SHEEP— CARE AND MANAGEMENT. 



«5 



firmer ground, or, perhaps, by driving 

 them a short distance, daily, on the still 

 harder public road. 



The farmer should not only take his 

 sheep from light sandy soil in long- 

 continued dry weather, because they 

 would starve there, but because then 

 alone that soil would give them the foot- 

 rot ; its yielding nature will not sufficiently 

 keep down the growth of horn, and 

 many a particle of sand will insinuate 

 itself into the soft and spongy horn, and 

 produce inflammation. For the same 

 reason he should avoid dry old pasture at 

 the season when the dews are heaviest, 

 because then moisture would most abound 

 there. 



In grounds that are disposed to give 

 the foot-rot, the farmer would find it 

 advantageous to have the hooves of his 

 sheep rasped or pared once every fortnight 

 or three weeks. This is not often done, 

 but it appears reasonable, and would not 

 be very expensive. In uninclosed or 

 mountainous countries, where the sheep 

 have particular tracts, gravel might be 

 scattered in sufficient quantity to wear 

 and harden the horn. 



Quite a number of remedies are given 

 as being, or having been, in successful 

 operation in different parts of this country 

 and in Europe. 



The most common and popular remedy 

 now used in Central New York is : 1 lb. 

 blue vitriol; }£ lb. (with some, ^ lb.) 

 verdigris ; 1 pint of linseed oil; 1 quart 

 of tar. The vitriol and verdigris are 

 pulverized very fine, and many persons, 

 before adding the tar, grind the mixture 

 through a paint-mill. Some use a decoc- 

 tion of tobacco boiled until thick, in the 

 place of oil. 



The following is reported by Australian 

 inspectors of sheep as an efficacious 

 remedy for foot-rot : . 



Mix carbolic acid with an adherent 

 and greasy substance, thus forming a 

 plaster which will adhere to the foot of 

 the sheep for two or three days, prevent 

 contact of air, and allow time for produc- 

 tion of the desired healing effect. Where 

 this particular method of individual ap- 

 plication is not practicable on account of 

 the number of diseased sheep, a trough 

 may be filled with the medicated mixture 

 and the sheep (their feet having been 

 carefully pared) made to pass through it, 



when their feet become impregnated with 

 the substance. 



SHEEP, Sore Head.— This disease is 

 connected with, or often produced by, 

 the striking of the fly, and especially in 

 woody countries. Next to the tail, the 

 head is the part most frequently and 

 seriously attacked, and in defending them- 

 selves from their tormentors, the sheep 

 are continually striking their heads with 

 their hind feet, until at length a consider- 

 able sore or ulcer is formed. No sooner 

 is this done than the fly persecutes the 

 poor animal with tenfold fury, anxious to 

 lay its eggs on or near the wound; and 

 the ulcer will often spread so far and so 

 rapidly as to be very difficult to heal, and 

 occasionally it will destroy the sheep. 



The first thing to be done is to procure 

 a cap or covering for the head, made of 

 soft leather, or of brown paper, if leather 

 cannot be procured. This should be cut 

 so as to protect the whole of the head, 

 and yet not to come too close to the 

 eyes. Then use the Ointment for Sore 

 Heads. (See No. 79, Domestic Animals, 

 Medicines for.) 



While this ointment is warm and soft r 

 it should be thickly spread upon the 

 leather, and the cap fitted to the head. 

 If this be done in the evening, when the fly 

 begins to cease to torment the sheep, the 

 animal will be quiet, and the ointment will 

 gradually cool, and stick close to the head. 



Some spread the ointment over the 

 head without the cap, making a kind of 

 charge, a few flocks of wool being 

 scattered over the top of it; and if it 

 should be somewhat too liquid for this 

 purpose, it is stiffened by the addition of 

 a little yellow resin. It is difficult, how- 

 ever, to confine the ointment to the sore 

 when it is thus applied, and it is very apt 

 to run over the eyelid and the face, to the 

 great annoyance of the animal. 



SHEEP, Appetite, Loss of. — This is 

 generally owing to a morbid state of the 

 digestive organs. All that is necessary 

 in such case is, to retore the lost tone by 

 the exhibition of bitter tonics. A bounti- 

 ful supply of camomile tea will generally 

 prove sufficient. If, however, the bowels 

 are inactive, add to the above a small 

 portion of extract of butternut. The 

 food should be slightly salted. 



SHEEP, Brmematism. — See Sheep. 

 Foundering. 



