| Show HANDLING YOUNG ANIMALS much depends upon early training and care AH farm animals by instinct and inheritance are wild when born they are timid in the presence of man little pigs and chickens will run and try to hide at the approach of human beings it Is the instinct of self preservation wild animals were hunted by man and athla dim inherit ed memory in our young domestic animals tells them to flee when the enemy approaches there Is also an inherited instinct in domestic animals of man s care am planted in their minds through a few generations of association with hu man beings by reason of this latter inherited remembrance all domestic animals may be easily tamed it taken la hand when young the almo to begin Is when the animals are but a day old the sooner work Is begun with them the sooner and better will they submit to human treatment an old animal which has never been handled during its infancy Is very difficult to tame A striking illustration of this Is in the case of western horses brought to the agricultural states they are very difficult to tame and break to work because they have never been handled but have led a wild life all through their growing period some western horses are never fully broken their wild traits coming to the surface even in ad danced years it Is very unpleasant and often dangerous to have animals about the farm that are always running away kicking butting biting bucking and a host of other tricks which we call mean these habits are mean from our point of view says farmers voice but probably a virtue from the animals point of view they aie giving back what they have received it they had been kindly handled sheltered and fed regularly during their young growing period they would have been gentle when they grew to maturity when an aal mal forms a habit either good or bad that habit Is a part of its life aa long as it lives the quiet gentle animal is the one in which there Is the most gonei this Is true of horses cows either dairy or beef hogs sheep and poul try the absolutely gentle horse is almost a priceless farm animal no success can be made with dairy cows unless they are perfectly gentle an beef cattle must feel contented and gentle to take on profitable flesh the wild timid hog will not fatten like the tame one it Is similarly true of all other farm animals no domestic animal that Is always afraid will prove profitable all animals should be trained so that the presence of hu man belaga will not frighten them they should be taught confidence in our treatment animals appreciate kindness and hu man sympathy even more ban we suspect it la possible to be kind to animals and yet not sympathetic it the person who handles them Is truly sympathetic the response these dumb creatures give Is something truly won bertul some people even love their animals especially horses and dairy cows it Is difficult to draw the alno between sympathy and love but the farmer who is sympathetic in the handling of his stock la the one who will succeed with them we should have feeling for our domestic animals and not be content when we know that any of them are suffering in any way |
