TEGS. 125 



are less affected by drought than are most crops, and, as it is not 

 of so much importance that they are fed at a definite period, 

 they may be held over for a time, or some other portion of the 

 cropping may be diverted to other purposes. Whatever pro- 

 vision is made, however, it is imperative that the young sheep 

 shall not be forced to go on to stale keep. That various kinds of 

 worms have a direct influence on unsound or stale keep, how- 

 ever, appears to be pretty certain, and attention is directed to 

 the discussion of the subject in the Veterinary Section. 



Concentrated Food. Through summer the sheep receive cake 

 or corn in accordance with the views the farmer holds as to the 

 time at which they shall go to the butcher. Those which are 

 to run the whole year round and be sold as wethers require none, 

 though we like to give about half a pound of pea-husk per day as 

 a corrective. Ewe tegs to go into the flock can be treated similarly. 

 A quarter of a pound of corn or cake per day is sufficient where 

 the tegs are not fattened out until spring. Where they are being 

 fed fast to be fattened out from November to January, from half 

 to three-quarters of a pound may be necessary. 



Sheep do much better when they receive a fresh fold daily, 

 and they waste less food. A good fall-back, however, may be 

 allowed, though it is generally better for the ewes to clear up 

 behind them than that the young sheep should have to graze too 

 closely. This, however, is to an extent dependent on the object 

 in view. 



Tegs in Autumn. In autumn the food varies ; the stubbles 

 and young seeds afford a fresh run. Some farmers object to 

 allowing sheep on young seeds, but, except on thin, weak plants, 

 or on heavy land in wet weather, when the sheep make deep 

 footprints which are left as cups to hold up water during winter, 

 the treading the land receives is beneficial to the young plants, 

 as the earth is more firmly pressed round the roots, and there 

 is no need to graze so hard that the heart of the grasses or clovers 

 is gnawed out. The ordinary practice of rolling does not do 

 nearly so much good, because the soil is not so regularly tightened 

 about the roots. The Drumhead cabbage, white turnips, and other 

 crops come into season now. 



The winter is the season for feeding hard roots, such as turnips, 

 swedes, and kohl-rabi. It is important, as far as possible, to get 

 the sheep gradually broken to turnips, and not to take them 

 straight from grass, seeds, or other foods, and put them on roots. 

 This sudden change of diet often causes great loss of life, while 

 many sheep receive a check in growth and fattening from which 

 they do not speedily recover. So well is this recognised that in 

 buying-in in autumn, those sheep known to be broken-in to roots 

 are worth a shilling to two shillings a head more than are 



