80. 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



inic5cc ^farmer |)ri;/ (bssaiii 



ON THE MANAGEMENT OF SHEEP. 



"Winter. — In the first place, there must be pro- 

 vided sufficient sheds and yards to accommodate all 

 the sheep comfortably — with good running water, 

 easily accessible. 4'he sheds shoidd be enclosed 

 tight, and the feeding racks be placed in the sheds, 

 for two reasons: first, that the sheep may have dry 

 hay 'at all times, without being exposed to winds 

 and storms; and second, that the hay may be saved, 

 as it is a fact that full one-fourth more hay is re- 

 quired if it is fed to sheep out of doors. If corn is 

 not worth more than one dollar per bushel, it will 

 pay to f^d all store sheep a half gill each per day; 

 and iambs should have as much as that, (a gill each 

 would be belter,) or its equivaleiat in some other 

 grain, no matter what it costs. Towards spring, 

 commence feeding the ewes with roots cut fine — or 

 what is better, clover rowen — to induce a secretion 

 of milk sufficient for the young lambs. Clover rowen 

 will produce as much milk as grass — so that, by pro- 

 viding plenty of it, the ewes can drop their lambs in 

 March, and they will be much larger the next fall, 

 and consequently worth much more, than himbs 

 dropped in April or May. In a large flock of ewes, 

 there are always some that drop dead lambs; but if 

 the sheds are tight and well littered, the loss of 

 lambs will be trifling. As soon as the lamb has 

 dropped, see to it that he gets on his feet and sucks 

 the dam immediately. If he has not strength of his 

 own, he must be assisted. If the dam is healthy, he 

 will seldom require assistance more than once. 



Spring. — Great care must be taken with sheep in 

 the spring. They should be driven to shelter from 

 every cold storm; grain must be given to them until 

 the pastures get good; they must have salt once a 

 week ^during the whole summer, and once in two 

 weeks during the winter. About the first of June 

 in this latitude, or in the South in April or May, ac- 

 cording to the climate, the sheep must be washed in 

 running water until clean, recollecting that the water 

 must be warm enough to make the men, standing in 

 it to wash the sheep, sivcai at their work; if colder, 

 it is abusing both men and sheep. As soon as dry, 

 or in about one week, they must be shorn by good 

 hands, who do not get angry and handle them rough- 

 ly while shearing them. The fleece should be folded 

 up, flesh side out, very neatly, and packed in close, 

 ckan bins or boxes, until disposed of. The ram 

 laijibs must be emasculated, and all the lambs should 

 have their tails cut off", at least as soon as they are 

 four weeks old, as they bleed but litte, and it does 

 not hurt them so much as when they are older. Be- 

 fore turning out to ^rass in the spring, all the sheep 

 should be tagcred — that is, have all the wool on each 

 side of, and under the tail, and some distance down 

 between the hind legs, sheared close — to keep them 

 from getting dirty and sickly. After the sheep are 

 shorn, they should be marked with the owner's name, 

 and put back to their pastures. They should be 

 changed from one pasture to another as often as once 

 a month. About the first of August, take the lambs 

 from the ewes, and put them into good pasture, that 

 they may not get poor. If you wish your lambs to 

 -come in March, put the ram with your ewes in Octo- 



ber, (the average gestation of the ewe being one 

 hundred and fifty-two days.) As soon as he has 

 given a ewe one leap she should be thrown out, as 

 more than that injures both the paren; and the off- 

 spring. Use the best ram you can get, and the lambB 

 will be good. He should be at least four or five 

 years old — tor if younger than this, or over ten years 

 old, his lambs will be weak and puny. He should 

 have all the grain he can eat, or he will get pooE. 

 As soon as he has served all the ewes, put him in a 

 pasture alone; and it is better that he be kept hy 

 himself the whole year. Never use the same ram 

 more than two seasons. JYever sell the best ewes at 

 any price. Whenever you buy a ram, buy the best, 

 whatever it costs, and the flock will improve in quali- 

 ty, will be hardy and profitable. 



For Marking Sheep. — Put into a pan a quarter 

 of a pound of lampblack, two ounces of Venetian 

 red, and linseed oil enough to make a good painl 

 Mark either with a stamp or brush. 



To Cure the Foot- rot. — Put into a quart bottle 

 a quarter of a pound of blue vitriol, one ounce of 

 verdigris, and fill up with chamber-ley. Put a quill 

 through the cork, turn the sheep on its back in a 

 trough, open the hoof and scrape out clean with a 

 knife all the diseased flesh, put on a few drops of the 

 above mixture, and a cure is effected If there are 

 but two or three lame ones in a fiock, put some of 

 this mixture in the feet of all the sheep in the fiock 

 — with this mixture, im ounce of prevention is worth 

 more than a pound of cure. 



To Cure iite Stretches. — Administer a tabte- 

 spoonful of pulverized saltpetre immediately, or the 

 sheep -^^-ill soon be past all cure. 



To RK.srscirATE Lambs when Chilled. — Give a 

 tea-spoonful of Thorasonian No. 6 in some warm 

 milk, a little at a time, and wrap him in warm flannel. 



Wesljidd, JV. Y. D. A. A. Nichols. 



ON THE MANAGEMENT OF HORSES. 



The colts should be kept tame. The field in which 

 they are kept should be surrounded by a good fence, 

 or they may acquire unruly habits, and much time be 

 lost in hunting them when strayed from the pasture. 

 The first and second winters keep them in a warm 

 stable; if of brick or stone, it must be well ventilated 

 from the top. Feed with good hay, and some bran, 

 turnips or carrots, but not on grain, either whole or 

 crushed, for it is binding, and will make tender-footed 

 if not crippled horses. The third winter, if large 

 and strong, the colt may be harnessed and driven be- 

 fore a light sleigh, to get it tame and used to drawing* 

 The fourth winter work it, but not too hard, and A: 

 not forget to feed well, but not too much grain. "Wit! 

 this treatment, colts will, by this time, make good 

 serviceable horses. Water often, and but little at i 

 time. In handling, be mild, but not timid. Do no 

 drive too fast, nor load too heavy; groom well, an< 

 bed at night, to prevent rolling in the stable and gel 

 ting fast; many a good horse has been lost in cod 

 sequence of neglect in this respect, after being drive 

 in the storm or till bathed in perspiration. 



Canada West. J. loca. 



ON THE MANAGEMENT OF SWINE, 



Take a pig eight weeks old, that was dropped tl 

 first of March, and feed it nearly what it mil eat 

 milk, slop, and a little corn. About the first of Ni 



