PROGRESSIVE SHEEP RAISING 



General Care and Management 



As has been stated above, sheep are 



Care of Sheep primarily grazing animals and must 



have pasture if they are expected to 



make reasonable returns. Open fields are not sufficient. 



Some permanent grasses must be available. 



Suitable houses should be provided, and feeding pens 

 sufficient to give plenty of room without crowding. Plenty 

 of fresh, clean water should be convenient at all times. 



The owner should mingle daily with the flock. He 

 must know his sheep and let his sheep know him. Small 

 amounts of feed should be given them daily even when 

 they do not need it. This will keep them in better condi- 

 tion and health and in good training. 



Do not forget to salt the sheep often. It will insure 

 better health and greater returns at the market. Some 

 feeders mix salt in with the feeds and find that it pays. 

 Salt is not costly, but many feeders overlook its im- 

 portance. 



Too much attention cannot be given to the flock at 

 lambing time. A slight change in methods of feeding and 

 housing may spell the difference between success and 

 failure. The ewes should be dealt with gently and the 

 lambs cared for from the time they are dropped. 



Dogs should be kept away from the flock at this time. 

 Ewes frequently give birth to dead lambs because of fright 

 from dogs. 



All ewes do not pay, and some of 

 Culling the them must go to the block. Some of 



Flock them will prove non-breeding, others 



poor milkers, and still others light 

 shearers, and any one of these defects will prove sufficient 

 for condemnation. This weeding out process or culling 

 is very necessary in order to build up a paying flock. 



Page Forty-One 



