1920.] 



The Management of Bulls. 



179 



The Attendant.— Bulls should be fed, attended to and 

 exercised by a careful man ; they should be treated kindly 

 and on no account should they be teased, or they may 

 develop vicious habits. 



Every bull exceeding one year old should have a ring in his 

 nose, and, for leading, a strong staff of an approved pattern 

 should be used. 



The hoofs should be kept short and the soles flat, either 

 by exercise on a hard road or by paring them with a suitable 

 instrument, otherwise the animal cannot stand, walk or serve 

 properly. 



It is advisable to brush and groom the bull regularly, and 

 an occasional wash with soap and water is beneficial, to prevent 

 vermin. Should vermin appear the animal should be twice 

 washed with water to which a suitable disinfectant has been 

 added. The second wash should follow the first after an 

 interval of a week. A wineglassful of " Jeyes " fluid to a 

 gallon of water is a suitable solution for the purpose. 



Housingr. — The bull should have proper shelter from the 

 cold in winter and from the heat in summer. 



To secure this it is advisable to keep him in a loose box 

 (about 12 ft. by 12 ft. in size) well lighted and ventilated, but 

 not draughty, attached to which should be an open yard, 

 about twice the dimensions of the loose box, to which the bull 

 should have access. The floor of the loose box and yard should 

 be paved. Every morning the dung and soiled fitter should 

 be removed from the box, fresh litter suppfied and the open 

 yard swept clean. 



Altliough on many farms a loose box and open yard as 

 described are not available, it is generally possible to find a 

 loose box in which a bull can be kept. On no account should 

 a bull spend his life tied up by the neck and cramped in a 

 stall which is often dark and dirty. 



Exercise. — Plenty of exercise helps to maintain health and 

 vigour. During winter, or when confined to the house, bulls 

 should be led out for regular exercise : about one mile every 

 other day is recommended. 



In summer a run in a paddock may be permitted at night. 



Service of Cows. — The practice of turning a bull loose among 

 a herd of cows is not to be recommended. This often leads 

 to him serving a cow repeatedly until both bull and cow are 

 exhausted, and there is a danger of the bull becoming unfruitful 

 and of the cow not proving in calf. 



N 2 



