128 BRITISH SHEEP AND SHEPHERDING. 



they are not fed at high pressure, but receive sufficient food 

 to keep them in a healthy growing condition, when little risk is 

 run. The distinction between the fattening-out of tegs and 

 wethers lies chiefly in this : tegs receive corn practically throughout 

 their career, and wethers only at the end. Teg-fattening involves 

 considerably outlay in the purchase of feeding stuffs ; wethers are 

 fed almost entirely on the produce of the farm. A portion of the 

 tegs are often kept for selling out between March and June ; that 

 is, the last of them are finished off on the first growth of grass or 

 seeds. These, as a rule, are not fed fast during the autumn, and 

 probably receive no corn until Christmas, when they are given a 

 small quantity ; and this is increased slightly from time to time 

 as they appear to need it, a much larger quantity being given 

 for the last month before they are turned out fat. These tegs are 

 often shorn before being sent to market. 



Tegs kept through winter on grass are generally maintained at 

 little cost. There are instances where it would pay to give more 

 food, particularly in those cases where sheep are sent out to grass 

 on agistment to distant farms. The fear that the corn supplied 

 or paid for may not be given to the sheep probably restrains 

 many from providing it ; but, considering the loss of life, and the 

 fact that many of the sheep weigh less after the winter grazing 

 than when they are sent to it, something more is obviously required. 

 Where sent out to winter on roots, some dry food, such as hay, 

 ought to be provided, otherwise the progress is very slight in 

 relation to the money spent on their maintenance. The small 

 additional expense makes a large difference in the growth and 

 condition of the sheep. It is a foolish policy to spend ten shillings 

 on wintering sheep in such a manner that they do not improve 

 during that time, when half a truss of hay, at Is. 6d. per truss, 

 will supply a quarter pound of hay per day for nearly four months, 

 and make a marked difference in their condition : hah* a pound 

 per day is, of course, better. 



Pasturage is the natural food for sheep, and all sheep do well 

 on sound grass ; though in winter the breeds which have been 

 highly developed so that they will fatten out within a year from 

 birth require better food than even good pastures will provide 

 in winter, unless much additional food is given them. But strictly 

 grass breeds will maintain themselves in a store condition if the 

 pasturage be plentiful. The carrying powers of nearly all pastures 

 can be greatly increased by the help of suitable manuring. Poor 

 land pastures, especially those on thin light land, or heavy land 

 exhausted by hay crops or by carrying dairy cows for a long period, 

 nearly always require phosphatic manures, and frequently potash or 

 lime. With an absence of these the leguminous growths so beneficial 

 to sheep are sure to be short, and the grasses themselves will be 



