260 The Management of Sheep Stock 



the sheep go into the yards, and looked at every three weeks or 

 a month, I am satisfied, from my own experience, that there need 

 not be more lameness, if so much, as the same sheep would 

 undergo if folded on the land ; for wet, soft soil gets between the 

 claws, becomes dry and hard, and is a fruitful source of lameness. 

 In addition to this care of the hoof, the supply of litter is most 

 important. In confirmation of this I quote from Mr. W. Delf, 

 of Great Bentley Hall, near Colchester, who, in a letter to Mr. 

 Ruston, says, " It will be supposed that the foot disease is the 

 great difficulty to contend with. To combat this enemy, it will 

 be necessary to pare every foot closely before placing the sheep 

 in the yar<l, and again at intervals of time not greater than three 

 weeks, accomplishing with the knife what under other cir- 

 cumstances would be effected by the wear of the horn on the 

 land." Again, Mr. Fryer, who has constantly yarded sheep, 

 says: "I ought to refer to a difficulty I had on two occasions 

 with foot-disease. Once I attributed it to a deficiency of litter, 

 allowing the sheep's feet to come too closely in contact with the 

 heating manure ; and the other time, to sending out the sheep for 

 an hour or two in the middle of the day for a run over a stubble- 

 field. 1 found that small clods and stubble frequently got 

 between the claws, and, drying hard on the warm manure, occa- 

 sioned lameness," Mr. Alfred Ruston, in his lecture before the 

 Central Farmers' Club, from which the above extracts are 

 taken, says : " During the whole of last winter (1860) I don't 

 suppose I had more than a dozen lame sheep (out of 400) 

 whilst they were in the yards. This winter I have had more, as 

 many of them came lame into the yard, in consequence, I 

 suppose, of the wetness of last summer, I may, however, say 

 there have been much fewer cases in the yards than occurred 

 previously to their coming in, I find it is very essential to keep 

 a thin layer of dry straw over the yard. In wet days we litter 

 twice a day, and in fine days once ; but we only use a small 

 quantity at a time, so as just to keep the heat of the manure 

 from rising to injure their feet, and to prevent them treading on 

 wet straw during the day," 



This evidence is, I think, conclusive that with proper care 

 sheep may be successfully wintered in yards. Nor is it necessary, 

 or even in all cases desirable, that the sheep should be placed in 

 walled yards ; indeed, it has been found that close yards do not 

 answer very well, as the manure is apt to ferment. Folds may 

 be made at any dry sheltered spot near to where the food is pro- 

 duced. Seeds not to be broken up until spring, or dry grass land, 

 afford a good site. The straw may be carted at any convenient 

 time, and used to form two sides of the yard where most exposed, 

 the opposite sides being left open. A yard 10 yards by 20 yards 



