126 FEEDING FARM ANIMALS 



of the large breeds when kept in small paddocks during 

 the larger portion of the period of pregnancy. The for- 

 mer are not easily caught when but a few hours old, the 

 latter frequently call for special attention to get them on 

 their feet. 



The" amount of exercise required by the different 

 classes of domestic animals when pregnant varies. The 

 mare calls for even more than the ewe, and the ewe needs 

 more than the cow and the brood sow. The cow will bring 

 forth her young with reasonable safety under conditions of 

 confinement that would prove fatal to the progeny of the 

 breeding mare. Likewise the sow will produce with rea- 

 sonable success under conditions of confinement that would 

 prove fatal to the progeny of the ewe. The importance of 

 this question is such as to encourage the efforts of stock 

 growers to increase the exercise taken by pregnant dams 

 under confined conditions in winter. This may be done 

 by enforcing labor in the case of mares and by compelling 

 other dams to take some exercise by changing the condi- 

 tions of feeding. ' 



Milch cows will breed with reasonable success under 

 conditions of close confinement in winter providing they 

 have access to the pastures in summer. The confinement 

 may be as close as restriction to the stall and its stanchion 

 or tie chain. Notwithstanding, the stamina of the progeny at 

 birth is less than that of calves from cows which have some 

 daily yard exercise, and the stamina of calves from the latter 

 at birth is less than that of calves born on pastures months 

 subsequently to the commencement of the grazing season. 



Pregnancy and good flesh. That a reasonably high 

 condition of flesh rightly put on previous to or during 

 pregnancy is in no way detrimental to successful breeding, 

 but rather the opposite, is capable of easy demonstration. It 

 is sustained by theoretical principles, the soundness of 

 which cannot be shaken, and by the results of practical 

 experience, notwithstanding that> the opposite view is still 

 held by some breeders. 



