130 MANAGEMENT AND FEEDING OF SHEEP 



manent. Where the flock is small, permanent divisions 

 are less necessary. In any case more or less use may be 

 made of the feed racks used in feeding to increase the 

 number of the pens that may be called for. This should 

 be kept in mind when the movable racks are being made, 

 and they should be constructed accordingly. With in- 

 crease in the permanent divisions comes the necessity for 

 increase in the temporary or permanent divisions in the 

 yards. 



The limit of the number of sheep that can be success- 

 fully kept in one division of the shed cannot be given ex- 

 cept by approximation, as more of some breeds may be 

 kept together without hazard than of other breeds. The 

 fine wool breeds can be kept in larger flocks than other 

 breeds. It would seem safe to say that the percentage of 

 loss in sheep increases more or less with increase in the 

 size of the flock. 



When a small flock of sheep is kept on the farm, say 

 20 to 30 head, the percentage of loss under normal con- 

 ditions should be practically eliminated. Except with the 

 fine wooled breeds, the aim should be to keep not more 

 than say 50 breeding ewes in the division of the sheep 

 house. 



Food prior to the time of lambing — For all classes of 

 sheep, but especially for breeding ewes, the fodders fed 

 should be possessed of the following characteristics: (i) 

 They should be of fine growth and leafy. To have them 

 thus calls for special care in growing them. Corn and 

 sorghum fodders, for instance, should be sown more 

 thickly, to insure fine growth, when grown to feed sheep 

 than when grown to feed cattle. The finer varieties of 

 clover also should be sought rather than the coarser. (2) 

 They should be cut early and well cured. Sheep will not 

 consume woody material in the form of dry fodder, hence 

 an early stage of cutting is necessary and also careful cur- 

 ing to prevent a woody condition of the fodder and to pre- 

 serve its palatability. (3) They should include variety. 



