2CJ4. 



THE MANAGEMENT AND FEEDING OF CATTLE 



are thus brought into direct touch with those who have 

 stock to sell, and this results in competition in prices. 

 Such fairs are more helpful to small than to large pro- 

 ducers for reasons that will be manifest. It is not 

 every locality, however, that can sustain such fairs, 

 owing, it may be, to the newness and sparseness of the 

 settlement or to the absorption of interest in other lines 

 of production. 



Preparing for transit. — A'N'hen cattle are to be shipped 

 b}' rail, a car or cars, as may be needed, should be secured 

 in ample time beforehand to make sure that the animals 

 will be shipped on time. The more distant the market, 

 and the fewer the competing lines of railroads, the more 

 important is such timely application for cars. Only a 

 few davs' delay may mean the loss of the best market for 

 the time being, and after the cattle are ready, for ship- 

 ment it alwa}'s means loss of food. 



A\'hen the car is in place, it should be well bedded 

 with dry straw. If the run will call for more than 24 

 hours, many shippers furnish 200 to 300 pounds of hay 

 to each car. It is strewn around the sides and ends of 

 the car. Some cars have racks for hay, but these are of 

 necessity placed so high as to be little use. 



When the cattle are shipped from the pastures they 

 should be kept away from grass, unless when it is largely 

 cured on the ground, for a day or two, and fed on good 

 hay, as such feeding will lessen the tendency to a loose 

 condition of the bowels which is so frequently an ac- 

 companiment of the excitement and jostling which re- 

 sult from shipping. The cured grasses are more suit- 

 able for such feeding than the clovers or alfalfa, as they 

 are less laxative. The usual grain food given to cattle 

 in the feed lot or stable should be cut down gradually 

 from one-half to two-thirds for, say, two days, before 

 shipping. This compels the animals to eat more hay. 

 They should be watered in the usual way previous to 

 shipment. An}^ attempt to induce them to take more 



