﻿THE MANAGEMENT OF SHEEP ON THE FARM. 13 



cases arc taken to court, if ownership of the dog is proved, and aiso that the said dog 

 committed the damage, the dog is ordered to be destroyed and the owner obliged to 

 settle damages in full. Claims for losses may be settled through On; county council. 

 but the law is so well observed and loss so rare thai private settlements are the general 

 rule. 



DOG-PROOF FENCES. 



Sheep are more frequently killed at night than during the daytime, 

 and this simplifies the working out of satisfactory measures for pre- 

 vention. Even with a good dog law a breeder would not care to run 

 any risk of having his flock ruined, and he may, by the use of a dog- 

 proof woven-wire fence, add further protection. In a great many 

 cases farmers could not afford to fence their entire land devoted to 

 sheep grazing, but it is a very simple matter to fence off a small in- 

 closure, as shown in Plate II, figure 1 , in a convenient place and keep 

 the flock in this at night. This system has been adopted by many 

 farmers and is to be highly recommended. Wire fence is very dur- 

 able, and at the present time can be purchased very reasonably, and 

 should be used on more farms devoted to sheep raising. The Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture uses a 25-bar, 58-inch, rabbit and stock proof 

 woven-wire fence around its sheep pastures at the Morgan Horse 

 Farm in Vermont 



PREVENTION OF DISEASE AND PARASITES. 



The prevention of disease is always more effective and economical 

 than the cure. Every precaution should be taken to keep up the 

 health of the flock, thus warding off as far as possible the attacks of 

 disease. Many of these attacks are the indirect result of failure to 

 give the flock proper attention. An abnormal condition of the parts 

 suffering from neglect affords an easy entrance for disease. Foot rot, 

 which may result from failure to trim the feet and from allowing the 

 flock to run on poorly drained pasture, is a good example. 



Parasites are also very troublesome to sheep and are probably the 

 cause of as many failures as any other one thing. Stomach worms 

 are the most troublesome of these at the present time. Rotation of 

 pastures and avoiding land that has been grazed over by infected 

 flocks tends to hold these parasites in check. Precautions should be 

 taken against introducing infected stock into the flock. Many flocks 

 that have been entirely free from disease and parasites have suffered 

 severe outbreaks as a result of failure to observe these precautions. 



HANDLING SHEEP. 



It is quite as important that sheep be handled properly as that 

 they be properly fed. Ignorance is the cause of a great deal of mis- 

 handling, and carelessness is to be blamed for the rest of it. The 

 correct way of handling is the easiest after it is once learned. 



