CATTLE ONE YEAR OLD SUMMER AND WINTER 59 



should be to give them a separate yard or portion of 

 the main yard that they may have the chance to take 

 their proper fodder at vv^ill. 



It is greatly important that the sheds or stables, 

 and also the yards in which the animals are kept, shall 

 be well littered. The litter, from whatever source it 

 may come, should be ample to keep the animals dry 

 and clean. To accomplish this it may be necessary to 

 add fresh litter quite frequently. When straw or coarse 

 hay is fed in the mangers, the residue removed between 

 the times of feeding and strewn over the floor may fur- 

 nish all the needed litter. Because of the accumulation 

 it may be necessary to remove the manure in the sheds 

 once, or oftener, in the winter, which is easily done, 

 as it seldom freezes. When a straw stack is in the yard, 

 to which the animals may or may not have access, this 

 makes a ready source of litter for the yard. It is usually 

 preferable to allow them to pick over the straw in the 

 stack, the waste or rejected portion only being used 

 for bedding. A little attention to throwing aside any 

 frozen clods that may be present will add to the comfort 

 of the animals when taking rest. 



Turning the animals out in the spring to graze 

 should be done with care. The better plan is to allow 

 the grazing to become abundant before admitting the 

 animals to the pastures. They may then be allowed 

 to graze for a short time only the first day, less. 

 probably, than an hour, and increasing the length of 

 time each day, until they may remain out. The amount 

 of dry food, grain, and fodder is gradually and increas- 

 ingly reduced until none is given. By this method of 

 turning out, the purging that would otherwise result 

 from abruptly changing from dry foods to tender graz- 

 ing and the consequent loss of flesh that would follow 

 may be almost entirely obviated. The time called for 

 in making such a change need not usually be extended 

 beyond lo to 14. days, but sometimes this depends upon 



