[89] 



CHAPTER VI. 



WINTER MANAGEMENT OF SHEEP FOOD FATTENING OP 



SHEEP. 



When the snows and frosts of winter come on, the green 

 succulent food of summer is destroyed, and a change has to 

 take place in the character of the food. This change should 

 be as gradual as possible to prevent derangement of the 

 digestion of the animals. Therefore a short feed of dry 

 food should be allowed before the grasses are entirely de- 

 stroyed, unless the farm should be well set in blue- grass, 

 which will keep the sheep supplied with a moderate support 

 during the entire winter, except when the surface is covered 

 with snow. Some of our Tennessee farms require the feed 

 of sheep to be slightly supplemented with grains and hay, 

 therefore one farmer seeing his neighbor with good lots 

 allowing his flocks to get a total supply in his pastures is 

 too apt, with insufficient grasses, to follow the example and 

 not feed at all, or at least giving them such S3ant supplies 

 as happen to be at hand. They make no special provision 

 for them, and are very much surprised in the spring to see 

 their flocks poor, debilitated, and with ragged coats of wool 

 stripping here and there in patches off their sides. When 

 one sets out to make sheep raising an object, he should sup- 

 ply himself with all the appliances necessary to make it a 

 success. It is a difficult matter to say which is the more 

 important, good feeding or good shelters, for sheep cannot 

 possibly thrive with the snows and cold rains of winter 

 penetrating all through the fleece. It is true sheep often, 

 when supplied with shelter, will refuse it, preferring the 

 open pasture, but this is when they have an abundance of 

 good nourishing food. Many of our Middle Tennessee pas- 

 tures are thickly set with shrub cedar, and this gives them a 



