210 AMERICAN HUSBANDRY. 



even a few times, creates excessive thirst. Sheep 

 drink an unusual quantity of water, and scouring is 

 thus produced, which often proves very fatal. 



But, before entering upon any course of feeding, 

 it is advisable to divide your sheep into different 

 flocks. The breeding ewes into one, the wethers 

 into another, and the lambs into a third. From 

 these main divisions, subdivisions may be made as 

 circumstances require, taking care that the individu- 

 als composing the different flocks are as nearly as 

 possible of equal size and strength ; if not, the weak- 

 er portion are not apt to get a due share of fodder. 

 And if there be any individuals that are old, feeble, 

 &c., an invalid department should be added, and 

 extra care and attention bestowed upon it. 



Having all these arrangements completed, a care- 

 ful supervision must be extended over the whole, 

 and the* course of treatment regulated by circum- 

 stances. 



Supposing the breeding ewes to be in good condi- 

 tion, they should receive one and a half pounds of 

 hay, and one and a quarter pounds of grain per day, 

 until the rutting season is over : the grain must be 

 then withheld, and the flock go through the winter 

 on hay, increasing it to two and a quarter pounds, 

 and givfng an occasional foddering of straw, until 

 within five or six weeks of lambing, when this al- 

 lowance should be decreased a little and roots sub- 

 stituted, commencing by degrees with one bushel 

 of potatoes, or one bushel and five eighths of ruta- 

 baga to one hundred ewes, and increasing the quan- 

 tity gradually, of potatoes to three bushels, and of 

 ruta-baga to four and three quarter bushels per day. 

 With this kind of treatment there will be very little 

 difficulty in raising lambs. 



But when a flock of ewes are not in such condi- 

 tion, and require, therefore, more feed and better 

 treatment, two pounds of hay and one quarter of a 

 pound of grain ought to be fed daily until the rutting 

 season is over, When the grain should be withdrawn 



