REARING A FOAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 29 June 1939, Page 3

REARING A FOAL

PROBLEM FOR FARMERS SELECTION OF MILK OF GREAT IMPORTANCE REGULARITY AND CLEANLINESS Occasionally through the death of a mare, farmers find themselves faced with I he, problem of rearing Ihe foal left behind. A foster mother is. of course, the bast method of getting over the difficulty bur in only a few cases is this possible. The hand-rearing of an orphan foal has always been a difficult problem, both from the point of view of getting satisfactory results and because of the labour end trouble involved (says the Napier "Telegraph”). For the food, cow's milk has to be substituted, and to appreciate the procedure U, is advisable to have some idea of the analysis of row’s milk compared with tha( of the mare Mate. Cow

the essential differences are than the protein and fat. content are higher and the i&ugar content lower in cow’s milk than in T.R. TESTED COWS The milk to be used should be chosen from a tuberculin-tested cow, and from one whose milk has a low fat-content. II possible, select a new milch cow, that is, One very recently calved. leaving settled the cow question, the next matter is the preparation of the food. Dissolve a tablespoonful of sugar in a little warm water; lactose, which is tlie sugar of milk, is the best kind of sugar to use, but it is rather expensive. Failing tins, glucose is the next most suitable sugar. To the dissolved sugar add three tablespoonfuls of lime water and then enough fresh milk to make one pint. This prepared food should be warmed to blood heat before being administered, and for the first few days the foal is given five fluid ounces (that, is. one quarter of a pint) every hour. The food is best given from a bottle with a large nipple. As the foal glows the quantity of food and the intervals between feeding are increased. After a week, six feeds per day will l»e enough, and later only four. REGULARITY IMPORTANT In six weeks skimmed milk can be gradually substituted for whole' rhilk, and after thiee months the foal may be given all it can drink three times a day. By this time, of course, it should have been taught; to drink from a bucket. Feeding should be carried out with proper regularity, and the temperature of the milk must always be at blood heat. All utensils used in feeding must be kept scrupulously clean. a,l vessels being rinsed out with clean cold water after use and then properly washed and scalded. At about three weeks of age the foal will begin to nibble grass. A clean pas ttirfe has which has been well limed comparatively recently is best, as lime is essential for building up bone. When two months old the foal will take a little dry feed. Oatfneal and bran at? easily digested foods, and may he given in small quantities. When the milk diet is finally relinquished it is a very gocnl plan to give a small quantity of cod liver oil in the food.

Per rent. Per cent. , Total solids 10.06 12.6 protein 2.60 3.5 Fat 1.59 3.5 Sugar 6.14 4.8 Asti 0.57 0.8