Farm and Garden

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 175, 22 July 1909, Page 3

Farm and Garden

CRACKED HEELS IN HORSES. The first indication of cracked heel is that the horse will f ~ noticed a little stiff in the mornir-: coming out of the stable. This stiffness soon goes off, but next morning the swollen and tender heel indicates that the horse moves with difficulty. It is at this stage that a poultice is invaluable, but the majority of stablemen will ask for an ointment— the least desirable form of medicament in cracked heels. The inexperienced will do well to bear in mind the fact that a horse's skin is much more easily scalded than their own, and not use a poultice or clean water hotter than they can comfortably bear the naked elbow in. An ounce of powdered charcoal, in a poultice of equal parts of scalded bread and turnips or other roots, is a good one, or half bran and linseed meal; but not hrrad alone, as it goes bad, unless an antiseptic is first put in. The desired result will generally be obtained by twenty-four hours of poulticing, and should not be carried too far, or it leaves the skin and coronet debilitated and non-resistant to cold. A crack or breach in the skin of the heel is left open after the poultice, and the healing-up of this is a good test of the amateur doctor's skill. Nearly every one will succeed too well, if such a contradiction may be allowed. He will apply bluestone or other drying stuff that will cause the edges to unite in a single day, and break open again in ten minutes after the horsp gcrs to wjrk. The union is not a satisfactory one. and should take longer to repair,and with rr.ore durable material. If a mild astringent like alum is used, or sulphate of zinc with flour, one part of cither of the former to five of the latter. 83 a dusting powder, the heel may be protected as well as healed. Better than either is a ten per cent, glycerine lotion to which 1 per cent, of chloride of zinc has been added. This is supposing that ordinary weather prevails, and that the animal is kept at work. Inflamed heels that parch up after an attack may need some simple ointment like calamine, with ten drops of carbolic acid to the ounce; but the greater number arc disposed to be quite otherwise, and a real greasy heel often dates from a chapped or cracked one improperly treated or neglected at the time.

ENGLISH v. AMERICAN SHOW SHEEP. English flockmasters have proved themselves this year, as has been the case in many former years, superior in respect to feeding sheep over their confreres in Canada and the United States, says an English exchange. We an? now in possession of the results of the carcase tests in the sheep classes at the Chicago Show, and these, compared with those of our own Smithfield Show, prove that the British feeder is able to produce both wethers and lambs tha show considerably better percentage of carcase to live weight, and consequently give a larger profit to their feeders. The three winning wethers in the carcase class at Chicago gave the following percentages of carcase to live weight:—-the first 59.88, the second 63.41. and the third 58.85. In the corresponding class at Smithfield the respective percentages of the three winners were 63.10, 65.63. and 66.68. In the lamb class at Chicago the first prize carcase gave 57.29 per cent, of carcase to live weight, the second 48.-33. and the third 54.25. At Smithfield the percentages were 62.80. 63. 22. and 66 4-1 respectively. The champion carcase at Chicago. a purebred Southdown, was the first prize in the lamb class; it gave 57.29 per cent of carcase to live weight, whilst the champion carcase at Smithfield, also a short-wcolled lamb, gave 62.80 per cent LOCKJAW IN HORSES. Until the last few months all the cases of tetanus—lockjaw.—in animals in this State were reported from the south-east. Recently numerous cases of this disease have been reported from the lower north, and on being investigated they were found to be due to the following causes:—]. Unskilful treatment of wounds. 2. Castration of colts and lambs with dirty hands and instruments; also, by placing the animals operated on in bad surroundings, i.e., dirty yards. The germs of tetanus are very common in nature, and can be found in old cultivated sol is, manure heaps and old yards. Tbis micro-organism will not grow or develop any poisonous substance in an open wound, a* it cannot flourish in the presence of air. Punctured wounds in which dirt carrying the germ of tetanus has entered the tissues, are the frequent cause of the disease. Where an open wound has been unskilfully treated, or the animal has been operated on in a dirty yard, or dirty bands and instruments used in operations—these are the common causes for infecting what might be a simple wound under ordinary conditions. The germs do not multiply and produce their poison until the wound has healed, that is, until the presence of air has been excluded. Wounds of the mouth, the jaws, ani digestive tract arc not the common parts for the entry of tbis germ. The horse is the animal most prone to this disease, which causes a death rate of over 90 per cent.

Prevention: In all operations, no matter now simple, wash the part to be operated on with hot water BmJ washing soda, clean the bands and fingernails with the same solution, and boil tbe instruments. The animals to be operated on should be secured on a clean grass plot, and not in dirty yards covered with manure or loose dust. Open wounds should be kept clean with hot water and washing soda. Do not use any oily preparations, or embrocations that dry up tbe part and leave a lasting blemish. Treatment of Affected Animals: Place toe animal in a dark loose box, well bedded with straw. All light must be kept out. The loose box should be in a very quiet place. Disturb the patient as little as possible. Keep a supply of cold water in the manger. If the horse can suck op

•li>i'!.*•. Kive grU'-'i, hay tea, ar.d water in which oats or wheat has been boil ed. Giving medicine?, except by a duly qualified veterinary surgeon, only hastens the death of the affected animal.