FARM MANAGEMENT IN THE OZARKS. 33 



SHEEP. 



Sheep are usually raised on farms so situated that they are not 

 subject to destruction by predatory animals. Because of the in- 

 creased prices, sheep production was a profitable and satisfactory 

 enterprise for the year under study. 



Seventeen of the 79 farms studied reported sheep. On 13 of these 

 farms losses were sustained; 19 mature sheep and 17 lambs 

 were reported as having died, representing a loss of 8.9 per cent. 

 (This does not include lambs lost at lambing or while only a few 

 days old.) In the majority of cases the sheep were kept in enclosed 

 pastures, and the farms keeping sheep were, as a rule, in communi- 

 ties where the keeping of sheep has been practiced for some time. 

 Only one sheep was reported specifically as having been killed by 

 dogs, though in the case of a few operators who allowed their sheep 

 to range the woods losses were probably caused by dogs or wolves. 



GOATS. 



Within recent years the goat has come into a regularly established 

 place on the market, and this fact, together with the great value of 

 the goat in cleaning up land, makes its production especially desir- 

 able in the Ozarks. Goats and cattle will pasture the same land to 

 advantage. Only nine farms reported having goats. Eleven and 

 three-tenths per cent of the number maintained on the farm through 

 the year were lost. Of the 12 mature goats and 10 kids which died 

 during the year, dogs killed 6 of the goats and some of the kids. 

 Contrary to a widely held opinion, the goat can not successfully 

 defend itself against vicious dogs, and unless necessary precautionary 

 measures are taken serious losses may be caused by dogs both to 

 mature animals and to unborn and young kids. The goat is an ex- 

 tremely hardy animal, and very valuable, especially in this section, 

 for clearing out underbrush. With proper attention the percentage 

 of loss which occurred in the year considered could be materially re- 

 duced and as the goat now has a ready market value besides its 

 great value to this section for keeping the underbrush and sprouts 

 eaten off, such attention would be profitable. 



POULTRY. 



The sale of poultry and eggs returns a substantial portion of the 

 total cash receipts of many farms. (See fig. 12.) The section is not 

 one of intensive poultry culture. However, the great majority of the 

 farmers keep chickens, which are supported largely by grain and food 

 which otherwise would be wasted. A certain amount of grain is fed 

 directly to the chickens, mainly corn and kafir corn raised for the 

 purpose. A record was obtained from one farm on which the sale 



