300 THE STOCKFEEDER'S COMPANION 



Ruminants General Preventions. 



Many of the ailments which affect cattle and sheep 

 are brought about either directly or indirectly by the 

 kind or quality of food given, and often in addition 

 through the way in which it is fed. Animals in fairly 

 good condition, generally speaking, resist the attacks 

 of disease much better than those which are in poor 

 condition ; it is therefore important to see that the 

 animals are well fed, so as to give them that stamina 

 or vitality which is necessary to resist disease. 



Preventive measures are, after all, much better than 

 remedies, and may be grouped under three heads : 



(a) Avoid giving foods of inferior quality. 



(/;) The concentrated foods should meet the 

 deficiencies of the bulky part of ration, and 

 be generally suitable for the purpose in view. 



(c) Sudden changes of diet should be avoided. 



Quality deficient. A large number of the present- 

 day pastures possess a very indifferent herbage, and 

 when sheep and cattle are entirely dependent on such 

 pasturage for their subsistence, the result is that their 

 bodies, being insufficiently nourished, succumb to the 

 ravages of various diseases or ailments. 



Highland pastures. Sheep fed on certain highland 

 pastures in Selkirkshire (Scotland) suffer severely from 

 louping ill. The writer examined some of the stretches 

 of low mountain pastures which were said to be " hot- 

 beds " for the disease, and found that the herbage on 

 these stretches consisted very largely of mat grass 

 (Nardus strictd}^ which has exceptionally hard, indigest- 

 ible leaves, and there is little wonder that sheep which 



