MULES ARE PROFITABLE 211 



few mouthfuls whenever they will. In cases where 

 the dam is found to be not a good brood mare and 

 having an insufficient milk supply, it is a compar- 

 atively easy task to teach the colt to drink milk. A 

 pint of cow's milk night and morning will mate- 

 rially aid in preventing retarded growth. 



Five months is usually considered the proper 

 age for weaning, and the colt at this time should 

 be accustomed to eating considerable hay and 

 grain, and should receive quite a variety in order 

 that the withdrawal of the milk ration will not 

 tend toward stunted growth. If some fresh, green 

 pasture is available at the weaning period, it will 

 be found useful in keeping the colts in good condi- 

 tion. This period, however, is usually in the fall, 

 and unless special provision has been made to have 

 some good fall pasture the young animal will prob- 

 ably have to depend upon the ordinary barnyard 

 feeding. Alfalfa or clover are excellent feeds for 

 this period, and, in fact, during the first winter. 

 The grain ration should consist of oats and cracked 

 corn, if the forage is of a leguminous character, 

 such as alfalfa, or of oats and bran if no legu- 

 minous hays are used. Liberal feeding, good shelter 

 and plenty of exercise during the first winter and 

 plenty of good pasture during the following sum- 

 mer will keep the young colt growing, and bring 

 out the maximum development. 



BREAKING THE MULE TO WORK 



The best time to break colts to harness is a 

 matter of some dispute among breeders. If the 

 breeder is disposed to place the young animals at 

 hard work as soon as they are trained to the har- 

 ness, then he had better wait until they are four 



