THE FARMER'S MONTHLY ViSiTOR, 



«hare of the fodder. And if there arc any individ- 

 uals that are old, feehle, &c., an invalid depart- 

 ment ought to be added, and extra care and atten- 

 tion bestowed upon it. 



Having all the different arrangements complet- 

 ed, a careful supervision must be extended over the 

 whole, and the course of treatment regulated by 

 circumstances. 



Supposing the breeding ewes to be in good con- 

 dition, tiiey should receive one and a half pounds 

 of haj' and one and a quarter pounds of grain per 

 day, until the rutting season is over; the grain 

 must be then witliheld and tlie flocU go through 

 the winter on hay, increasing it to tv/o and a quar- 

 ter pounds, and "an occasional foddering of straw, 

 until within five or six weeks of lambing, when it 

 is decreased a little and roots substituted, commen- 

 cing by degrees, with one bushel of potatoes, orcne 

 bushel and five-eighths of riita baga to one hun 

 dred ewes, and increasing the quantity gradr.ally 

 of potatoes to three bushels, and of ruta baga to 

 four and three-quarters bushels per day. With this 

 iind of trentment,there will be but very little diffi 

 culty in raising Iambs. 



But if a flock of ewes are not in such condition, 

 and require therefore more feed and better treat- 

 ment, two pounds of hay and one-quarter of a 

 pound of grain ought to be fed daily until the rut- 

 ting season is over, when the grain is withdrawn, 

 and roots immediately given, of potatoes two or 

 ruta baga three bushels to a hundred per daj', until 

 about lambing time, when that quantity is increas- 

 ed to three bushels of the former, and four and 

 three-quarter bushels of the latter. Both flocks re- 

 ceive a foddering of straw or good corn-fod- 

 der three times a week, generally at niglit, of 

 which they will eat a considerable portion, and the 

 orts serve for litter. 



The tliree years' old wethers will go through the 

 winter on hay, with an occasional foddering of 

 straw, the orts of which serve them for litter. But 

 the younger wethers require better feed, and being 

 hard to winter, the best of hay should be given 

 them with some small additions of grain or rooti, 

 say one-fifth of a pound of grain, or three-quarters 

 of a pound of potatoes, or one and a quarter pounds 

 of ruta baga. 



It being very desirable tliat tlie lambs should go 

 through tlie winter in the best possible condition, 

 much care is required, and having given them a 

 few sheaves of oats every evening, before they 

 were taken out of the pasture, it remains now to 

 be determined the kind and quantity of feed they 

 are to receive. This ought to be the liest of hay, 

 and as much of it as they will eat without cloying 

 them. If it is ivcU im.xed with white and red clo- 

 ver, and was cut in good season and well cured, it 

 should be eaten up clean. In addition to this, 

 from a quarter to half a bushel of oats per hun- 

 dred may be their daily allowance, as circumstan- 

 ces require. 



The flock of invalids having been placed in the 

 warmest situation, claim every care and attention, 

 and no pains nor trouble must be spared, to carry 

 them through the winter; so that tlic old ewes 

 shall be enabled to raise a lamb each, which will 

 pay for all the extra expense and trouble the whole 

 has cost] 



In view of the foregoing remarks, it becomes 

 necessary to ascertain the feeding properties of 

 grain, roots and straw, as compared with hay, to 

 enable the farmer to make his estimate of the quan- 

 tity he will require, and to calculate the probable 

 profit or loss of raising certain crops, and feeding 

 them to sheep. 



The experiments of Mr. Dc Raumer, of Kalt- 

 wasser, in Sdesia, in Germany, go far to establish 

 certain facts on this subject. They are interesting 

 to the inquiring mind, and may be considered as 

 conclusive evidence. Mr. De Raumer is a tho- 

 rough, practical and scientific farmer, and is con- 

 sidered high authority on agricultural subjects ; his 

 farm establishment is very extensive, and his 

 experiments may be relied upon. 



^•Potatoes, raw and cut into slices, sheep eat 

 with continued good appetite and greediness ; they 

 ate seven pounds per head daily, with an allowance 

 of straw. The animals remained healthy and live- 

 ly, and drank one and a half quarts of water per 

 head daily. 



" Mangle lourlzel, sheep cat with less greedi- 

 ness ; they ate in duration eight pounds per head 

 daily, straw as with the potatoes, and drank scarce- 

 ly one quart of water. The animals remained like- 

 wise healthy. 



KINDS OF FEED. 



3 3 S 



i E. 



lbs. 



^ S 



lbs. OZ. 



1000 lbs 



1000 do 



1000 do 



1000 do 

 1000 do 

 1000 do 

 1000 do 

 1000 do 

 1000 do 

 1000 do 

 1000 do 

 1000 do 



1000 do 



. raw potatoes with 



aait, 



raw potatoes witli 

 out salt, 



raw manglo 



wurtzel, 

 peas, 

 wheat, 

 rye, with salt, 



do without salt, 

 oats, 

 barley, 

 buckwheat, 

 good liay, 

 hay, with straw, 

 without otlier fod- 

 der, 



whiskey still 



grains or wash. 



^'■Pcas^ sheep eat very eagerl}', two pounds per 

 head per day, drank two to three quarts of water in 

 twenty-four hours, and the animals remained per- 

 fectly healthy. In an unsoaked condition, they 

 are hard for sheep to eat and aflect their teeth. 



*'/r//c«/, slieepeat greedily, two pounds per head 

 daily, and disposes them to great liveliness — drank 

 from two to three quarts of water in twenty-four 

 iiours, and remained perfectly healthy. 



"Ki/f, sheep do not eat readily, and does not suit 

 them well, as the above results in the increase of 

 weight show— they drank from two to three quarts 

 of water. 



"Z>ur/fy, sheep ate two and a [half pounds per 

 head daily— *1hey thrived upon it, and drank three 

 quarts of water in twenty-four hours. 



"Oftii', the same as barley. 



^^Buc/iichcat, sheep ate witii great avidity and 

 with the best results as to healtii and liveliness. A 

 sheep can eat from three to four pounds, and drink 

 from two and a half to three quarts of water in 

 twenty-four jiours. 



^^Of good hatj, a sheep can consume four and a 

 half pounds, and drink from two and a lialf to three 

 quarts of water in twenty -four hours." 



Mr. W. A. Kreisig, a celebrated farmer in East 

 Prussia, considers that one pound of oil-cake meal 

 is as nutritious as two pounds of good hay. 



80 lbs. clover hay* equal to 100 lbs. meadow 

 hay; 



80 lbs. lucerne and sainfoin, equal to 100 lbs. of 

 meadow h.ay ; 



200 lbs. sound and well cured vetciies and pea 

 vines, equal to 100 lbs. meadow hay ; 



300 lbs. sound barley and oat straw, equal to ICO 

 lbs. meadow hay ; 



400 lbs. sound wheat and rye straw, equal to 100 

 lb:?, meadow hay ; 



100 lbs. water turnips, equal to 40 lbs. of pota- 

 toes, or 50 lbs. of mangle wurtzel. 



Mr. John Philip Wagner says, in his work enti- 

 tled "Contributions' to the Science and Treatment 

 of Wool and Sheep," that "200 pounds of pota- 

 toes, 266 pounds of carrots, 350 pounds of ruta ba- 

 ga, -and 90 pounds of clover hay, lucerne and sain- 

 foin, are eacii of them equal to 100 pounds of good 

 hay." 



Your committee beg leave furtlicr to cite the 

 practice of a few of the most celebrated breeders 

 of sheep in Germany, and firstly that of Mr. Al- 

 bricht Thaer, of Moeglin, in Prussia. Potatoes and 

 straw constitute the main feed for his large flock of 

 1500 during winter. He cuts them into small sli- 

 ces, feeding them alternately with straw. Wlien 

 his pastures, in the fall of the year, begin to fail, 

 he commences feeding potatoes by scattering tliom 

 in the field in such quantities as he deems sutfi- 

 cient, with the best efi'ect upon their healtli and 

 condition; his flock fully attests that siieep may 

 be kept principally on roots and straw ; and one of 

 your committee, who has been familiar with siieep 

 husbandry, both here and in German^', confidently 

 believes, from his knowledge on the .=jultjeet, that 

 the same practice can be profitably applied in our 

 sheep husbandry. 



Mr. Block, of Schieraw, in Silesia, Germ.any, 

 one of the most intelligent and experienced breed- 



*A'ote by the Translator.— The clover in Germany 

 grows finer than the clover in this section of coun- 

 try — it resembles more the Pennsylvania clover — 

 and yields two crops a season. It is cut when in 

 full blow, and well cured in cocke. 



era of^heep, keeps a flock of 500, in the following 

 manner. He fodders six times a da}'. 



1st fodder — SO? lbs. rye straw, of which 



they ate 53 lbs. 



2d fodder — 130 lbs. oat straw, of which 



they ate 97 lbs. 



3d fodder — the dry sheep received 160 lbs. 



of pea vines, of which they ate J20 Iba. 



the ewes received hay 120 lbs. 



4th fodder — potatoes mixed with 



cut straw 750 ibs. 



rye bran 31 lbs. 



oil-cake meal 8 lbs. 



barlev meal 33 Iba 



822 lbs. 



5th fodder — the ewes received hay 12U lbs. 



the wethers rec'd 160 lbs. pea vines, 



of which they ate 120 lbs. 



6th and last fodder — 208 lbs. of rye and 



wheat straw, of which they ate 52 Iba. 



Total amount consumed per day 1651 lbs. 



The flock was of superior quality, the animals 

 large and always in excellent condition. 



Count Magnis, of Eckhardsdorf, gave to 100 

 breeding ewes, the following per day : 



1st fodder — straw and clover hacker 69 lbs. 



2d fodder — the same 69 lbs. 



3d fodder— clover hay 100 lbs 



4th fodder — potatoes and straw hacker, 72 lbs. 



5th fodder — straw 75 Iba. 



Total 



385 Ihs 



The Electoral flock of Rennesdoif, the private 

 property of the king of Saxony, consisting of 400 

 breeding ewes and rams, 1000 pounds of hay in two 

 meals, and at night a foddering of straw, was their 

 daily portion. 



Although there might be many «ther valuable 

 practices of the German shepherds cited, but youi 

 committee fearing that they have already exhaust- 

 ed your patience, forbear to enlarge upon tliem: 

 they therefore leave that subject and proceed to the 

 consideration of the second proposition, namely, 

 water : 



All domestic animals require water in proportion 

 to the quantity of dry provender they consume; 

 and sheep require p^irticular attention in tliis re- 

 spect, as well as some care in regulating tlie quan- 

 tity, according to circumstances. Warm springs 

 are always to be prefer,ved, though individuals are 

 frequently to be seen eating snow, which may gen- 

 erally be attributed to fever ; and is by no means 

 to be considered a substitute for water. 



It is desirable that the flock should be able to 

 drink without wetting tlieir feet or wading into 

 mud, both which are not only very injurious by 

 creating disease in the foot, but deter sheep from 

 drinking as often as inclination promnts. 



Protection against the inclemencies of the sea- 

 son is tiic third consideration in the "feeding and 

 management of shee]> in winter." It is almest as 

 necessary to their health and prosperity "s Ibod it- 

 self, and for this reason, comfortable shelters should 

 be built for them; they not only do mucli better, 

 but it is a great saving of time, fodder and manuro. 

 It will be found that ten tons of hay, fed to sheep 

 that liave warm shelter, will go furtlier than twelre 

 tons fed out to them from a stack, and when they 

 have no other protection from the inclemencies of 

 the weatlier than the side of a stack or fence. — 

 Such stables, if properly constructed, will at least 

 pay from fifteen to twenty-five per cent, interest 

 annually. This alone should jirompt iiie owner of 

 a flock to provide comfortable lodging jilaces for 

 them. But "a merciful man is merciful to his 

 beast." 



Each full grown sheep requires six square feet 

 of room, including racks. The stable should be 

 eight fi?et high, with windows in the upper part, 

 that may be closed as circumstances may require. 

 The floor over head ought to be made tight, that 

 nothing can fall througli. They must lie well lit- 

 tered, as it will add much to the health and com- 

 fort of the animal. If they are not well littered, 

 the dung accumulates, and creates an offensive 

 smell; sheep arc then very loth to enter them. It 

 is but too often the case, that when farmers do 

 shelter their eheep, the stables contain a mass of 

 dung, so offensive that tlie flock would not enter 

 ihem, and if forced in and confined there, would 

 prove injurious ; and hence the prejudice, "that 

 housing sheep is injurious to their health." 



Your commitlce regret, that circumstances over 

 which they have no control, prevented their com- 

 ing together sufficiently early to do justice to the 

 importance of the subject committed to them. 



FRANCJ9 ROTCH, Chairman. 



