Should Foals Have Oats.

Clutha Leader, Volume I, Issue 37, 25 March 1875, Page 3

Should Foals Have Oats.

I have a thriving foal three months old; ithe mare is in excellent condition, upon good pasture. Some of my neighbours, I find, give oats to their foals of similar age. Will you inform me if you approve of this practice,^ and how much should be given ? Should you not think it advisable to do so, will you be so good as to state at what age giving oats should be commenced, and what quantity at first.—S. M. T. War-s shire. (If foals are to be pushed along for show, if they are dropped late in the season, if the mares prove indifferent mothers, or if the pastures are poor and scant, a daily ■■ allowance of oafa will be beneficial. Under no circumstances can oats injure foals. We never knew them to eat more than ■ was good for them. They may be begun ; when a. fortnight old with a handful, which are better bruised, to induce digestibility. The example of the mare supplied daily with oats, chaff, or other shortfood speedily encourages the young animal to pick and eat corn. At first the foal will only eat a few ounces, but by the time it has got used to it, and is three months old, it may have three or four pounds. . When !the foal has learned to- eat^it may have iits bruised food to jtself, whilst the imare may be tied up in the shed, and kept j content otjless;co@entfated Ifare. In your own and various midland counties of England the dry eummernnd short pastures have compelled many farmers •to fodder daily their brood mares, as well jas their cattle stock with hay.- Indeed^so [scant is the green food in the fields that jfresh barley straw has since rharvest been jthrown on the pastures, and is cleared up as eagerly as it would be ?at.Christmas. ;For young thorough-breds^ or even for hunting foalßf no subsidiary food can take the place, of jound.oats and good meadow jhayv^ The 1 -boiled linseed or linseed cake, useful as.^an occasional—medieant^ and allowable m\. moderation foxcart colts, whS* gfte^^egujarly^^ftWme. tunes is, produces a beantimi sleek coat and imposing rotundity or^fornf^bui it also' OTeatl^f^Vbr^ theformation ot -hl^iise>ss|fe^ic^^bf: cfuriei/to^i^pTc:-; culturist.' . n