880 VETEEINARY HYGIENE 



breeding establishment, it may be mentioned that the 

 floors, walls, mangers, etc., should be so constructed that 

 they can be easily cleansed and disinfected, if any infectious 

 disease makes its appearance. 



When the system of raising the young stock is a natural 

 one, so that they spend most of their time in the open all 

 the year round, the composition of the fences is of great 

 importance. Although good sheds may be provided and the 

 animals fed in them, they will seldom make use of them 

 for protection, even in the most inclement weather, but 

 prefer to take shelter under a fence, so that these should be 

 high and thick enough to afford sufficient protection. This 

 does not apply to sheep, which always turn their backs to 

 the storm and go in front of it to the most exposed position 

 they can find. 



It will probably be necessary to provide a certain number 

 of foaling and calving boxes ; lambing pens can be extem- 

 porized, but we do not advise the construction of any 

 special place for the confinement of the animals except in 

 extreme cases. The open field is the natural place for 

 animals to be delivered of their young, and it is wonderful 

 how little harm they suffer, even in the most inclement 

 weather. We are satisfied in this matter that by far the 

 best results will be obtained by adhering to natural con- 

 ditions. We are very much more afraid of infection in the 

 common foaling box or lambing pen than of the effects of 

 the weather. If foaling boxes are used, great care should 

 be taken in their disinfection after every parturition, and 

 for this reason the floors and walls should be as impervious 

 to moisture as possible, and lambing pens should be fre- 

 quently moved. Common foaling boxes are held responsible 

 for the spread of several diseases of breeding and young 

 stock which are the source of great loss every year. Some 

 of the most important are : Septic metritis, navel ill and 

 white scour in calves, which are fully dealt with elsewhere. 



Another reason why pregnant females are better in the 

 open at the time of and before parturition is that they are 

 then able to obtain natural exercise and what green food is 



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