636 MANAGEMENT OF SHEEP FEEDING 



Turnip-troughs, 9 feet long, should be almost square 

 in cross-section, and ample in size. For the " artificial 

 food " a second set of troughs is necessary, but they do not 

 require to possess such capacity ; the cross-section of the 

 latter might be in the form of a right angle. Troughs, when 

 not in use, should be turned over with the mouth down, to 

 keep them clean and dry. A length of 8 inches to 9 inches 

 is the necessary allowance of trough-space for each sheep, in 

 the case of the larger breeds. As sheep range themselves on 

 both sides of the trough while feeding, each will thus have at 

 least 1 8 inches of space or standing room. One man can easily 

 cut roots for, and take full charge of, a flock of two hundred 

 sheep, or attend to four hundred if the roots be not cut. 



Stock tegs require little, if any, artificial food which, 

 if given in quantity, injures their constitution for breeding 

 purposes. 



Urinary disorders appear in some districts late in 

 spring among sheep penned on roots, especially swedes and 

 mangels. All the food must then be changed without 

 delay, and linseed cake given, along with J dram of nitrate 

 of potash per day. And, to induce warmth, the back ought to 

 be covered with a piece of strong canvas cloth, 2 feet to 2j 

 feet square, which has had boiled linseed oil brushed on one 

 side of it to make it waterproof. The best preventive of this 

 affection is a liberal supply of pure water, of which the 

 animals will drink freely as the dry weather of spring comes 

 on, and as the proportion of moisture in the roots decreases. 



Sheep feed faster, especially in stormy weather, in a well- 

 ventilated house or shed than in the open. The practice of 

 house-feeding fattening sheep has been initiated and made 

 a decided commercial success by John Ross at Millcraig, 

 Alness, and it is extending in Easter Ross. It has proved 

 invaluable on farms where it is impossible to give the lambs 

 fresh pasture on which old sheep have not grazed. Those 

 suffering in consequence from internal parasites like 

 Strongylus contortus which as " piners " would certainly have 

 died, can be saved. And all classes of fattening sheep feed 

 more quickly and on appreciably less food. A well-ventilated 

 shed, 1 10 by 60 feet, costing about 200, will accommodate 

 400 sheep the space being divided into four equal sections 

 of 1500 superficial feet to hold each 100 sheep. The ideal 



