KENNEL MANAGEMENT. 99 



During the summer hounds must be kept exercised, and it is 

 a good thing to let them stand about in grass fields, when it 

 will be found that they will eat a quantity of grass and of earth, 

 both of which are admirable for their digestion. As the hunting 

 season approaches, exercise must be increased up to twenty miles 

 a day. Ponies or bicycles are useful for this, but the pace 

 should not exceed seven miles an hour, except for sharp bursts of 

 a few hundred yards to open the hounds' pipes. It is more 

 important that they should spend a long time out of kennel 

 than that they should cover great distances. 



A hunt servant should ride behind to keep hounds up and 

 on one side of the road ; they should be taught to come over 

 quickly on to whichever side of the road the huntsman wants 

 them. In these days of motors this is absolutely essential. 



For feeding, the best oatmeal must be used, boiled the day 

 before it is required to such an extent that when cold it almost 

 forms the consistency of jelly. In cool weather it will keep for 

 four or five days. Meat should be given in the form of broth 

 with the meat left in it and chopped small, more being required 

 in the hunting season than in summer. Raw meat every now and 

 again is a good thing, especially for those hounds which have a 

 tendency to eczema. To keep the blood cool the broth should 

 contain, especially in summer, vegetables, or the young tops of 

 nettles ; mangolds too are beneficial, if well boiled. Hounds 

 should be fed once a day only, and must be walked out for at 

 least half an hour immediately afterwards. . 



Brood bitches require to be fed twice a day, and their rations 

 should include milk and raw meat. They must not be allowed 

 to get too fat, and must be given plenty of exercise. A dose of 

 salts just before whelping is a good thing. 



Whelps should be left on the dam as long as possible, but, 

 to help her, they should be persuaded to begin to lap at about 

 a month old ; at about the same age they should be given a 

 mild dose for worms — ruby syrup is recommended. Their food 

 should be gradually thickened up with soaked bread crust or 

 biscuit. At first they should be fed twice a day, then thrice, 

 and finally, when they are weaned at about ten weeks, four 

 times a day. Raw meat, very finely chopped, should be given as 

 soon as they will eat it, about as much as will fill a tea spoon, 

 once a day at first, and later double the quantity. At about three 

 months old the feeds can be gradually reduced till, soon after four 

 months, the young hounds can be fed like the rest of the pack. 



For the benefit of their coats and skins all hounds should 

 be dressed twice during the summer with oil and sulphur, which 



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