1124 New York State Breeders' Association 



Heretofore I have had lambs die of bloat when turned on 

 alfalfa, but this year, thanks to Mr. J. J. Brown, my superin- 

 tendent, I tried the following plan: We chalied some alfalfa, 

 cutting- it up about one-quarter to one-half inch long. To three 

 bran sacks of this chatf vvo added 100 pounds of bran, and two 

 bushels of oats, and our lambs had half of their ration early in 

 the morning and the other half at night and ran at their pleasure 

 in an 18-acre held of alfalfa from which we had already taken 

 the first crop. I never have seen such a healthy and thriving 

 lot of lambs — eyes bright, fleeces right, no scouring and growing 

 like weeds. 



About the first of June we select our nicest lambs, our best 

 yearling ewes and rams, to get them in condition to show. We 

 have started our root crops long before this — -our peas and oats, 

 to cut when in the flower for green feed. Our aim now is to have 

 them in the pink of condition for the fall shows. We find that 

 wo can give them all tlu^ green peas and oats, cut clover and 

 sliced roots that they will clean up nicely, three times a day, but 

 wc have to be very careful about the grain feed, of which they 

 need very little. 



We find that the Shropshire (I cannot speak so well of other 

 breeds) is prone to get too fat, particularly if the grain is not 

 watched. We do not want our sheep flabby when they go in the 

 show ring, we want good, firm flesh, and the great thing in fitting 

 to avoid this flabbiness is constant exercise. Keep them in the 

 open, not in barns, shelter them from the storms if you will, 

 bring them in possibly at feeding time, but keep them outdoors 

 as uiuch as possible. Be regular in your feeding and see that 

 they have plenty of good water at all tiuies. 



They should bo dipped early, when shorn, and again one 

 month before showing, but do not cut tlicm or trim up their 

 fleeces too early. Keep them in their unlural condition au'l 

 briuii' tlicm into the show rin<>' active, with (dean, smooth lleeees 

 ;ind bi'iglil. eyes, pink skins and w(dl-covered bn(d<s, nil of wliich 

 can be done ^\^tl\ the ])roper, I'cgubir feeding, and above all — 

 exercise. 



I want to say one thing more — about keeping up the quality 

 of your flock. If a man is keeping forty breeding ewes I think 



