CHAPTER III. 



Breeding and Care of Sheep. 



L CONSTANT WATCHFULNESS NECESSARY. II. THE BREEDING AGE OF 



SHEEP. III. CROSSING. IV. COUPLING. V. THE PROPER TIME 



FOR COUPLING. VL GESTATION. VII. KEEP A RECORD OF THE 



BREEDING. VIII. MANAGEMENT AND TRAINING OF RAMS. IX. PAS- 

 TURAGE FOR SHEEP. ^X. WATER. XI. PROTECTION FROM INSECTS. 



XII. EARLY AND LATE PASTURE AND FEEDING. XIII. WINTER 



FEEDING. XIV. SHEEP BARNS. ^XV. GRADING THE SHEEP. XVI. 



FEEDING TROUGHS AND RACKS. XVII. CASTRATION AND DOCKING. ■ 



XVIII. WEANING THE LAMBS. XIX. LAMBING TIME. XX. THE 



NURSERY. XXI. TAGGING SHEEP. XXII. WASHING AND SHEARING- 



XXIIL TYING THE WOOL. XXFV. DIPPING AND ANOINTING SHEEP. 



XXV. A WORD ABOUT GOATS. XXVI. A PROFITABLE INDUSTRY. 



XXVII. HABITS OF THE ANGORA. XXVIIL AN ASSISTANT TO THE 



FARMER. XXIX. ANGORAS IN THE UNITED STATES. XXX. CAPA- 

 BILITIES OF THE MILCH GOAT. 



I. Constant Watchfulness Necessary. 



Constant care and attention are necessary in the management of sheep. 

 They are timid, without self-reliance, a prey to dogs; and even foxes 

 will destroy the lambs. The necessity of keeping large flocks together 

 causes them to be especially liable to contagious and epidemic diseases. 

 In any district where many sheep are kept, wandering curs must be de- 

 stroyed. They are worse than wolves and foxes; for the latter may be 

 guarded against at night, while dogs scare and destroy sheep in the day 

 time as well. Care must, also, be taken to secure them against conta- 

 gious and epidemic diseases. The shepherd must be watchful, vigilant 

 and attentive, summer and winter; it is worth his while to be so, for 

 there is money in sheep, once in the fleece and once in the carcass. 



II. The Breeding Age of Sheep. 



The proper age for sheep to breed is two years. The ewe may be 

 placed with the buck in the autumn after she is one year old, and there- 

 after she may continue to breed until the age of ten years. But unless 

 there is something in a buck or ewe more than ordinarily valuable, it is 

 hardly economy to continue them breeding beyond seven or eight years 

 old. From the age of three to eight years the best lambs will be pro- 

 duced. Under exceptional circumstances a strong ram will cover 100 

 ewes if allowed only one service each; but as a rule it is better to keep 

 a ram for each fifty ewes. 



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