SIXTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART VII. 553 



Should be taken not to overfeed the colt while it is still sucking its dam. 

 It is not necessary to feed large quantities of grain, but some should be 

 fed, and bran and oats make a good cambination. The grain should be 

 fed in two or three feeds per day. A good strong colt may be weaned 

 at five months, but we would prefer, if possible, not to wean it until it is 

 six months of age. Some prefer to wean colts abruptly, that is, to take 

 them away from the mares and not allow them to suck after that at all, 

 while others prefer gradual weaning by allowing them to run to the mares 

 once per day for a week or such a matter, milking the mare to some 

 extent previous to allowing the colt to her, and in that way gradually cut 

 down the supply of milk. 



After the colt has been weaned, it is important to look after the mare. 

 Bathe her udder at least once a day with cold water and a little spirits of 

 camphor. Spirits of camphor dries up the milk glands. Do not allow 

 the mare to become feverish at any time. , 



Where space will permit, a box stall is perhaps the best kind of a stall 

 for the colt during the first winter. A young colt needs plenty of exercise 

 and he will take a great deal in the stall if it is large enough. We do not 

 mean to convey the idea, however, that the colt needs no more exercise 

 than can be secured in the stall. Far from it. He should be turned out 

 doors every day during the winter months. It is not advisable nor profit- 

 able to leave him exposed to rain or wet snow storms. He is better off in 

 the barn on cold, wet days. Dry cold, however, does not hurt him. Those 

 who have well covered blue grass pastures have an ideal place for the 

 colt's play-grond as well as the best kind of a lot. There Is probably 

 nothing better in the way of roughage than that provided by a good blue 

 grass pasture. Blue grass is rich in protein; it is also rich in ash con- 

 stituents, hence it is a great muscle and bone builder and muscle and bone 

 is what we desire to develop in the colt. 



In addition to grass, the colt must be fed grain and we know of nothing 

 superior to a mixture of oats and bran, which after weaning we would 

 feed at the rate of about two pounds per day per hundred pounds of live 

 weight. If the colt can consume more than this to advantage, and the 

 feeder is the only man who should decide this point, we would feed more. 

 This ration may serve, however, as a general guide. In case blue grass 

 pasture is not available for winter use, the colt should be fed all the hay 

 he will eat. Clover and timothy mixed makes a suitable roughage. When 

 we say the colt should be fed all the hay he will eat, we do not mean 

 that the manger should be stuffed at all times, but rather that he should 

 be fed all he will eat up clean twice per day in the course of an hour or 

 an hour and a half after each feeding period. Anything left after that 

 time should be removed and the amount regulated so that every feed will 

 be consumed in approximately that length of time. It is a poor plan to 

 have the colt's manger stuffed with hay from morning till night, as then 

 he keeps eating more or less all the tmie. The digestive organs need 

 periods of rest — this applies particularly to colts, but to older horses as 

 well. In raising calves or pigs, much stress is put upon the necessity of 

 keeping animals growing rapidly from birth until maturity. This applies 

 with equal force to colts. 



