402 Effective Farming 



blue-grass, white clover, Bermuda-grass, meadow-fescue, or 

 red clover, usually in mixtures, make good sheep pasture. A 

 number of annual crops also are used for sheep pasture. Among 

 these are rape, oats and peas, vetches, cowpeas, soybeans, 

 barley, kale, and wheat. 



Roots are often fed to sheep in winter to supply succulent 

 feed. They should be pulped or cut into small pieces. Turnips 

 and rutabagas are best; sugar-beets and mangels are not 

 usually satisfactory. Silage is a useful succulent for sheep. 

 If it is of good quality, it can be fed with satisfactory results, 

 but if sour, moldy, or frozen, it should never be utilized. 

 Cabbage is used for sheep, especially show sheep. The animals 

 relish it, but for commercial feeding cabbage is too expensive 

 and, moreover, does not keep well in storage. Pumpkins, if 

 cut into small pieces, can be fed to sheep very satisfactorily. 

 They are especially useful in adding variety to the ration. 



Among the concentrates for sheep are corn, barley, oats, 

 peas, whole cottonseed, cottonseed meal and cottonseed hulls 

 mixed, linseed meal, gluten feed, and bran. 



202. Importance of shepherd dogs. A well trained shep- 

 herd dog is a valuable asset to any farmer who raises sheep. 

 A dog can be taught to herd the flock and will watch them 

 tirelessly and warn the owner of any prowler that may be near. 

 Scotch collies are the sheep dogs used in America and for this 

 purpose are invaluable. 



203. Sheep-killing dogs. In contrast to the well trained 

 dog is the cur sheep-killing dog. Dogs of this class have pre- 

 vented many farmers from raising sheep and have caused others 

 to sell their flocks. Thousands of sheep have been killed or 

 injured by such dogs, and whenever a flock becomes ravaged, 

 the sheep are restless and easily excited and not likely to make 

 normal gains in weight for two weeks afterwards ; this loss 

 must be added to that of the sheep killed or injured. In some 

 cases flocks have become so restless that they had to be sold. 



Among the remedies for the cur-dog nuisance are stringent 



