SHEEP. 



fuch paflures be improTed ; which (hould be the conftant 

 aim of the (heep-grazing farmer, whenever the expences will 

 allow of it. Further, the expences of labour and keeping 

 fuch pallure-lands in proper order, lofTes of ftock, &c. muft 

 take greatly away from the profits of this kind of farming. 

 It is, on the whole, thought, that though the profits of the 

 breeding fyftem may fluduate confiderably, it will not be fo 

 great as in fome other modes of (heep-grazing. The breed- 

 ing fheep-farmer may, it is faid, «' have a large or a fmall 

 crop of lambs ; he may lofe a great many, or only a few 

 ewes. There may be an increafe or decreafe in the value of 

 the lambs, old fheep, or wool ; there may be a prolific or 

 fcanty crop, an increafe or decreafe of rent ; which circum- 

 ilances cannot fail to alter the profits of a breeding grazier." 

 But that lately, for many year?, the great demand for lean 

 flieep and wool has contributed greatly to the profits of 

 farmers of this kind. The profits and advantages of the 

 fattening fyltem of (heep management, which is more vary- 

 ing, will be afterwards particularly confidered, and in fome 

 meafure compared with the breeding praAice. 



The original differences in the value of lean (heep, for the 

 purpofes of the breeding fheep-farmer, and as they may 

 happen to be in a better or more reduced condition, mult 

 have a further effedl on the profit of this fyltem of manage- 

 ment, as often amounting to not lefs than from three or four 

 to eight or nine (hillings the head. 



Fattening- Management of Sheep. — In the bufinefs of fat- 

 tening (lore (heep, there are many circumltances that (hould 

 be carefully attended to, as well as that of managing the 

 breeding and other flocks. The kind of flieep that are raoll 

 advantageous under the different forts of keep, fitnatioiis 

 and kinds of land, muft be well confidered : the differences 

 in the forts of food, in regard to the improvement of the 

 (heep ; and the moll beneficial methods of employing it in dif- 

 ferent cafes ; and lalUy, the markets. And as the (heep under 

 this treatment (hould never be fuffered to have any fort of want 

 of frefh food, they (hould never be kept too long upon any 

 inclofure or grafs-picce, or any other iort of keep, fo as to 

 be compelled to feed upon the fuUied or tr..mpled food, as 

 it always greatly retards the fattening of the animals, or what 

 is termed proof, which is conftantly the moll promoted by 

 the allowance of only the prime frelh food. 



There are many different forts of food made life of in this 

 bufinefs, fuch as the different forts of turnips, which are very 

 extenfively applied in this fyftem, and fome ufe them alone ; 

 but it is probably a better praftice to give fome fort of dry 

 food with them, efpecially where the common turnip is em- 

 ployed, as it is more watery and lefs nutrient than that of 

 the Swedifli kind. Cut hay, ciiaff, bran, corn, oil-cake, 

 all anfwer well in this intention ; and of the firll two or three 

 forts they (hould have a pretty full fupply ; but the latter, 

 from their expence, (hould be more fparmgly given ; fevcral 

 pounds of oats will however be required for each (heep per 

 day, according to the kind and fize. It is itated in the 

 Norfolk Agricultural Survey, lately pnblilhcd, that captain 

 Beacher having 700 fatting (heep, and turnips running 

 Ihort, put 200 of them to oats (not ground) ; he found 

 that the pradtice would not anfwer if oats were more than 

 6j. />fr coomb, and then not for longer than fix weeks : they 

 were fed on a pafturc, and the improvement of it very great. 

 He thinks grey peafe or beans would have anfwered much 

 better. 



With oil-cake, fome give half a cake a day to each (heep, 

 but the quantity muft depend ni fome meafure upon the otiicr 

 keep which tliev have. All food of this fort fliould be 

 given in moveable troughs, divided in the middle, fo that 

 tlie flit'ep may teed on each fide, witli a Hoping roof over 



Vol. XXXII. 



them, fo as to cover the (heep's beads and necks wliile feeding, 

 as wet is not only prejudicial to the (heep, but fpoils the 

 cake. A rack for hay, fixed over the trough, might pro- 

 bably be made to anfwer in this intention, while i. would 

 be very convenient for holding that material, and prevent- 

 ing wafle. The whole fliould be fixed on wheels, and be 

 made to ftand fteady, and a fufficient number for the quan- 

 tity of fheep be always in readin^-fs. 



Steamed or baked potatoes, cheap convenient contrivances 

 for the preparation of which have been lately invented, have 

 been fuppofed by fome to be preferable to turnips as a food 

 in this intention. And they have been employed raw in the 

 proportion of eight or ten pounds per (heep in the courfe of 

 the day or night ; but they are certainly a much better food 

 in their prepared ftate. The quantity of common turnips 

 confumed by each fheep in the lame length of time, is 

 ufually about eighteen or twenty pounds. Where this laft 

 fort of crop is good, an acre is fuppofed to fupport about 

 five fcore flieep in the field, fix or feven weeks in the winter 

 feafon : an acre of good grafs fupporting at the rate of one 

 hundred couples from five days to a week. 



In the fattening of wedders, the ufe of barley meal, with 

 grafs or fome other fort of green food,haslikewife been found 

 highly beneficial, and when it can be procured at a reafonable 

 rate, (hould not be neglefted, as it is quick in rendering thera 

 fat, and the mutton is excellent. 



Different other articles are occafionally made ufe of as the 

 fattening food of flieep, fuch as peas and beans, or pea and bean 

 meal in the winter feafon, and fome fubftances of other kinds. 

 It is not known that any fort of pure faccharine matter has 

 ever yet been tried in this intention in (heep, but it is pro- 

 bable that it could not fail having the effedl in a very expe- 

 ditious manner, if the expence of it would allow of its ap- 

 plication in fuch a way ; and it might be conveniently given, 

 in fmall quantities at a time, in mixture with chaff, cut hay, 

 bran, or any other fimilar fort of material, in covered 

 troughs or bins for the purpofe, fuitable other forts of food 

 being had recourfe to at the fame time. 



On the moft ufual fort of food for this ufe, that of tur- 

 nips, fheep are very apt to go backward, unlefs fattened out 

 before the winter feafon fets in. Indeed the lofs from keep- 

 ing fat fheep through the winter is often fo confiderable, that 

 it IS advifcable to have them ready to fell at the clofe of fura- 

 mer, to prevent the winter keep from being thrown away. 

 The moft bentficial application of this fort of food in fat- 

 tening flieep, has, however, probably not yet been fully 

 fhewn, as fome kinds of flieep are faid to pay well in winter 

 fattening. 



In fattening flieep in yards with potatoes, fome take 

 them in towards the latter end of the year, and keep them 

 until they are ready for l:ile about the beginning of March. 

 They have the potatoes fliced, and put into covered fheep- 

 troughs, a gallon being fufhcicnt for a (heep in the day. 

 They nioftly prove well on this fort of food, fo that if a 

 fair trial be made, the potatoe fyftem will probably be found 

 the moft expeditious of any in fattening thofe animals. 

 When compared with different forts of grain, oil-cake, &c. 

 by means of accurate trials witii fheep in every way the 

 fame, it has been proved to be the moft ready in effefting the 

 bufinefs. A little hay is moftly given with tlie potatoes, 

 morning and evening. A vaft maf's of excellent manure is 

 likowife raifed by this pradlice, wliere due care is beilowed 

 in the preparation of the yard. Many other fubftances tried 

 in the fame way, may pofhbly be equally beneficial in this 

 intention, though they have not yet been made ule of by 

 fheep-farmers. 



In regard to the profits of the fattening praftice of (heep 

 2 L management 



