98 [Assembly 



SHEEP. 



Albany, Nov. 19th, 1845. 

 At the late fair, I exhibited pens of the Southdown and Coltswold 

 breeds of sheep ; the former bred from importations made 1836 and 

 '38, the latter from an importation made in 1840. My flock now 

 number 100. 



Mv ewes are fed upon straw and turnips throughout the winter, til 

 the tilne of lambing approaches, (about the first of April,) when hay, 

 a few oats, and an additional allowance of sweeds are given to them. 

 At this time I have generally a small field of rye sown in the fall 

 purposely for early spring feed for the ewes, which they run upon a 

 portion of each day. This, with the turnips, gives a fine flow of milk, 

 which forwards finely the lambs. My experience has shown me that 

 I can make an April dropped lamb reach the same weight in October 

 following, that one dropped in February could do, with much more 

 expensive feeding to the ewe dropping the earlier lamb. The field of 

 fje thus fed in the spring I usually plow over in June for turnips. 



It will always be found with the animal, as with the vegetable it 

 feeds upon, that its growth and early maturity will depend much upon 

 its thriving rapidly, and without check in the earlier steps of its 

 growth, and the plan I have adopted furthers that end. My great 

 endeavour is not to have this checked throughout the first year of its 

 existence. In this, I think, lies great economy in rearing stock. 



In early August the lambs are weaned, and are then placed upon 

 the best young grass, and are continued on that till October, when a 

 few oats daily are added to their allowance. I sometimes have 

 hurdled them for a few hours in each day upon turnips ; when placed 

 in their sheds for the Mfinter, they %re fed hay, sweeds, and a few oats 

 daily. 



The greater of the ram lambs arc made wethers, a few only of 

 them, showing desirable qualities, are kept for sale as rams. The 

 ewes are placed to ram in the third year, and the wethers are, during 

 their second winter, fed on hay, at 22 months old, when they have 

 yielded me to the butcher from $10 to $14 each. 



Very respectfully, 



J. McDonald McINTYre. 



