96 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



perhaps best when every minute of the farmer's time is needed 

 on this $1,000 farm. 



Do not get a very large ram ; quality rather than size is desir- 

 able in a ram. I would not get a cross-bred ram. Let us plan 

 to have an even lot of lambs, so get either a native or a pure bred ; 

 there is little reliance to be placed on a mixed ram. Get your 

 ewes home and feed them a bit before you breed them. Get 

 them thrifty and do not shut them up. The chances are that 

 their bad condition is due to their having been shut up in some 

 place unfit for a sheep. Give them a run on a hill or in a field 

 where they can get exercise if nothing more. Nothing is so 

 good for a flock of ewes as clover stubble. For grain, a handful 

 of whole oats is the best ; wheat bran is good. All grain is good 

 and all fodder except timothy hay. That should never be fed. 

 When the ewes begin to show a little gain, turn in the rams. 

 You have no time to look after rams and you have probably 

 bought some well along in years. Do not be afraid of old rams ; 

 they get the best lambs. 



We must provide shelter, and we have no money to hire car- 

 penters and build expensive barns. An open shed facing the 

 south and east, on a high piece of ground, to let the water run 

 away from the building, is the best. This is an ideal place to 

 winter sheep. A tight board fence as a windbreak is better than 

 a barn cellar or basement. A shed made of spruce boughs would 

 answer our purpose well, but room enough must be provided. 

 Sheep know very little. They should always have at least twice 

 as much room as they would need if they were more intelligent. 

 We need no feed racks. The clean snow is an ideal place to 

 feed a sheep hay. Move the well shaken hay a little farther out 

 each feed, and at every storm begin back at the shed, always 

 feeding on clean snow. If you have a few roots, feed them 

 whole. We cannot afford grain now. If you do not confine 

 the sheep in a yard, and you should not, you need not bother 

 about water. If they can always have clean snow they will eat 

 that and thrive, but without clean snow they suffer for want of 

 water quicker than any other animal. 



Watch for disease ; take pains to kill the ticks ; feed regularly. 

 It matters little how many times a day you feed, once, twice, or 

 three times, but the feed should be regular in time and amount. 

 Make them eat their fodder clean. You can soon get their ration 



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