360 THE HANDBOOK FOR PRACTICAL FARMERS 



pastured with other kinds of live stock. Frequent change of 

 pasture is advisable; shade and fresh drinking water should 

 always be provided. An acre of good bluegrass will easily carry 

 five mature sheep; an acre of rape will accommodate about 

 seven. For the average farm about one sheep to every three 

 acres of land is a good ratio ; this will furnish enough land for 

 frequent rotation of pasture. Continuous grazing on the same 

 piece of land will cause sheep to become heavily infested with 

 stomach worms. Weaned lambs should be provided with sep- 

 arate pasture. The following grasses make good sheep pasture : 



I 



Fig. 186. — Observing length of the rump by placing one hand at hip point, 

 and the other at the tail end. 



Bluegrass, Bermuda grass, orchard grass and native grass. 

 Rough weedy land will often afford good pasture and benefit 

 the land. Clover and alfalfa pasture are very liable to cause 

 severe bloat unless sheep are accustomed to them. Rape is an 

 annual forage crop affording sheep pasture par excellence. 



The grain mixture fed should be thinly distributed over the 

 bottom of the feed rack. It does not pay to grind feed for 

 sheep. An old sa^nng among experienced shepherds is that 

 a sheep which cannot grind its own grain is not worth feeding. 

 Pregnant ewes, if fed plenty of good nutritious roughage, will 

 require very little if any grain; however, when sucking lambs 



