FEEDING AILING RUMINANTS 303 



animals. If, however, in-calf cows are kept in too high 

 condition, there is danger of their suffering from an 

 attack of milk fever shortly after giving birth to the 

 calf. In cases where the cows do not actually fall 

 victims to milk fever, their "high" condition often tells 

 heavily against them. The experience of all the best 

 breeders is that breeding animals should be given 

 plenty of fresh air and exercise, and receive sufficient 

 concentrated food to keep them in a healthy state, but 

 not so much as to make them in " high " condition. 



Sudden changes should be avoided. When cattle 

 or sheep are turned into a field of young clover in the 

 early autumn, it is wise policy to limit them to a few 

 hours' grazing in the afternoon for the first day or two. 

 If the stock were turned into the field in the morning 

 when the dew was on, and left all day, it is more than 

 likely that some of the stock would get "hoven" or 

 " blown." 



The same thing applies to turning sheep on to their 

 first " break " of roots in the early autumn ; and in order 

 to prevent them " blowing," some farmers sow salt on 

 the first break or two of roots in the morning when 

 the dew is on. The sheep, therefore, get a certain 

 amount of salt with the leaves or tops of the turnips, 

 and it appears to reduce the mortality from this cause 

 very considerably. 



The error of suddenly changing the diet is probably 

 the most frequent source of trouble with farm animals, 

 and should be carefully observed by all those persons 

 who have entrusted to them the feeding of farm 

 animals. 



A few brief notes are given below for special feeding 

 in connection with common ailments of cattle and sheep 

 respectively. 



