CHAPTER XXIX 

 MANAGEMENT OF SHEEP (CONTINUED) FEEDING 



Penning of Sheep on Forage and Root Crops Dentition Troughs- 

 Urinary Disorders House Feeding Amount of Food Experi- 

 ments by Lawes and Gilbert and the East of Scotland Agricultural 

 College Calculation of Yield per Week according to Food 

 consumed. 







SHEEP in the South are closely penned between two 

 sets of low hurdles, 1 the first being moved forward at 

 least once a day, and those behind every second day. The 

 grass on any given part is thus consumed at once, and, if 

 properly attended to, it need not be eaten so closely as to 

 injure the crowns of the roots to the detriment of future 

 growth. It is then left to spring afresh without any further 

 bleeding, and the consequent check to growth which ensues 

 each time it is nibbled by sheep. When the crop is of 

 moderate size, larger breaks are given, and the hurdles are 

 not so often lifted. In Scotland and the North of England, 

 sheep run unrestricted over the whole field at one time. 

 This practice is more wasteful of food, but there is little 

 expense for attendance, and, moreover, Scotch breeds of sheep 

 are more active than the large English breeds, and require 

 to be at liberty to move freely about. 



Fattening tegs, and on arable farms stock tegs, go on 

 to soft turnips, such as greystones and whites, in the end of 

 September or beginning of October, and in a few districts 

 even earlier. If not quite ripe, turnips ought to be pulled a 

 few days before the sheep reach them. This makes them 

 sweeter, and helps to prevent indigestion, which shows itself 

 in the outbreak of scour, and in an increased death-rate. 

 Soft turnips are followed in order by yellows, green-rounds, 

 swedes, and in spring and early summer by mangels. Roots, 

 unless when thrown on the grass in spring and summer, 

 1 Hurdles like those shown on page 655. 



