486 FEEDING FARM ANIMALS 



be heated, however, for animals when given immediately 

 subsequently to the time of parturition, lest a chill should 

 follow taking it when the system is thus fevered. In winter 

 water heated more or less will be found more suitable for 

 swine than ice cold water. In summer cold water is more 

 agreeable to animals than warm water, but horses in a much 

 heated condition should not be allowed to drink it in large 

 quantities at the close of a labor period, lest it should re- 

 sult in producing that stiffening of the limbs often spoken 

 of as "founder." 



Furnishing water to animals. In the pastures, water 

 is best supplied from springs and running streams, also 

 by flowing wells, where one or the other of these can be 

 obtained. Next to these in suitability and convenience 

 are wells of limited depth, from which the water is pumped 

 up into troughs by wind power which works automatically. 

 When the sup-ply must be secured from artificial basins, the 

 aim should be to construct these on elevations so high as to 

 admit of conveying the water by gravity to the place or 

 places where it is wanted. 



In the winter when the stock is confined to stables or 

 sheds, the aim should be to have the drinking tanks or 

 troughs under cover as matter of protection for the ani- 

 mals while drinking in stormy weather, and also to insure 

 more warmth in the water. When the tanks are in the 

 yards, it will be found profitable to furnish them with 

 heaters to prevent the temperature of the water from fall- 

 ing too low. For the proper temperature, see page 485. When 

 the water is pumped by hand, if the pumping is done im- 

 mediately before the animals which drink are given access 

 to it, the temperature will be about right. The same is 

 true of water supplied automatically in basins in the stalls. 

 For work horses and cattle that are being fattened, this 

 method of supplying water is not really objectionable, if the 

 basins are kept reasonably clean, but it has been found 

 difficult to keep them clean enough to meet the needs of 

 dairy cows, because of the traceable adverse influence some- 



