394 THE MANAGEMENT AND FEEDING OF CATTLE 



and when thus secured and unable to struggle, to re- 

 move the ovaries. 



When spayed through the belly, which has now 

 come to be a favorite method of spaying heifers, they are 

 thrown and the hind legs are so drawn up by the neces- 

 sary tackling that the hind parts of the animal are vir- 

 tually raised from the ground, thus leaving it to rest 

 upon the shoulders and a portion of the back. Ample 

 room is thus furnished to enable the operator to perform 

 the operation without interference from the stomach. 

 The hand may then be inserted in the opening made in 

 the underline, and the ovaries are removed by a shear 

 or emasculator. This method is the best and safest of 

 the three submitted, but it is less speedy than the flank 

 method. To accomplish it in the best fashion a block 

 and tackle are a necessity. The objection has been made 

 to it that it involves some hazard that the intestines 

 may give trouble in the wound made. This should not 

 follow where the stitching is properly done. 



When undertaking this work, scrupulous care 

 should be exercised against contaminating germs that 

 may make trouble. The implements used should be 

 sterilized by boiling in water, say. ten minutes. The 

 hands should be treated with disinfectants. For this 

 purpose carbolic acid and water in the proportions of 3 

 and 100 parts, respectively, will be found very suitable. 

 The same is true of corrosive sublimate in the propor- 

 tions of I of bichloride of mercury to, say. 1,000 of water. 

 The wounds should also be thus disinfected. When the 

 wound has been sewed up, if flies are present, it should 

 be smeared over with tar. The tar should have in it 

 enough of spirits of turpentine to thin it so that it may 

 be readily applied. Moreover, when material other than 

 catgut is used in sewing up the wound, in due time the 

 stitches should be cut and removed. 



Facts regarding castrating cattle. — The chief object 

 sought in castrating the males of bovines include: (i) 



