| Show abortion of cows on alb hitherto relatively obscure point the prairie furmer males some sensible suggestions which may be interesting and useful to tural readers bow desirable deti rable it would be if there existed only one cause for th air lucky event and especially so if we but knew what the cause WM unfortunately this occurrence occur tence has for its origin numerous came alonz which some are very obscure or at least have not been very satisfactorily demonstrated among the various causes of abortion in cows as well as in other domestic animals may be mentioned mechanical driving undue excitement from various causes innutritious and badly prepared or ams pure water rusty and musty hay and especially ergot or so called spurred rye the latter is found developed in several grasses among these the rye grass the hungarian grass the meadow fescue grass sweet scented vernal grass timothy grass well a in the cereals rye and corn chis product of vegetable disease on account of its being usually met with in rye hai been given ahn name of spurred rye it possesses the property of exerting a special influence oa the womb occasioning contraction of that organ and con sequel taken in sufficient quantity occasionally abortion will assume an epidemic character affecting whole herd gand even the herds on a largo extent of country much has been written in elucidation of this variety tion but it does not seem to be very satisfactorily explained in ascertaining the cause of continued cases of abortion occurring on a farm or in a locality much caution will be requisite the nature of the food and water should be carefully looked into and if the cows are at grass the herbage should be searched for any deleterious or poisonous plants or poisonous product the development of ergot being especially favored during some peculiar seasons it is alo understood that which are fed in the neighborhood of and in woods and that live on coarse and rank pasture in autumn are most liable to this complain tanj especially if they have aborted before the smell proceeding from a cow that has aborted has been assigned as a cause for abortion in other cows by bringing on eiter a state nausea or a kind of nervous excitement this however true in certain cases is not an invariable rule as it sometimes occurs in animals wholly apart from the rest of the herd but occurring simultaneously with other cases on the same farm in order to prevent this evil or effectually stop progress pro grees where it already exits tho cause or causes of the same must first be ascertained for co long as these remain in operation no remedy will bo to succeed if the a allm in ibe leod an entire change of diet or if abortion occurs in the summer when the animals are on pasture their removal from that past ure or locality to different pasture and different soil if possible will often be A sufficient and only effective remedy A cow that once ans aborted is apt to abort again during the period of her next gesta lion therefore any irregularity in feeding and management should be carefully guarded against and when stabled such a cow should be kept quietly in a stall for herself A cow that has once aborted may abort again simply by standing near by another cow that is calving A cow that has once aborted should not be kept in too high condition while A calf again avoid watery or laxative food at the same time she should not be led exclusively on dry or very bulky must be guarded against it will always be proper to remove the aborting cow from ahe rest of the herd and to thoroughly disinfect her stall the feeding of hemp seed a half to a pint a day during a month pro to and a month after the time corresponding to her advancement in gestation at her last abortion is supposed to have been at booie extent successful as a preventative of recurring abortion 11 is alo regarded as a safeguard sale guard or at least a precautionary measure against future abortion to let the cow that hag aborted go over one year at least before she is bred again |
