160 WESTERN GRAZING GROUNDS AND FOREST RANGES 



age where sheep are outside of a corral and are free to 

 run from danger of that kind. 



A watchful herder if he hears his sheep run during 

 the night will whistle shrilly, fire a shot from his gun, 

 or shout at them. The sudden noise stops their mad 

 flight and after listening a moment they settle down 

 again in peace and quiet, forgetting their fears. 



Sheep in Fenced Pastures. In Australia for many 

 years past they have been raising sheep in large fenced 

 enclosures. One mounted herder frequently looks after 

 as many as 10,000 sheep in one pasture or in several 

 contiguous pastures. Recently the Forest Service has 

 been experimenting on this plan, with such excellent 

 results that many sheepmen who have the necessary 

 amount of land are doing the same thing. The fences 

 are built to be proof against attacks of coyotes and 

 dogs. Bear and probably wild cats can go through or 

 over any fence that can be built but the coyote and 

 stray dogs are the most dangerous enemies with which 

 sheepmen have to contend. 



Raised inside such enclosures, it has been settled be- 

 yond doubt that the wool crop is heavier, the lambs 

 grow faster and weigh more, the loss from death by 

 accident is less and best of all a given area of land 

 will carry 50 per cent more sheep under fence than 

 when herded. The average loss from accidents in a 

 herded band is 3 per cent, while in a fenced enclosure 

 it is less than 1 per cent. Lambs grazed under a fence 

 weiehed 15 per cent more than the same grade of 

 lambs grazed under a herder on the same range. Tak- 

 ing all these things into consideration, raising sheep 

 under fence where the cost of the fence is between 

 $200 and $300 per mile, will pay good interest on the 

 outlay for fencing. 



