250 ELEMENTARY TREATISE ON STOCK FEEDS AND FEEDING 



feeds that tend to increase milk giving are helpful. Should 

 this fail, the colt may be fed whole cows' milk which may be 

 gradually supplanted with skim milk. Intelligent feeders are 

 very successful with this manner of feeding colts when such is 

 necessary. A colt may be reared on cows' milk. 



Sometimes a mare must be worked. If so the colt should be 

 allowed to run with its mother for two or three weeks so as to 

 receive a sufficient supply of nourishment. At the end of this 

 time the colt may be kept in the barn and put with the mother 

 three times a day. 



Grain for the Colt. In order to produce flesh that will not 

 shrink greatly after weaning, grain is essential. A feed box in 

 the stall or feed lot should be placed low enough so that the 

 colt can conveniently reach it and ground oats, whole oats, 

 shelled or cracked corn, bran, shorts and oil meal may be placed 

 in it. The colt will soon learn to relish the grain. If the colt 

 is on pasture a separate enclosure may be built that will permit 

 of the colt's entrance but not of the mare's, where oats and 

 other grain food may be supplied. 



Food After Weaning. At the end of five months the colt may 

 be weaned. Easily digested foods in limited quantities such as 

 ground oats, cracked corn, bran, shorts and oil meal are good. 

 Oats is the best grain for the colt, but a mixture of other grains 

 is desirable. Sometimes soft foods as mashes, crushed oats, 

 corn meal, etc., are relished and necessary when the teeth are 

 being cut. Roughage, as well cured hay, straw, corn stover, 

 etc., helps to increase the efficiency of the digestive organs and 

 accustoms the animal to eating such feed as will be supplied 

 when it is more mature. Colts are apt to eat more roughage 

 than is good for them unless the supply is limited. Plenty of 

 exercise is about as important as furnishing the proper amount 

 of food. Many colts are ruined by overfeeding and lack of 

 exercise. 



4. Feeding the Lamb. When the lamb is born it is often nec- 

 essary to help it secure its first food. Sometimes the ewe must 

 be held for the first day or so. In some cases it becomes nec- 

 essary to place the ewe and lamb in a pen away from the rest 



