Summer Management of the Flock 205 



feature of this season that seems to affect the sheep 

 most is the burning noonday heat, and if they have 

 any access to shelter under trees or cheaply con- 

 structed sheds, they suffer no annoyance. The gad- 

 fly is generally busiest just before sunset. 



Changing the pastures. — Instead of giving the 

 flock the run of a very large pasture, better results 

 can be obtained by limiting them to a small acreage 

 at different times. They like a change, and by ar- 

 ranging the pasture into fields of fair size, the pas- 

 turage may be better maintained. In a large pasture, 

 the sheep form the habit of grazing in certain places, 

 and these they will eat very close, while neglecting 

 the rest, as soon as they have access to these places 

 that seem to suit them best. Grazing in its native 

 habitat, the sheep roams over considerable territory, 

 and under farm conditions is benefited by frequent 

 changes more than is any other farm stock. Where 

 permanent pastures are the sole reliance, there is 

 danger in all the central and eastern states from the 

 stomach worm. The eggs are left on the ground by 

 infected sheep and taken in by the lambs when 

 grazing. The infection is seldom troublesome to 

 the ewes. 



Guarding against worms, — Infection of the lambs is 

 to be avoided by allowing them to graze only on ground 

 that has been cultivated since having been passed over 

 by infected animals. When this is not convenient, 

 recourse is sometimes had to the plan of keeping 



