Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 November 1876 — Keep the Animals Warm. [ARTICLE]

Keep the Animals Warm.

The first cold blast of. wind frouFthe north is a reminder that animals; however tough and hardy, need shelter in winter.; It will take less food to keep frrnv stock over winter in warm stables than when exposed to severe cold.. Of coarse good wood, stone or brick barns and stables are expensive, and there are many farmers, 1 especially in the recently-settled districts, who have not the means to build such structures, but there is noone too poor to furnish some kind of shelter for their animals. If a man cannot afford to build what he desires, let him do the next best thing, and build something which will furnish shelter, even if h is-nothing better, than a shed, with sod for walls, and a roof of brush or cornstalks. All attempts at elegance or extra convenience may be left out of the question where a.man’s purse is light; still, it ls.ecqnomy to keep all farm stock skeltered from cold, wind and storms, in winter, even if thp owner does not possess enough of the humane feelings to care for their \ More than one half of all life diseases and parasites which infest farm stock are the direct result of neglecting to furnish them with proper food- or shelter during 1 cold, stormy Cattle of all kinds, when forced to remain in muddy, Wet yards during cold Weather, are liable to various diseases of the feet, such as bodfail and foot rot. and the best preventive'is dry ground, or yards' littered with straw, or some similar coarse material. Standing a lone time in filth, whether in the stable or yard, is almost certain to bring on diseases of the feet. All kinds of farm stock are liable to take cold when exposed to storms, and from this comes a weakened constitution, which invites various kinds of diseases and parasitic insects. Weakened vitality or vigor in either plants or animals opens the way to hundreds of parasites which are resisted hy the healthy individual, and the farmer should keep his animals in a condition which will enable them to ward off the attacks of such enemies. He has only to, think of his own comforts, such as nutritious food and warm clothing, and: consider how the reverse of these conditions would affect him, to understand how it is with his animals. It is unnecessary to go into details in regard to the building of sheds, stables, or other kinds of structures for sheltering stock in winter, as every man knows best what materials are at hand or within reach suitable for such purpisos, bnt the fact should be apparent to all breeders of animals that in all cool climates some kind of protection is required. Oqt on the plains and prairies of the West and Southwest it is often asserted that sheep need no protection in winter, and it is even claimed by some that they do better without it than with* 1 ’ it; but the frequent heavy losses by cold, starvation and diseases plainly sbow that all this talk of mildness of climate is an error. Sheep and oth-ar farm stock may live through the winter without artificial shelter or inore food than, can be obtained on the range* in these favored localities, Irot they would certainly do better with added comforts every winter, and occasionally heavy losses might be avoided, by toffting the necessary provision to and feed tuem when severe storms prevail.*-JV. Y. tir.n. t - '--l