128 MANAGEMENT AND FEEDING OF SHEEP 



ing, continued access to the pastures will be helpful to 

 the sheep. They may be able to find succulence in the 

 grass thus gleaned to render unnecessary the feeding of 

 roots, ensilage, bran or oilcake in order to keep the bowels 

 in tone. 



Ideal conditions for wintering ewes — The ideal loca- 

 tion for a sheep shed calls for land that is well drained, 

 protection from injurious winds, ample opportunity to 

 furnish yards and paddocks, and easy and convenient ac- 

 cess to the pastures. It may not be possible to secure all 

 these conditions in the degree to which they may be de- 

 sired, but the more nearly that they can be approximated, 

 the more assured will be the success that may be looked 

 for (see page 322). In the matter of protection the breed- 

 ing ewes must be given the right of way, as males and 

 ewes not breeding do not necessarily call for conditions 

 of environment equally favorable in the winter season. 



The ideal shed or shelter for breeding ewes must 

 have in it several divisions, permanent or temporary, for 

 the use of the ewes that rear lambs, in addition to other 

 divisions that may be necessary for the sheep carried over 

 that will not produce lambs (see page 335). This is 

 necessary because of the needs of the ewes and also of 

 the lambs at different stages of development in the latter. 

 Where the flocks are small, these divisions may be tem- 

 porary, but with large flocks it will be more convenient 

 to have them permanent. Where the ewes and lambs 

 are kept, it is specially important to have an abundance 

 of sunlight. 



The ideal yard for the ewes and lambs must be pro- 

 tected. This is indispensable. It is also, in a sense, a 

 necessity that it shall be located on the sunny side of the 

 shed. It is more convenient when the yards have divi- 

 sions in the sheds, but this is not always necessary. When 

 it is necessary these can be made by the use of movable 

 materials (see page 21). Paddocks are not so much 

 necessary for breeding ewes as for rams, as the paddocks 



