JACKS, JBNNETS AND MULES 25 



SECTION FIFTH. 



When a jennet has nursed her colt six months, and 

 is in foal, the colt ought to be weaned. If a jennet is 

 allowed to suckle her colt unduly long and she is in 

 foal, the one she is (drying is liable to be made a 

 dwarf. I have known this to be done. Where a man 

 has a very promising jack colt that is growing fast, 

 and he has every reason to believe he will make a fine 

 show animal, and he wants to take him to the fairs, 

 it is a great inducement to have the colt suck until the 

 fairs are over, hoping to take premiums with him. I 

 want the young reader to remember when this is done 

 he is damaging the fetus the jennet is carrying. When 

 we wish to prepare a colt for the fair, and want to 

 give it every advantage, it is best not to breed the 

 jennet that year, and let the jack colt nurse until he 

 is a year old or over. When a jack colt is allowed 

 to run with a herd until he is a year old and has be- 

 come well developed he is liable to become spoiled by 

 being with jennets coming in heat, and may become 

 so much enamored with them that he will have a 

 strong partiality for his own species over mares. I 

 have heard of jack colts running with their dams until 

 they would get them with foal. This inbreeding of 

 stock will bring about malformation and impair the 

 constitution. 



I cannot impress too strongly on young stock breed- 

 ers the great importance pf vigilant care in rearing 

 young jacks. They must be kept where they cannot 

 see or smell jennets until they are well broken or 

 trained to serve mares properly. I allude to mule 

 jacks. I once owned a jack that was partial to mares, 

 and would not serve jennets without a mare was 



