94 



FARMER'S CYCLOPEDIA OF LIVE STOCK 



come soiled and uncomfortable with 

 mud and other filth which dries on them 

 as soon as they are given an oppor- 

 tunity to get out of the mire. It has 

 been shown, time and time again, from 

 careful experiments that all farm ani- 

 mals make better gains and give more 

 profitable returns from their food when 

 yards are properly drained and kept in 

 a dry and cleanly condition. The finan- 

 cial argument is, therefore, sufficient to 

 determine a sanitary practice in this 

 regard if other considerations are not 

 entertained. 



Exercise is an important matter in 

 the proper management of all farm ani- 

 mals. In order that animals should de- 

 velop to their best estate and show all 

 the vigor of which they are capable, it 

 is necessary that they be reared under 

 circumstances which permit of freedom 

 and natural exercise. Obviously, the 

 amount of exercise desirable for differ- 

 ent farm animals will vary according 

 to the purpose for which they are raised. 

 During a short fattening period it is 

 not necessary to pay much attention to 

 this point, since the danger of the loss 

 of health from lack of exercise during 

 a short period is not great. For all an- 

 imals which are to be kept for stock pur- 

 poses and dairy purposes and similar 

 lines of usefulness which require that 

 the animal should live to an old age, 

 the matter of exercise must never be 

 lost from view. 



Outdoor exercise desirable — In recent 

 feeding experiments with steers and 

 other animals it appears that better and 

 more economic gains are made if the 

 feeding period is long when the animals 

 are allowed a reasonable amount of out- 

 door exercise. Similarly with dairy 

 cows, the returns in milk are better and 

 they are made on less feed when they are 

 given the freedom of a dry yard. _ Ac- 

 cording to the observation of Craig in 

 Indiana, nervous exhaustion and debil- 

 ity frequently develop in breeding ewes 

 which are not allowed a sufficient 

 amount of exercise. The symptoms of 

 the disease are for the most part of a 

 nervous character, the appetite is lost 

 and the animal becomes dull and slow 

 of motion. As a rule, the disease pro- 

 gresses quite rapidly and does not respond 

 to medicinal treatment unless it is ap- 

 plied in the early stages. In a large 

 percentage of these cases the trouble is 

 caused by insufficient exercise and im- 



proper feeding, the exercise being the 

 more important factor. Craig recom- 

 mends that breeding ewes should be 

 forced to take considerable exercise 

 every day, if necessary, driving them 

 about one-balf mile each day. 



Disinfecting premises and how it is 

 done — After the occurrence of an in- 

 fectious disease, it is necessary to disin- 

 fect the premises thoroughly. This may 

 be accomplished in various ways de- 

 pending on the nature of the buildings 

 and yards in which the disease occurred. 

 Infected hog pens, if not of much value, 

 may be burned on the spot and new ones 

 constructed at another place on the 

 farm, similarly with temporary chicken 

 houses, after an outbreak of fowl cholera 

 or other serious infectious disease. 

 With valuable buildings, however, such 

 a procedure cannot be adopted and some 

 form of disinfection can be carried out. 

 In this work there is a choice of a num- 

 ber of materials. We may use corrosive 

 sublimate at the rate of 1 ounce in 8 

 gallons of water, the material being 

 mixed in wooden tubs or barrels and 

 the corrosive sublimate being powdered 

 before it is added to the water. The so- 

 lution may then be applied with a broom 

 or mop to all contaminated woodwork. 



Chloride of lime at the rate of 5 ounces 

 to the gallon of water is an effective 

 material and may he applied in the same 

 way as corrosive sublimate. Crude car- 

 bolic and sulphuric acids may be mixed 

 in wooden tubs or glass vessels, the two 

 acids being combined in equal quanti- 

 ties and afterward diluted in cold water 

 at the rate of 1 part to 20. Slaked lime 

 is a very useful material in disinfect- 

 ing buildings and yards, although it 

 does not possess the high antiseptic 

 power of the substances wdiich have just 

 been mentioned. It is particularly val- 

 uable in disinfecting soil, since it does 

 not injure the soil for crop purposes. It 

 may be used at the rate of one-half 

 pound of lime to the gallon of water. 

 Whitewash, prepared in this way, is a 

 common disinfectant for use in chicken 

 houses and stables. In addition to its 

 disinfectant properties, it is of some use 

 as a deodorizer. Sulphuric acid may 

 also be used on woodwork when diluted 

 in water at the rate of 1 ounce to the 

 gallon. In tightly constructed stalls or 

 small buildings, formalin fumigation 

 may be adopted, but unless the build- 

 ing is very tight this remedy will give 



