HOUSING OF CATTLE 213 



vary the food to suit the particular case ; e.g., 

 one animal may need a more " laxative " or a 

 more " binding " diet than another. It is very 

 suitable for horned cattle, which might damage 

 one another in yards, and is more economical of 

 litter. 



Loose-box Fattening. For single animals the box 

 would be about 10 feet square, and correspond- 

 ingly bigger for a larger number of animals. It 

 is therefore easy to see that a larger surface 

 area, of buildings will be required. The 

 animals receive more or less individualattention, 

 and the manure is well preserved. The bullocks 

 would require about 14 to 21 Ibs. litter 

 per day. Such boxes are especially useful 

 on farms where the court system of 

 housing is practised, as individual animals 

 can be drawn out from time to time for 

 special fattening. In some cases there may 

 be a small shed of about 150 sq. feet of floor 

 space opening into a yard of similar size. This 

 is sometimes called a " hammel." 



Court Fattening These are called yards in 

 England, and in some parts of Scotland the 

 term " reed " may be used instead of court. 

 The cost of labour in feeding a number of 

 animals together is less than in the two previous 

 cases, and although the larger courts, holding, 

 say, twenty bullocks are more convenient in the 

 very early stages of fattening, it is a distinct 

 advantage to be able to draw the more forward 

 animals out and place them in smaller courts, 

 holding, say, four or ten, for special feeding 

 later on. 



