CHAPTER VIII. 



MANAGEMENT OF SHEEP. 

 SUMMER MANAGEMENT. 



A SUDDEN CHANGE, FROM DRY TO GREEN FOOD IMPROPER— SEP AK- 

 ATION OP THE WEAK FROM THE STRONG— TAGGING OP SHEEP- 

 CUTTING OP HORNS AND HOOFS— DRAFTING— PARTURITION— SALT 

 ING— WASHING— CASTRATION AND DOCKING. 



A SUDDEN CHANGE FROM DRY TO GREEN FOOD IMPROPER. 



As a Starting point, let us imagine the time to have arrived 

 when the duties of the flook-masler relative to foddering his 

 flocks are about to be suspended, by turning them to pasture. 

 Thi^ period, in the Northern States, is from the 1st to the 

 20th of April. It is a critical time with sheep, owing to 

 the rigor and vicissitudes of the climate, and their long con- 

 finement to dry food, especially so with the finer-wooled 

 varieties, and therefore claiming more than ordinary care. 

 But many of the duties intolved require to be exercised a 

 month or more antecedent to the time under consideration, 

 and which will be found fully detailed under the head of 

 Winter Management. 



If sheep have been confined wholly within yards, and 

 not permitted to taste the young grass until it is sufficiently 

 advanced to satisfy their hunger without the aid of other 

 food, there is great danger in turning them upon it too sud- 

 denly. This results from its flashy and stimulating proper- 

 ties, causing scours or purging, and unfortunately with that 

 portion of the flock least able' to endure the attack, namely, 

 those in low flesh, and consequently feeble. In nearly all 

 such cases, death will often follow, unless a timely arrest of 

 the disease is made by a return in part to dry food. 



But it is better to attend to the prevention^ which is, to 

 allow the flock to graze an hour or two each day for at least 



