewe and getting her into strong, vigorous condition is called "flushing," and has the following advantages :

Ewes breed safely within a shorter period of time which accordingly reduces the time that it will be necessary to watch and give special attention to ewes during the lambing season.

Feeding the Ewe Flock. - The ewe flock that is in good condition at mating season can be wintered at a very reasonable cost and on comparatively little grain. A good grade legume hay and roots up to within a few weeks of lambing time, may be all that is necessary. Clover cut in full bloom or alfalfa and other leguminous hays are best. Oat and pea hay, blue Efrass, bright fodder and a fine grade of oat straw may be utilized. Coarse hays like timothy and marsh grass and fodders and hays that are moldy and musty should never be fed.

For a few weeks prior to lambing time and oftentimes throughout the winter when the roughage is not of the best quality, a mixture of three parts oats and two parts wheat bran, fed at the rate of one-half pound per day, insures good condition and milk flow on the part of the ewes.

Chopped roots are excellent for ewes where they can be grown at a reasonable cost. Good corn silage, free from mold and not too acid, can be fed as a suitable substitute for roots to a good advantage. Ewes accustomed to succulent feed can be safely fed two pounds of roots or silage per head daily.

After lambing there is danger of milk fever on the part of the ewe during the first three days and grain should be reduced to a very small amount if fed at all. After this danger is over, grain feeding should be resumed and the ration increased to the extent that the ewes thrive well and produce ample milk for their lambs. Seldom is it wise to feed more than two pounds of grain. Keep salt where sheep have free access to it.

Treat cases of caked udder by bathing with hot water, drying and applying melted lard or mercurial ointment, repeating this three times a day until relief comes.

Sheep Production 191

Shearing the Flock. - The season for shearing may be regarded as the flock owner's harvest time. Usually this time is about April 1st or somewhat later. The condition of the weather and opportunities to house and protect sheep that have been shorn, from cold, determines how early one can commence the work of shearing. Shearing is sometimes delayed in order to increase the weight of the fleece by the additional amount of yolk or oil that accumulates faster in warm weather than it does in winter. Everything considered, this practice does not increase the profits in sheep practice and the best flock owner's aim is to shear as soon as the weather becomes warm to the extent that sheep begin to show signs of being uncomfortable, and one is sure that the weather is riot going to be changeable and unsuitable for sheep that have been shorn. Delaying the time of shearing not only incurs discomfort on the part of sheep, but results in more or less loss of wool that is shed about the legs and underside of the body or that becomes soiled to the extent that it is unmarketable.

The earliest, quickest and best job of shearing can be done with a shearing machine which is now mostly used. Hand or power machines may be secured and for flocks of considerable size or in neighborhoods where there is considerable shearing to be done it will undoubtedly pay to have a power machine.

Keep shears or 'knives sharp and run them as closely to the body as possible. More wool and a better clip for manufacturing purposes is thus secured.

Particular pains should be taken not to cut off the end of the teats of ewes or the end of the vagina. This precaution is important to insure ewes nursing their lambs and to insure their breeding successfully.

Method of Shearing. - Where the machine is used it is considered the best plan to shear on a clean floor. The sheep can be kept in a better balanced position and turned to the several positions that enables the shearing to be most quickly and easily done Shearing, the belly and inner side of the thighs, then the lower side of the neck, the left side of the head and finishing with the right side, is one of the common methods of shearing with the machine. One should develop a system that comes most natural to him and that at the same time accomplishes the work in the quickest time and with as little shifting of the sheep as possible.

Tying the Fleece. - The fleece should be kept intact and not torn apart any more than is necessary in taking it off the sheep and tying it. Buyers prefer to have wool rolled and tied neatly although wool tying boxes are used in many instances. Only twine that is especially prepared for tying wool should be used for the reason that the use of other twine reduces the value of the wool for manufacturing purposes and buyers must take this into consideration in buying a clip of wool. Wet and filthy portions of the fleece and all foreign substances must be separated and kept out of the fleece. Buyers can readily judge the character and value of wool and appreciate an attractive clip to the extent that they will pay the top market price for it. Keeping sheep away from straw stacks and protecting them from chaff and burrs of all kinds add much to the value of the clip of wool.

Rams for the Breeding Flock. - A vigorous, pure bred ram of desirable type should be selected early in the season to insure no delay in the mating season. He should not be over fat, but in good condition. For a month prior to and during the mating season, he should be grained in addition to being fed the best of hay and grass pasture. One-half to one pound of grain daily, like oats, bran and peas with perhaps a little oil meal, should keep him in good condition. Mangels, sugar beets and silage should not be fed.

The ram to be used for service should be a year and a half old at least. It is very undesirable to use a ram lamb and if necessity demands his use, he should not serve more than 8 to 12 ewes, during the season. An older ram can be expected to breed fifty to fifty-five ewes successfully during the mating season. Where the rams run with the flock, it is well to let them run only for the night or for a few hours in the morning. Painting the breast of the ram enables the owner to know what ewes are bred and in pure bred flocks it is well to know the dates that each ewe is bred in order to anticipate the date that she will lamb. Where two or more rams are employed to serve a flock of more than fifty-five ewes, each ram should be given a flock. After there has been an opportunity for all the ewes to have been bred, rotating the rams will overcome failure on the part of any one ram and insure most of the ewes being successfully bred.

Rearing Lambs. - Little lambs are very dependent upon their mother's and the shepherd's care during the first few weeks of their lives. During this time about all that can be done to encourage their growth is to keep them in dry comfortable quarters and see that they are properly owned and nursed by their mothers.

Lambs that are not owned can be raised by hand where it is practicable to do so. Oftentimes it is possible to put a lamb with another ewe that has lost its lamb. Skinning the dead lamb and putting the skin on the lamb that is to have the foster mother, is one means employed to encourage a ewe to adopt the strange lamb.

Where lambs are raised by hand, the milk of a fresh cow testing high in butter fat should be regularly fed and in very small quantities (two to three tablespoonfuls), at intervals of two or three hours for the first few days. Gradually increasing the amount as the lamb seems to thrive, keeping bottle and nipple thoroughly cleaned and the milk always heated at 92 degrees F. and never scalded, are precautions that insure success in hand raising the lamb.

The Lamb Creep. - As soon as lambs show indications of eating hay and grain, they should be encouraged to do so by having a separate pen. in one corner of the barn or a convenient place in the field which they can enter by means of the lamb creep. This is made by constructing and setting up a panel consisting of two boards six inches wide to which slats three feet long, one inch thick and four inches wide are nailed far enough apart to permit the lambs to crawl through and not the ewes.

Suitable troughs and racks for grain and hay enable lambs to eat and make much more rapid gains than they otherwise would. Do not make the troughs too deep and it is quite necessary to have a board fitted above the trough in a manner to keep the lambs from getting into it with their feet. This is easily done without interfering with the lambs eating at any time they may choose and saves the grain which they will not eat if soiled in any manner.

A Suitable Grain Mixture for Lambs. - Wheat bran four parts; whole oats two parts; finely ground corn meal two parts ( and oil meal one part, is a good mixture. In warm weather reduce the corn meal and increase the proportion of oats. A fine grade of second cutting of clover or alfalfa provides the best roughage. Finely chopped roots when lambs are old enough to eat them and until lambs are put on pasture will be helpful. It pays well to feed lambs grain on pasture and one should bear in mind that the better the lambs are grown the stronger and better the flock will be for breeding as well as for mutton purposes.

Marking Lambs. - Every owner of sheep should have some system of marking his sheep and with pure bred lambs it is necessary to keep records of each individual for proper identification.

The Dana Ear Label is one of the most satisfactory methods of keeping individuals properly identified and these should be inserted the first or second day to insure against mistakes and to do the work most conveniently.

Castrating and Docking Lambs. - With the exception of the lambs that are to be retained for breeding purposes, all buck lambs should be castrated. Buck lambs retained for breeding purposes must be separated from the rest of the flock at about three to four months of age, and given special care and feed. Allowing lambs to run uncastrated with the flock results in greater losses than perhaps many realize.

Choosing a bright day when lambs are one to two weeks old, having a pen bedded with clean straw in which to turn lambs, using a disinfectant to insure against infection, cutting off the lower third of the bag, drawing the testicles out quickly with the fingers or a pair of pinchers, and applying some of the disinfectant to the wound, accomplishes the act of castration successfully and without danger of losses.

All lambs should be docked. It is best to dock ram lambs five to seven days after they have been castrated for the reason that docking and castrating is most too severe a shock for best results. Ewe lambs should be docked at the age of eight to fourteen days.

Loss of blood is the principal difficulty in docking where methods of cutting the tail off" with a knife or a chisel are employed. This is overcome by the use of the docking iron shown in the accompanying cut and which burns and sears the tail off in a manner to prevent any loss of blood. The shock does not appear greater than that from other methods.

Sheep Production 197

Two men must be employed to dock and castrate lambs. With proper arrangements the work can be done rapidly and under no circumstances should it be neglected. Docking prevents filth and infection from maggots, saves wool and insures the safe breeding of ewes that otherwise will not be likely to get with lamb.

Dipping Ewes and Lambs. - Sheep require dipping to rid them of ticks and in some instances of lice and other parasites. After the ewes have been shorn, the ticks resort to the lambs. Eight to ten days after shearing when the weather is bright and sufficiently warm, the entire flock should be dipped. Many dip oftener, depending upon the necessity. Sheep should be examined for ticks, especially lambs purchased in the fall for feeding and dipped whenever necessary. Ticks will prevent profitable gains in spite of the best rations and feeding quality of lambs.

Use standard sheep dips following directions submitted with them. Avoid getting the dip into the ears, eyes and mouths of sheep and do not let sheep become chilled by remaining out nights or out of doors day times should the weather change and become cold.

Weaning Lambs. - It is best to wean lambs at the age of four and a half to five months. This offers the ewes a chance to regain strength and vitality when the breeding season comes on which is more important than giving the lambs the further benefit of their mother's milk.

Taking the lambs away from the ewes, turning them into a good pasture some distance removed from their mothers and not allowing them to go back again, is the best plan to follow in weaning. There is a less prolonged worry on the part of lambs and their mothers which is accompanied by better gains to both lambs and ewes.

Use of Rape. - Good pasture at weaning time and later in the fall when ewes and lambs make good use of green feed cannot be assured and it is therefore, a good practice to have a piece of rape on which lambs can be turned a part of each day or run regularly when they have become accustomed to it

Bloat in Sheep. - When turned on new pasture, sheep are very subject to bloat and should be -watched carefully. Green clover, alfalfa, and rape when wet at a more mature stage, are especially dangerous and should be pastured cautiously. Sweet, warm milk is an effective remedy for bloat. One-half pint given with a drenching bottle brings immediate relief if the sheep or lamb is not too far gone to survive from any ordinary treatment. Tapping may be resorted to when other methods fail, but should be the last thing to do to treat sheep for bloat.

Marketing Lambs. - The market for lambs is active from late summer until late spring and should be studied by one having lambs to offer. There are times when there is *a scarcity of lambs on the market and one having lambs in good condition may find these times the best to market.

Lambs born in the early spring can be made to reach 80 pounds in weight in late summer. This is a most desirable weight for the market providing the lamb is fat and is in a good place to sell at this time to avoid the rush of many lambs that are put into the market a little later.

Lambs that are put onto the market in the fall sell mostly for feeders and at feeder prices and the producer must keep in mind the matter of feeding liberally if he hopes to realize the best prices at this season. Grass fed lambs are usually all sold by the middle of December and if a system of feeding can be adopted to have choice lambs ready between this time and the middle of January when the winter fed lambs begin to arrive on the market, one can secure good prices.

Late fed lambs that are ready for the market in April or possibly a little earlier when most of the winter fed lambs have been marketed, have little competition and may sell well, although the number of lambs that have been marketed previously and the demand, determine the kind of a price one will secure.

It is a safe rule to market lambs when they are fat and at the most desirable weight, providing the market is normal. Avoid putting "half fed" stuff on the market and being obliged to accept low prices paid for it.

The man having one or more carloads can always sell to a better advantage than the man with a smaller lot. This is true providing he can make up a load of uniform stuff which should always be done to the fullest extent possible. A more uniform appearance may be secured by clipping loose wool and tagging just a little about the tail. Expert buyers do not buy on appearance, but a favorable impression tends to make them more liberal and well marketed loads are an inspiration to the seller.

Lambs that are shipped should not be stuffed prior to shipping. Dry feed and a somewhat reduced amount enable them to reach the market in the best condition. Do not crowd the cars, but watch the lambs during shipment to avoid their piling up at one end of the car and becoming smothered.

Fattening Sheep. - Feeding and fattening sheep that have simply been grown and not fed grain to any extent on pasture, has always been an important branch of the sheep industry. Men who thoroughly learn the business maintain feeding stations where large numbers of lambs are purchased in the fall and feti during the winter. The margin between purchase and selling price and the gains in weight, are the source of profit in the business. Farmers who raise their own lambs or buy on the markets and men who have access to suitable sheds at convenient shipping points and near factories that supply refuse like beet pulp, pea vine silage and other refuse possessing feeding value, engage in this line of industry.

The Feeding Period. - Early spring lambs if not fattened on grass pasture can be fattened in the fall and marketed in December or January and in some instances earlier. Later lambs are fed twelve to fourteen weeks, depending upon their condition, and marketed in March or April. A feeding period of 100 days should secure a gain of 20 Jo 30 pounds per head and a suitable condition for the market. The market should be studied and the most suitable weights, approximately 80 pounds, provided. ,

Rations Suitable for Fattening1. - Light, low grade and heavyweight screenings with clover or alfalfa, provide rations on which thousands of sheep are fed in the vicinity of large grain elevators. Low grade screenings may be used in starting lambs on feed, but the heavy weight grades are necessary for finishing and are approximately one-third better than the low grade. Approximately one pound of screenings and two pounds of legume hay provide a suitable fattening ration when sheep or lambs have been worked onto full feed.

Under careful management, silage from corn, pea vines, cannery refuse and beet pulp fed at the rate of three to three and one-half pounds daily with one and one-half pounds or more of grain and a small amount of hay, provides a suitable ration.

Corn, barley and a combination of other concentrates that sheep will relish and that are reasonable in cost, fed in combination with hay, both fed in quantities that sheep will eat without waste and remain on feed constantly, provide suitable rations.

Have pens arranged in a manner to do feeding conveniently and without disturbing the sheep any more than is necessary. Regularity and quietness are highly important factors.

Bring sheep onto full feed and make any necessary changes in the ration gradually. Provide pure, fresh water and keep salt constantly before them. Do not allow feeding troughs to become filthy.

Sheep eat and take on gains best in clear, cold weather. To avoid getting them off feed reduce the amount of feed on days that are warm, wet or lowery. Never feed more than sheep clean up readily.

Fresh air in abundance is necessary. Plenty of shed room should be provided to shelter sheep from storms. Exercise is not conducive to the largest gains and sheep feeding pens are usually provided with only small yards.

Diseases Of Sheep General Symptoms

Delirium; weakness; muscles tremble; gait staggering; swellings on body full of bloody fluid which oozes through the skin ; some cases dying without warning. - Anthrax, Page 203.

Dying suddenly without warning; high fever followed by delirium; weakness ; muscles tremble ; gait staggering ; swellings on body full of bloody fluid which oozes through the skin. - Anthrax, Page 203.

Diseases Of Sheep 201

avoids light. - Inflammation of the Eyes, Page 208. Itching severe ; great uneasiness. - Scab, Page 211. Lameness in one or more feet ; parts hot, tender, swollen ; foul discharge ; in severe cases sheep cannot walk. - Foot Rot, Page 207. Maggots. - Maggots from Blow Flies, Page 209. Manure dry and hard ; bowels tight. - Constipation, Page 205. Manure thin and watery. - Diarrhea, "Page 206. Muscles tremble; fever followed by delirium; weakness; gait staggering;

Nostrils and eyes have a watery discharge; sneezing; depression; poor appetite. - Catarrh, Page 204. Nostrils have some discharge ; head held low ; sometimes difficult breathing.

breathing difficult ; skin papery. - Lung Worms, Page 208. Skin papery ; breathing difficult ; coughing and strangling fits ; often coughing up worms ; poor in flesh ; breathing difficult. - Lung Worms, Page 208. Sneezing; watery discharge from nostrils and eyes; depression; poor appetite.

Strangling and coughing fits ; poor in flesh ; often coughing up worms ; breathing difficult ; skin papery. - Lung Worms, Page 208. Tears run from eyes; animal keeps eyes partly closed and avoids the light;

Thirst abnormal ; wool rough ; general debility ; poor appetite ; constipation or diarrhea; manure full of worms' eggs if examined through a microscope. - Fluke Worms, Page 207.

Trembling of muscles ; fever followed by delirium ; weakness ; gait staggering; swellings on body full of bloody pus which oozes through the skin; sometimes dying suddenly. - Anthrax, Page 203.

Weakness; trembling of muscles ; fever followed by delirium; gait staggering; swellings on body full of bloody pus which oozes through the skin ; dying suddenly in some cases. - Anthrax, Page 203.

Wool rough ; general debility ; poor appetite ; great thirst ; diarrhea or constipation ; manure full of worms' eggs if examined through a microscope. - Fluke Worms, Page 207.

Treatment For Diseases Of Sheep

This is a malignant, infectious disease to which all domestic animals are subject. Man himself can be infected from animals. It is more common in parts of the West and South. There are great losses in cattle, sheep, and mules. Anthrax is caused by a slender rod-shaped germ and is likely to occur near tanneries, the hides being infected, or in localities where the disease has existed before. It is sometimes contracted by man from infected wool.

Symptoms. - The symptoms vary. Sometimes the animal appears well and dies suddenly with little or no warning. In other cases there is a more gradual development of the disease, showing high fever which may later develop delirium. The animal shows great weakness, the muscles tremble and the walk is staggering. There are often swellings on the body filled with a bloody fluid which oozes through the skin.

Treatment. - Great care should be taken to prevent the spread of the disease. A vaccine has been discovered which is very effective. It can be purchased on the market. Medical treatment is of little value ; however it is well to isolate the animal until sure of the nature of the disease. Change food and water and use disinfectants freely such as coal tar preparations. A dead animal should be buried deeply in lime. Be careful not to get any blood into a scratch on the hand or body. A report should be made to the State Veterinarian.

Symptoms. - The most noticeable symptom is the bloated and distended appearance of the abdomen the most prominent part of which is the place to tap.

Treatment. - Burn a slender knife blade in a fire to sterlize it and then use it after clipping the wool. Give one-half pint cow-warm milk ; repeat after thirty minutes if needed. Recommended by Frank Kleinheim, herd shepherd at University Farm, Madison, Wis. Mr. Kleinheim says he has lost but one sheep with bloat in thirty-five years since using this remedy. This is an easy and safe remedy.

This is an irritation of the bronchial tubes, affecting both lambs and young calves. It develops from wrong treatment while sick, or from eating decayed food. Eggs or flies are laid on the food and hatch into long worms which distribute themselves through the bronchial tubes.

Treatment. - Isolate the sheep ; give plenty of vegetables, grass and grain. The usual remedy and most widely used is turpentine poured into the feed or water. One small teaspoonful can be safely used. Linseed or castor oil will also be found good. Feed a few raw potato parings once in awhile. Drench the sheep properly. Coal tar in hot water makes a good solution in which to soak a bag to put over the head for inhaling. Vinegar is good too. Be careful not to strangle the animal.

Castration. - This consists in removing the reproductive organs of the males. Lambs are castrated when about six days old. If possible have someone hold the lamb for you. Cut off quite a share of the lower portion of the pouch, pull out the testicle and cut off the cord. Apply a carbolic acid solution (1 teaspoonful to a cup of water) to the parts and be sure the instruments used are free from germs and that the hands are clean. An old ram may bleed to death in a short time after being castrated unless the cord is tied. Catgut, silk or linen thread may be used for this and the thread left on for several days. After castrating dress the wound at least once a day and dip the instruments in an antiseptic solution before using them again.

Catarrh is really a cold in the head which is chronic and is brought on by catching cold. It may be passed from one animal to another. It usually affects the membranes of the breathing organs. Animals are usually constipated.

Symptoms. - There is a watery discharge from the nostrils and eyes; sneezing; depression and loss of appetite. The discharge may become like pus.

Treatment. - Remove to comfortable quarters. Prepare the following drench: Pour one quart of boiling water over two ounces of composition powder; let it stand one hour in a warm place ; pour off the clear liquid and add two ounces of sugar of milk. Give a wineglassfull once or twice a day. Keep the bowels open by feeding vegetables, like carrots, potatoes and turnips. An onion once in a while has been found good by many farmers. Epsom salts in four to six ounce doses will cure influenza when taken early. Give one dose and repeat if necessary. Use all the boric acid a pint of warm water will dissolve and inject while warm into the nostril and throat.

Treatment. - If the bowels are constipated give four or five ounces of Epsom salts. Hot water with a little camphor or camphor gum added is good.

Give one teaspoonful each of ginger and baking soda. Dissolve in water and give as a drench. Do not hold the head high in drenching as there is danger of strangling. A teaspoonful of peppermint in a cup of water as a drench has been recommended by many sheep raisers.

Precaution should be taken in drenching the sheep in order to avoid choking. Note size and shape of bottle and how sheep is held in a manner to allow H swallow naturally. _ ,

An injury to the bag may make it necessary to take the milk from it. When this is done there is considerable effect on the unborn lambs and they are predisposed to constipation. Proper feed and care will do a lot toward

Treatment. - -In lambs empty the lower bowel by the injection of warm soapy water and give a laxative diet or take a small pointed piece of pure white soap about an inch and a half long and after dipping it in sweet oil, insert in the rectum, pushing it well in. Give one teaspoonful of sweet oil once or twice a day.

This is usually the result of mismanagement and neglect ; the feeding of indigestible food ; sudden changes of diet, and exposure. In lambs infection from the udder and chilling are common causes.

Treatment. - Diarrhea should not be checked suddenly as it is an effort of nature to rid itself of irritants. Give a change of feed and pure drinking water. If the case is obstinate try any good home remedy for diarrhea. Jamaica ginger following cotton seed oil or an ounce of linseed oil will give good results. A small lamb may be given one tablespoonful of castor oil with good results. This is both healing and cleansing. For a sheep the dose may be increased to one-half teacupful. One dose will probably be sufficient. Milk in which black pepper is mixed is good for diarrhea.

In the younger lambs the pain is not great especially if cut at a joint. If the skin is drawn tight from the tip of the tail after cutting it will leave an overhanging section of skin that can be tied with a cord. Kerosene oil or turpentine applied to the wound will help it heal rapidly. Lard or eggs can be used as healing applications.

This disease is usually the result of obstinate and neglected diarrhea, or eating improper food and having continued indigestion. It is nature's method of attempting to throw off some irritating material in the bowels.

Symptoms. - There is fever; extreme debility; rumbling of the bowels; thin discharge mixed with mucus and sometimes streaked with blood, and more or less pain.

Treatment. - Place the animal in comfortable quarters; give light nutritious diet such as gruels and mashes for a day or two. Flour and water or milk in a paste form gives very good results. A teaspoonful of Jamaica ginger acts well as a stimulant. Give two or three ounces of castor oil to heal and cleanse the stomach and bowels, and follow up with tonics and a laxative diet.

All sheep are subject to liver flukes which cause the so-called liver rot They are small flat worms from one-fourth to one-half inch long, and multiply very rapidly where there is stagnant water ; they make their way to the livei and there develop.

Symptoms. - General debility; the wool is rough; the appetite gone; and there is abnormal thirst. There may be diarrhea, or the bowels may be constipated. If the discharges are examined with a microscope they will be found to contain many of the eggs. Swellings appear on parts of the body.

Treatment. - The best treatment is to prevent the disease by removing the animals to high and dry pastures; see that the drinking water is pure. Medicines, except tonics, are of little value in this disease. Give plenty of nutritious food, and feed plenty of rock salt and lump sulphur. Charcoal may be given mixed with a little ginger.

Foot rot is an inflammation of the horny structure of the foot and skin connections. Exposure in wet pastures ; general debility ; contagion, and filthy surroundings usually develop it.

Symptoms. - The animal is observed to limp. Sometimes the whole four feet are affected. The parts are hot, swollen and tender; there will be a foul discharge of fluid and the animal will soon be unable to walk; death may ensue.

Treatment. - The animal should be isolated; the treatment must be immediate and thorough. Ascertain the cause if possible and remove it. In mild cases a little tar rubbed on will be effective. If the disease has reached a putrid type, clean the foot by washing, or turn the animals into wet grass; remove all loose or superfluous horn. Then wash the parts with a solution made by mixing four ounces pyroligneous acid with three ounces of water. Saturate a piece of cotton with this solution and apply, changing when necessary. If a number of animals are to be treated it can be accomplished more rapidly by standing them for a short time in a wooden trough, which contains one inch depth of the following solution: Linseed oil, two pints; pyroligneous acid, four pints ; kerosene , one pint. Any amount can be made in the above proportions. Improve the general condition with the following tonic: one ounce each; powdered sassafras, charcoal and golden seal, one-half ounce sulphur, two drams powdered asafetida, two pounds flaxseed. Mix and give a tablespoonful twice a day in the feed.

After cleaning the foot carefully saturate the affected parts with turpentine, then apply butter of Antimony; bandage the parts and stand on clean, hard floors. This treatment has done much to relieve communities of this disease, especially in low, swampy country. Kerosene oil is fine for sheep with foot rot to walk through.

This is a troublesome pest causing discomfort and injury to sheep. Grubs in the nostrils are caused by a small gad-fly which deposits her eggs in the nostrils of the sheep. In a few days the eggs are hatched and the young larvae passes up the nostrils into the nasal cavities, where they develop, causing the sheep much pain and annoyance. The irritation causes the greatest loss. As a disease it is not fatal.

Treatment. - The best treatment is prevention. Smear the noses of the sheep with common tar, put the sheep in a dusty lane or open field where they can thrust their noses into the dust. This to be done during the hot summer months when the gad-fly bothers the sheep most. Imagine how the sheep must feel bothered with these worms and you will aid in preventing them from getting into the head. Sulphur can be burned so it may be inhaled, or a spray of turpentine and kerosene oil will be found very good for removing and killing the little eggs and maggots. A paste of pitch pine applied on the nostrils will be found satisfactory. Salt saturated with tar is used by many farmers. It is placed in troughs where the sheep can get at it.

Symptoms. - Tears run from the eyes which the animal keeps partly closed and avoids the light. The eyelids and eyeballs are streaked with red and there is pain.

Treatment. - Bathe the eyes with hot or cold water twenty minutes at a time three or four times a day. Separate the animal from the flock. Salt water is one of the best and simplest remedies. A poultice of bread crumbs and mashed potatoes has proven good in many instances. Boracic acid is the usual drug store remedy and is fine as a cleanser. It should be dissolved in water.

In the lungs of sheep a thread-like worm is found which causes coughing, sneezing and a discharge of mucus from the nose. The same worm infects pigs and calves.

Symptoms. - There is a falling away in flesh ; also violent fits of coughing and strangling, often raising mucus which contains the worms. Usually the breathing is difficult and the skin becomes exceedingly papery.

Treatment. - The best preventive treatment is a frequent rotation of pastures, thus preventing any pasture from becoming greatly infested. Isolate the sick sheep and give nourishing, easily digested food. Inject into the windpipe a mixture of one part turpentine in two parts olive oil, once a day for three days, using the hypodermic syringe. Or use one-half ounce carbolic acid, four ounces turpentine and eight ounces olive oil ; mix well and inject into the windpipe by means of a hypodermic syringe once a day for three days. Place the animal on his rump and hold between the knees while inserting the hypodermic needle into the windpipe two or three inches below the throat, injecting the medicine gradually.

Most of the maggots on animals are caused by the flesh-fly. The adult fly deposits her eggs (larvae) on the surface of wounds or in the wool of sheep where manure and other filth has collected. The larvae, as they develop, will work their way into the skin, causing sores. When the tails of lambs are docked, the cut surface must be treated with a proper antiseptic and the lamb watched to guard against the fly.

Treatment. - The essential treatment is cleanliness. Heavy wooled sheep should have all wool cut away from parts where it is liable to become soiled and filthy, especially in the spring before the flies come. In case a wound has been attacked, all dead tissue, and as many of the parasites as possible should be removed. Oil or tar, turpentine and lard or kerosene oil are about the best and handiest remedies for preventing the flies from laying the eggs, and also kills the eggs that have been laid.

This disease is caused by a parasitic worm which burrows into the walls of the intestines causing nodules or bunches. The trouble is most common and serious in the South and older sheep are more often affected than lambs. The disease is spread by allowing well sheep to graze on pasture which has been used by diseased sheep. Lambs should be prevented from getting the disease.

Treatment. - No. medicinal treatment is satisfactory in ridding sheep of this trouble. Prevent the lambs from grazing after their mothers if there is suspicion of the disease existing. They may be kept on bare lots and fed green crops from racks, carefully removing all food remaining after each feeding. In this way there is little danger of lambs becoming infected even if the ewes are badly attacked by the parasite. The ewes which are infested may thus be kept for breeding purposes without danger of transmitting the disease to the lambs.

This is the same in sheep as in all other animals affected with it, and develops from exposure to cold which can in most cases be prevented. The simple diseases are not serious in themselves, but it is what they may develop into that should make one especially careful in prevention.

Treatment. - Put the animal in clean dry quarters where there is plenty of fresh air. Place upon the tongue ten drops of fluid extract of gelseminum, morning and night. Dissolve one ounce of chlorate of potash in one-half pint of flaxseed tea, and give it daily as a drench until the animal is better. Good hot applications to the chest and lungs are usually recommended. Ten

Scab and mange are somewhat similar and can be treated practically the same. A little insect digs its way under the skin through filth and dirt that has collected. Scabs form and the wool comes off in patches. Low ground and damp stables are bad and sheep should be kept in dry clean pens which can be easily cleaned.

Symptoms. - There is an extreme irritation and itching which causes great uneasiness. Unless the affected animal is isolated this disease will soon spread through the flock as it is very contagious. Rubbing against posts and fences is common. Wherever great patches of wool are seen hanging to posts there is usually this affection among the sheep.

Treatment. - Five or six pounds each of tobacco leaves and sulphur, and 25 gallons of water makes a valuable preparation. Scald the tobacco in part of the water and add the sulphur after cooling to a comfortable heat by adding cold water. Dip the sheep in this solution while it is warm for about three or four minutes. This dip cannot be used strong enough to kill the eggs of the mite. It is therefore necessary that the sheep be dipped again in about ten days as the eggs will have hatched by that time. In this way the young mites are destroyed.

A creolin dip or wash is very good. Crude petroleum and sulphur are used by many farmers. Be careful of matches used around the dip. A good double sectioned trough can be made for dipping and draining sheep. The draining section should be elevated somewhat.

These are small hair-like worms about three-quarters of an inch long which infest the stomach of sheep, goats and calves, causing a most serious disease. Lambs are more often affected than sheep. Wet seasons or marshy land seem to be the best places for them to infect sheep.

Symptoms. - The animal loses flesh, becomes debilitated; shows a depraved appetite, craving dirt and litter; a diarrhea sets in which may be serious.

Preventive Treatment. - A good preventive treatment is in a frequent rotation of pastures so that none of the pastures will become too thoroughly infected.

The sheep showing signs of this disease should be separated from the rest of the flock. The same treatments given here are good for calves. One teaspoonful of turpentine to a cup of sweet milk is good. One tablespoonful of gasoline in a half cup of milk makes a splendid remedy. Repeat the dose every three days and if there is no improvement at the end of ten days repeat again every three days for two or three treatments. One of our authorities for this is the Ohio Experiment Station, which advocates its use.

The sheep tick is an insect which does not multiply very rapidly, but which is very troublesome in a flock. The so-called sheep tick is really not a tick but a fly. It is easily killed by any mange cure.

Treatment. - The parasites may be easily exterminated by dipping the sheep in an infusion of tobacco. A preparation for that purpose is now manufactured, and can be obtained at any drug store with full directions for use. The best time to dip sheep is immediately after shearing, as the solution then readily comes in contact with the ticks. Sifting wood ashes in the wool often drives ticks away. Glover's mange cure is very good.

Stomach of a full'grown sheep, % natural size (after Thanhoffer, from R. Meade Smith's Physiology of Domestic Animals) : a, rumen, or first stomach; b, recticulum, or second stomach ; c, omasum, or third stomach ; d, abomasum, or fourth stomach ; e, esophagus, or gullet, opening into the first and second stomachs ; /, opening of fourth stomach into small intestine; g, opening of second stomach into third; h, opening of third stomach into fourth.