SHEEP HUSBANDRi' IN THE SOUTH. 197 



LETTER XIII. 



WINTER MANAGEMENT OF SHEEP. 



Use of Hama— proper age, number, &c.— eelecting ewes for— different methods of couplins— way to trft*. 

 FHine . . . Divition of Flocks for Winter... The Hospital.. .Yards— when necessary... Feeding-Racks — vari 

 ous plans of— the Bu.'c Rack — the Hole Rack— the t<parred Rack— the Hopper Rack— thel: respective ad- 

 vantages— improvements fng"esled... Troughs... Grnin-Boxes... Barns and Sheds — necessity of shelter al 

 the North — the common Northern Sheep-Barn.. .Stells — the Outside Stell — Ancient Stells — Inside Circular 

 IStell — <;ircular Stell tilted up with racks... Tree-Coverts.. .Cheap Sheds— fitted between stacks, barracks, 

 (fcu . .Value of Barrack:' foi- the Preservarion of Fodder.. .The Main Sheep-Barn of the Farmer Plantation, 

 with Shearinii-i'loor, &.c.— lurangements for breeding-ewes. . .Feeding sheep in yards with other stock — 

 improper — reasons. . Hay-Holders.. .Winter Dry Feed for Sheep — Variations in Feed — German views on 

 this subject— proper kin<ls of fodder — Boussingauit s Table of the Nutritive Equivalents of different kinds 

 of Fodders. . .tff'uct ot' Food in the Production of Wool — De Reaumur's Table showing the Effects of Food 

 in this particular... Effect of Food in producing Fat and Muscle. ..Fattening Wethers in the North.. .Feed- 

 ing Grain to Store-Sheep in Winter — when practi'.ed at the North — economy of so doing — kinds of erain 

 preferred — necessity of regularity in quantity — difficulty of raising the condition of poor sheep in the"\vin- 

 ter... Feeding Roots, Browse, (fcc — Roots a Substitute for Grain — to what sheep they may be fed — Hem- 

 lock Browse — when and in what manner useful — substitutes for... Winter F'eed of Breeding-Ewes.. .Ne 

 cessity of regularity in the times of feeding sheep.. .Salt.. .Water. 



Dear Sir: As the turning out of the rams usually takes place, here, on 

 the first day of winter, I will describe the proper accompanying an-ange- 

 raents, as the first step in winter management. 



Use op Rams. — The period of gestation in the ewe averages five months. 

 Merino rams are frequently used from the first to the tenth year, and even 

 longer. The lambs of very old rams are not supposed to be as vigorous 

 as those of youngish or middle-aged ones, but where rams have not been 

 overtasked, and have been properly fed, I confess I have been able to dis- 

 cover very little difference in their progeny on account of age. A ram 

 lamb should not be used, as it retards his growth, injures his form, and, I 

 think, permanently impairs his vigor and courage. A yearling may run 

 with 30 ewes, a two-year-old with from 40 to 50, and a three-year-old 

 with from 50 to 60. Some very powerful, mature rams will serve 70 or 

 80 ewes ; but 50 is enough, where they r?m with the ewes. I am satisfied 

 that an impoverished and overtasked animal does not transmit his indi- 

 vidual properties so decidedly to his offspring as one in full vigor. 



Several rams running in the same flock excite each other to an unnat- 

 ural and unneces.sary activity, besides injuring each other by constant 

 olows. It is, in every point f)f view, bad husbandry, where it can be 

 Gvoided, and, as usually mannged, is destructive to everything like careful 

 and judicious breeding. The nice adaptation which the male should pos- 

 sess to the female, already discussed under the head of Principles of 

 Breeding — counterbalancing her defects with his own marked excellence 

 in the same points, and, in turn, having his defects counterbalanced by 

 her excellencies — how shall this be accomplished, where half a dozen or 

 more rams are running promiscuously with two or three hundred ewes ? 



Before the rams are let out, the flock-master should have all the breed- 

 ing-ewes brought together in one yard. He has carefully inspected his 

 stock rams and noted every defect and peculiarity of their fleeces and 

 forms. The breeding register is before him to settle every pedigree, pro- 

 vided his stock rams are nearly enough connected with some portions of 

 ihe 9ock to retider it necessary to guard against in-and-in bleeding. The 

 ehe})herd catches a ewe and places her before him. The pedigree being 



