Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 61, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 March 1913 — CARE OF COLTS DURING THE WINTER MONTHS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CARE OF COLTS DURING THE WINTER MONTHS

By C. F. GOBBLE,

Animal Husbandry Department, Purdue School of Agriculture.

Purdue University Agricultural Extension.

How are you going to handle that colt this winter? Are you going to let him get his feed and shelter from the sunny side of a straw or hay stack, or are you going to something to make hips grow? It is all right to “rough” the stocker steers through the winter as cheaply as possible, but colts should be kept growing. Size is not so important with steers as horses. To get the most money possible out of a draft colt he must have size, and to get the greatest size he must be kept growing from the time he is born until he is mature. Half of a horse’s growth is made during the first twelve months of his life. If he doesn’t weigh 1,00(1 pounds at the end of the first year he will never make a ton horse. Feed.

After weaning, the colt should be fed a pound of graih for each 100 pounds live weight and all the bright, clean clover hay he will eat. A good grain mixture is hi corn, M bran and % or M corn, % bran and % oats. Crushed or rolled oats are more efficient than whole oats for growing horses. The Percheron breeders of France roll the oats for all ages of horses, claiming an increase of 10 per cent, due to the rolling. Corn alohe, as a grain ration, is too fattening and is not conducive to the greatest growth. It is, however, the cheapest source of heat we have in foodstuffs, and its use in winter cheapens the ration and increases its efficiency. There is no danger to the wind of the colt in feeding clover hay If it is bright and clean. Moldy hay, of course, should not be fed to horses of any age. ' Stabling. An expensive barn or stall is neither necessary nor advisable. The colt should be allowed the use of a lot or pasture during all kinds of weather

where it ean play and get plenty of fresh air. It should also have free access to a warm, well ventilated building of some sort where it can have protection at night and during the worst stormy weather, but exercise in the crisp, invigorating air of winter helps to keep the colt in good health and spirit—both necessary for greatest growth. Care of Feet. Regular attention to the feet of colts ip absolutely. necessary in this country. The hoofs often tend to grow in abnormal ways, too long on. one side, tending to twist the fetlock joint, or too long at the toe, which tends to strain the ligaments, and. which also leads to faulty action. In trimming the hoof, all that needs to be done can be done with a rasp. The hoof wall should be rasped off on the bottom surface until tbe relation of the heel, side and toe Is approximately 1, 2 and 3 In length. and the work should be done in such a manner as to cause the foot to rest squarely on the ground. Practice and observation will soon enable a man who has fair judgment to determine just what trimming each colt .needs and how often attention wilt be required. As a general rule, the feet should be examined every six or eight weeks. In this day and age of the world, when, land values are so high and when thff margin of profit between cost of production and selling price is so close, it behooves every farmer to pay the closest attention to every detail wherein he may increase his net; earnings. For this reason this article is written. The writer believes that the average farmer of Indiana does not produce as heavy horses as he might. One reason for this is because he doesn’t exercise as much care in the management of his young stuff as be should. *■