850 VETERINAEY HYGIENE 



The grazing may be open or the sheep folded, the system 

 adopted depends on the character of the grazing and the 

 available crops for summer feeding. Many good sheep 

 breeders combine the systems, allowing freedom during part 

 of the day, and close folding at the other. At present we 

 are only referring to summer feeding ; during the winter 

 while the sheep are on roots close folding is the rule. 



Close folding has the advantage of feeding down the 

 pastures systematically, while the grasses suffer no destruc- 

 tion from being trampled. Another markedly economical 

 advantage is that, as every flock consists of sheep in 

 different states of development, those for sale as mutton 

 get the first bite of the new fold, the less forward ones 

 follow and take a good deal that the others leave, while the 

 stock ewes come last and clear up. But this latter by no 

 means indicates that ewes need little in the way of keep, 

 and if the above system of employing them as scavengers 

 is carried too far, the ewes get poor and low in condition, 

 and unfit for the drain on their system which is to follow 

 at lambing time. 



When the ewes have lambs the system of close folding 

 may be practised by the use of the lamb hurdle, which 

 allows the young animals ample opportunity of moving 

 about, while the openings in the hurdles admit of them at 

 once returning to their dams if alarmed or hungry. In 

 this way lambs get the liberty they require. Close folding 

 where sheep are forced in their maturity, is of the greatest 

 advantage in furnishing that variation of food which 

 appears essential to forcing lambs. In this way sheep may 

 have two or three changes of green stuff in the course of 

 a day ; for example, a fold of vetches, rape, clover, or 

 sainfoin may be used alternately during the course of a few 

 hours. 



In forcing lambs especially, trifoliam, vetches, rape, and 

 later on cabbage, are the great fodder crops available for 

 summer feeding, while the spring feeding is met by rye, 

 winter barley, and winter oats. Experience shows these 

 fodder crops are best fed mixed rather than singly. 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



