Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 237, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 October 1912 — GROWING BETTER DRAFT COLTS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

GROWING BETTER DRAFT COLTS

By D. O. THOMPSON,

Animal Husbandry Department, Purdue Experi-

ment Station. Purdue University Agricultural Extension.

With the birth of the great number of colts all over the state of Indiana this season comes the problem of growing these colts into the best possible kinds of horses. The question of breeding, so far as this year’s crop of colts is concerned, is a thing of the past and cannot be changed. The farmer must now, in order to reap the greatest benefit from his horse breeding operations, devote himself to growing the foal in the best possible manner. Mares which have been worked through the spring’s work and corn plowing and are now at work In the harvest field have, perhaps due to the combined Inroads of work and maternity upon their systems, in many cases ceased to give anything near a sufficient supply of milk for the rapidly growing foal. The foal should not be allowed to accompany the mare In her work about the farm but should be kept at the barn in a clean stall or allowed the run of a small grassy yard or paddock. Choice bits of hay or freshly cut grass should be supplied and a box from which the foal may eat oats or other grain should be placed in the paddock. With oats or a mixture of bran and oats supplied daily in this box, plenty of clean fresh water and a good place to romp and play, with access to a shady spot or dark stall where the files will not torment it, together with whatever milk it may get from Its dam, the foal should

grow and develop into a strong, thrifty, hard boned, well muscled and good bodied individual if it has hP herent within it such possibilities. Pastures are not filled with yearling drafters weighing 1,200 pounds, two-year-olddrafterßwelghing 1,600 pounds, and three-year-olds weighing 1,700 and 1,800 pounds by men who fail to supply the growing colt during the first year of its life everything essential to its continuous growth and development. The value at maturity of the colts foaled this spring and summer in the state of Indiana can be increased a large per .cent, if the foals are kept growing during the latter part of this summer, this fall, and during winter of 1912-13. The average value of the horses on the farms of Indiana cannot be Increased in the greatest possible degree by merely the use of Improved sires and darns. Before the Indiana farmers can successfully compete with the other farmers of the corn belt in the production of heavy draft horses and with the farmers of the old world in the production of pure bred draft horses they must learn the lesson of correct feeding. Size and substance are essential in the drafter and these cannot be obtained by stinting the colt during the first year of its life. Keep the colt "coming” all the time and you will get a higher priced colt on the market at an earlier date than can otherwise be done.