2QO HINTS ON SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF SHEEP. 



timely prepared roughness, from grass, corn fodder, small grain straw, etc., to supply any 

 deficiency caused by frosts or drouth ; if necessary to keep or put into good, strong flesh, 

 be sure to add a grain feed, proportionate to the needs ; 300 well kept ewes will shear 

 annually more wool and raise more lambs than 500 half starved. Especially at the 

 approach of the lambing season do the ewes need extra care and feed. When the herds- 

 man says ' the ewes do not own the lambs,' he ought to be informed that the flock-master 

 does not own his sheep, for ' tis the full udder that calls for the lamb,' and the dam can 

 only supply to her offspring from what has first been given her. In proportion to the 

 desire for the growth of the lambs should be the food supply to the ewes. If the lambs 

 are intended for mutton, they ought to be encouraged to eat of grain as young as possible, 

 say from eight to twelve weeks old, and all lambs will grow and thrive best that are 

 weaned at about five or six months of age. They should be separated from their dams, 

 and put on the most succulent pasture, and fed partially on grain for the first winter for 

 stock sheep, an amount sufficient for good thrift and growth ; for the block or shambles, 

 as much as is readily consumed till the butcher wishes them, let it be three months or 

 three years. 



' ' Shearing and marketing of wool is an important part of this industry, and as a rule, 

 from one to three cents per pound can be gained or lost in the way wool is handled, and 

 as a rule from 10 to 20 per cent . in the time of year this is done . Sheep ought to be shorn 

 earlier in the season than is generally practiced, from which two great advantages arise : 

 one is, that in the fall of the year, or when inclement weather comes on, the earlier shorn 

 has more protection ; and the other is, the earlier shorn will give annually a larger fleece for 

 several reasons, among them : (i) that a large amount of wool, which some sheep natur- 

 ally shed, is saved ; and (2) being clipped, prevents the habit of shedding. I always shear 

 as early as the weather will permit, not minding the month except for the show sheep, 

 which according to the rules of our associations, put the limit not earlier than April ist. 

 I have never known any losses to newly shorn sheep except from their being exposed to 

 wet, and have known more in June than in March. At shearing, all impurities should be 

 clipped from the fleece, which should be carefully handled, not torn, and being turned 

 flesh side out on a clean table, folded together and rolled up, and tied with specially pre- 

 pared twine, sufficient, and only so, to keep in place, after which keep the wool clean from 

 dust, straw or other things, and if one has a desirable lot of wool with an attractive ap- 

 pearance, the commission man will find it, and the grower can sell at home, and know 

 what he gets for it. This I have always done. 



"Most truly, L. E. SHATTUCK." 



Mr. Shattuck believes in early shearing a point on which we think 

 he is quite correct. If sheep are to be shorn for a record it is, of 

 course, necessary that some system prevail, by which uniformity may 

 be secured ; but if a man is breeding for dollars and cents, and without 

 regard to association rules, we see no reason why the shearing cannot 

 be done at least a week earlier than is generally practiced. We are glad 

 to note this point regarding milking quality in the ewe ; too many over- 

 look this, and seem to regard the ewe as an unchangeable machine 

 capable of just so much and no more in this direction. There is as 

 much difference among ewes in milking quality as among cows ; no one 

 would make the mistake of breeding cows that could not support 

 their calves, and yet this very thing is overlooked by one-half of the 

 modern breeders of sheep. Mr. Shattuck is one of our most successful 

 wool men, and his hints on handling the fleece and marketing the wool 

 may be read with profit. 



