346 



FARMER'S CYCLOPEDIA OF LIVE STOCK 



than the ordinary mule, and the saving 

 in breeding is considerable, as the price 

 of one mule mare equals that of three 

 or four jennies, and the keep of a jenny 

 one-fourth that of a mare." Small stal- 

 lions are used in breeding hinnies. We 

 have already mentioned the fact that 

 good hinnies have been obtained by 

 crossing thoroughbred or pony stallions 

 on burro mares. Now and then in farm 

 papers, the question is raised concern- 

 ing the value and usefulness of hinnies. 

 It may be, therefore, that on account of 

 the economy in raising them, more at- 

 tention may be given to hinnies in the 

 future than has heretofore been the 

 case. 



Feeding mules—The statement is fre- 

 quently made that mules eat less than 

 horses. Riley, however, on the basis of 

 a long experience with thousands of 

 army mules, formed a different opinion. 

 He maintains that a mule "requires just 

 as much as a horse of similar dimen- 

 sions." In fact, at hard work, Riley 

 states that, "the mule will eat more 

 than the horse will or can." At three 

 years of age the mule is shedding his 

 milk teeth and cannot eat much. He 

 is, therefore, weak and particularly lia- 

 ble to contract distemper, sore eyes, skin 

 sores and other diseases. But the ma- 

 ture mule in health is a good feeder. 

 In general, a poor feeder is a poor ani- 



Fig. 231 THE MULE AND THE COTTON PLANTER 



Market classes — There are two gen- 

 eral classes of mules, cotton mules and 

 sugar mules. The size of the colt at 

 birth and the rapidity of growth deter- 

 mine whether it be a sugar or cotton 

 mule. "If the colt when foaled, is 3 

 feet 5 inches and upwards, and grows 

 nicely, it will make a sugar mule; if 

 under the above height it will be a cot- 

 ton mule. The mature sugar mule 

 stands 15.3 to 16.3 hands or higher and 

 is heavy, well-boned and rather stylish. 

 They are used on sugar plantations, for 

 dray purposes, and for heavy farm work. 

 The cotton mule is simply smaller than 

 the sugar mule, but of the same con- 

 formation. 



mal whether it be sheep, pig, dairy cow, 

 beef steer or horse, and the mule is no 

 exception to this rule. The mule will 

 manage to get along on poor feed given 

 at irregular intervals, but the sensible 

 man does not attempt to determine just 

 how much neglect in this respect the 

 mule will endure. 



The mule colt is taught to eat grain 

 before it is weaned, which takes place 

 at the age of four months. At weaning 

 time the colts are put in a barn and fed 

 bran, oats, cut grass, and clean hay. 

 After about two weeks they may be 

 turned on pasture, preferably alfalfa or 

 clover with some grain. Little variation 

 is needed on this system till mules are 



