786 THE FARMERS HANDBOOK. 



back again ; so feeding a bunch of calves that the little animal* gulp it down 

 us quickly as possible to prevent others from getting it ; and giving such a 

 small ration that the calves are driven to eating rough forage, and hay, <fcc., 

 at too early an age. 



In order to prevent disease in calves from improper feeding the following 

 points require attention : — Cleanliness in feeding, which should preferably be 

 from metal receptacles which can be scalded out ; separate feeding of the calves 

 to insure that each one gets a fair feed and is not unduly hurried ; feeding the 

 milk and other material at blood heat; the gradual substitution of skim milk 

 for whole milk, and the replacing of the nutritive material thus lost hy 

 meal obtained from cereals or other concentrated food ; regularity in times of 

 feeding and of quantity of material used ; gradual change of food when 

 necessary, and gradual weaning. The skim milk which is used should be as 

 fresh as possible, since the longer it is kept the more likely it is to be con- 

 taminated and so cause diarrhoea. The skim milk, buttermilk, and whey 

 obtained from creameries and factories is particularly dangerous, since the 

 feeder has no control over the possible contamination of the material ; it 

 should be pasteurised before being used. 



Tuberculosis. — Contracted by cattle when young by feeding on the milk 

 and milk products of tuberculous cows, and by grazing over badly 

 contaminated paddocks at a later stage. To prevent infection, stockowners 

 should do everything in their power to get rid of tuberculous cattle, and if 

 using the milk or milk products from mixed herds for the purpose of feeding 

 their calves should pasteurise or boil it. 



Actinomycosis. — This disease is contracted from the feed, and very little 

 can be done to prevent it except to destroy animals affected, and so prevent 

 reinfection of pastures. 



Grass Seed Abscesses. — Due to grass seeds penetrating the soft tissues of 

 the mouth. It is difficult to prevent ; but overstocking the pastures on 

 which dangerous grasses such as barley grass grow, might effect something. 



SHEEP. 



The principles affecting the feeding of sheep are studied still less, than those 

 affecting the feeding of other animals, but in drought periods their con- 

 sideration is often a matter of very great importance, demanding attention 

 in relation both to cost and to prevention of mortality. 



Sheep grazing in paddocks are subject to the diseased conditions asso- 

 ciated with the same method of feeding in cattle — that is, tympanites when 

 brought on to succulent feed suddenly, impaction of various organs of diges- 

 tion after a long course of dry feeding, acute poisoning from prussic acid 

 developing plants, and slow poisoning from Darling pea. &c. Tj-mpanihs 

 or hoven usually occurs in molts of travelling sheep, sheep just off trucks, and 

 those recently brought from a dry area to more favoured spots. The losses 

 are at times exceedingly heavy, and those measures of prevention which can 

 be utilised with animals on a farm or holding — methods such as only allowing 

 the animals to remain a short time on such succulent grazing or supplying 

 them with some dry food before allowing them on it — are often not 

 practicable. Any such steps as are possible, however, should be taken. 



