B6—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 5,1950
Ask the
VMD
4.
*
Leon Riegel
A reader asks: We have an
old horse that’s around 25
years old. We have had his
teeth floated faithfully, and
were told that his grinding
teeth are just about worn
away. Should we put him on*
a special diet? Is there a
recommended recipe for a
mash?
Dr. Sheaffer comments: Rolled oats, barley or com
You are correct in having do not have to be chewed as
the teeth of your 23 year old thoroughly as whole grams,
horse examined on a regular *The digestive system will be
basis. I recommend that this able to extract more
be done at six month in- nutrients from the feed when
tervals, twice a year. This is the grains are rolled or
especially important for cracked,
horses that are over 12 to 14
years of age.
Equine teeth grow con
tinuously during the life of a
horse. Dental x-rays of a
young horse show the roots
of the cheek teeth extending
very deep into the jaw bones.
It is these cheek teeth, called
premolars and molars, that
most frequently need to be
treated. ',
Treatment consists of
“floating”, filing or
raspmg, the sharp edges that
will cut the cheek or tongue
when the horse chews grain.
Generally, it is the upper
cheek teeth that lacerate the
cheek while the lower cheek
teeth cause injury to the
tongue.
Have your veterinarian
examine the mouth for
DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE: Joseph C. Miller
Lancaster, PA 17604- Ph; 717-393-4714
T. R. DICKINSON
Tunkhar.nock, PA
717-836-3438
DONALD UPPERMAN
Chambersburg. PA
717-264-6007
HISIAND’S
FARM & HOME
Rome, PA
Sales £ Service
717-744-2371
W&J DAIRY SALES
William Guhl
RO2, Oxford, PA
717-529-2569
RON ACHENSACH
Pen Argyl, PA
215-863-5524
TOM DUNLAP
Jersey Shore, PA
717-753-3196
evidence of laceration,
ulcers or other injury from
sharp points on the teeth.
As a horse ages over
twenty years, his ability to
chew whole grains
decreases. It would be good
if you would break the hull
on the gram by rolling or
cracking.
Coarse grinding is also
acceptable providing that
the oats are not turned into a
fine powder. Pelleted
rations, fed along with long
stem hay, may also be ap
propriate for your horse.
Hay for older horses
should be of average to good
quality. Look for a mixed
hay, part timothy or other
grass and part alfalfa or
clover, that has a good green
color and does not contain
any mold. Stay away from
hay with poor color that was
too old before it was mowed
and baled.
I have found that older
horses, regularly fed bran m
their diet, have less
problems with impaction
colic. Bran adds bulk to the
JOHN McGOWAN
New Brighton, Pa
412-843-0653
CHARLES W. JOHNSTON JAMES H. JOHNSTON
Central City, PA
814-754-5754
SUNNY MEAD SALES
R 3. Box 409 SHANE FARM SERVICE
Altoona, PA Boyce, Va
814-944-6045 703-837-1125
« \
Tim T rayer Edgar Sheaff er
diet and also is a mild '
laxative.
Bran can be added daily at
the rate of one or two cups
mixed with the normal gram
ration. Many horsemen give
a hot bran meal twice
weekly.
Contact your veterinarian
for recommendations
regarding addition of bran to
your horse’s ration.
Dutch Country Goat Assn .
to meet here Tuesday
LANCASTER - The
January meeting of the
Dutch Country Dairy Goat
Assn, will be held Tuesday,
Jan. 8, 7:30 p.m. in the
basement of the Farm and
Home Center, Lancaster.
“Kids, Kidding, and Doe
Care” will be the topic for a
round-table discussion on
various methods of handling
the up-coming kidding
season.
The Club, formerly the
Lancaster County Dairy
Goat Club, recently
reorganized and elected
officers for 1980. They are:
Pat Kauffman, Pequea,
President; Jacob Fisher,
Manheim, Vice-President;
Meg Park, Drumore, and Jill
Wagner, Holtwood,
Secretaries; and Ivan
SYSTEMA
FEED SERVICE
Sussex, NJ
201-875-5449
DONALD HAWN
RDI, Petersburg, PA
814-669-4551
RDI, Marianna. PA
412-267-4515
Hog inventory up 2%
projected farrowing down
HARRISBURG There
were 840,000 hogs and pigs on
Pennsylvania farms
December 1, 1979, according
to the Pennsylvania Crop
Reporting Service. This
inventory was up two per
cent from a year ago and six
percent from December 1,
1977.
Breeding stock at 89,000
was down 23 percent from
last year, while market hogs
at 751,000 were up seven
percent. The fall (June-
November) pig crop for
1979 of 511,000 pigs was three
percent less than last year’s
fall pig crop of 526,000.
Stauffer, Ephrata, Treas.
Dues for 1980 have been set
at $3 individual and $5 family
and will include voting
privileges, listing in a club
directory, breeder listing
and quarterly newsletters.
Checks may be mailed to
Ivan Stauffer, R.D.3, Sen
senig Rd., Ephrata, Pa.
17522.
Dues should be paid early
to ensure listing in the club
directoy.
The 4-H goat club also
elected officers. They in
clude: Karen Kemrer,
Creswell, Pres.; Dan Von
Saal, Drumore, Sec.; Jason
Kauffman, Pequea, Treas.
Any youngsters 8-18 years of
age interested in dairy goats
are urged to join. If in
terested call 284-4340.
See the latest
in dairy automation
from BECO
Unit sanitizer (backflush system)
Automatic machine remover
High capacity Super Claw™
Vacuum pumps (3-40 hp)
Herringbone & side open stalls
Crowd gates (air operated)
Pulsation controllers
Liquid level controls
See us at the Penn Farm Show
Dealer Inquiries Welcome
JH7
9955 9V* Avenue Hanford, Calif. 93230
Phone: (209) 582-2566
There were 70)000 sows
farrowed with an average of
7.3 pigs per litter.
Keystone farmers intend
to farrow 70,000 sows during
the spring (December T May)
of 1980. If realized,
farrowings will be three
percent less than last year.
Nationally, inventory of
hogs and pigs was estimated
at 67.0 million head, 11
percent above a year earlier,
*lB percent more than
December 1, 1977, and the
largest December 1 in
ventory since 1970.
Factory representative
Joe Miller (717) 393-4714
P.O. Box 4275.
Lancaster, PA 17604
Breeding inventory at 9.55
million was virtually un
changed from a year ago but
11 percent above two years
ago.
Market hog inventory at
57.4 million was 14 percent
above last year and 20
percent more than
December 1,1977.
U.S. hog producers intend
to farrow 7.18 million sows
during the December 1979-
May 1980 period about the
same as a year ago and 19
percent above two years
ago.