FORTY-THIRD ANNUAL CONVENTION 35 



the bull pen. Such a pen makes breeding" cows absolutely safe 

 with any bull, no matter how ugly, because you do not handle 

 him. I built this pen on one corner of the bull pen — I usually 

 build this pen 31-2 feet wide at the front end and 41-2 feet 

 wide at the rear end and the total length is 16 feet. 



My present arrangement for the bull in my barn is a bo.x- 

 stall which joins the calf pens, and the stall is provided with a 

 stanchion. When the bull feeds he puts his head through the 

 stanchion and if I want to catch him, or clean his pen, I just 

 shut the stanchion. I don't go into the bull pen until the bull 

 is secured. I have a stanchion in the breeding pen and one in the 

 box stall. 



There is another* thing in connection with a bull, that is 

 the question of disinfecting him against the spread of contagious 

 abortion. This is a serious disease. If there were no other 

 reason why I would want to raise my own stock, it would be to 

 be sure that I had clean stock and could keep it clean. If you 

 start with clean stock and take proper care of it, you will con- 

 tinue to have clean stock. We find in some states as many as 

 one-third the herds infected with contagious abortion. How can 

 you remedy or overcome it? There are many methods proposed. 

 The use of carbolic acid is recommended and extensively prac- 

 ticed. Methylene blue is extensively recommended. I have never 

 seen any satisfactory results from the use of these materials, 

 either the carbolic acid or the methylene blue. I have more faith 

 in the disinfecting method, and especially in the disinfecting of 

 the bull. That may be a simple matter and it may not, but if 

 you are prepared for it, it is the simplest thing in the world. 



I use the breeding pen for disinfecting the bull. I use a 

 2 per cent solution of creolin. That is a little stronger than is 

 generally used, but I always want to be on the safe side. I have 

 never seen any bad results from using so strong a solution. 

 There are different kinds of creolin. Be sure to get the kind that 

 when you mix it with water it produces a milky color. It costs 

 about $1 a gallon and I use it regularly until I am absolutely 

 sure that there is no chance of the disease. This simple precau- 

 tion will do more to avert contagious abortion than anything else 

 you can do in your herds. 



