SHEEP. 



vey of that diftrifl, lately publidied by the Board of Agri- 

 culture. 



In this (heep-houfe the wheels are fixed to the fides, being 

 fixteen inches in diameter, and having an axle-tree to harnels 

 the horfe to, with weather-boarded flaps hung with hinges, 

 to turn up and button againft the fides when it is removed. 

 It has alfo folding doors to open when the (heep are let in 

 or out, and fixed weather-boarding, with cover-boarded 

 windows to open on hinges fideways, in order to put fodder 

 into the racks. Likewife a canvas roof, with open railing 

 for air. 



It is obferved, that the length of the building is from 

 twenty feet to any length ; the width to be fuch as to en- 

 able the building to pafs tiirough the field-gates ; the wea- 

 ther-boarding and flaps to be made as thin as pofiible, and 

 covered with pitch. 



But how far the advantages of houfes of this lort may 

 compcnfate the expences of conftrufting and keeping them 

 in repair, has not been fully flievvn ; nor has perhaps a fuf- 

 ficient number of trials been made to (hew the benefit of 

 confining fheep in covered houfes or folds, or whether the 

 economy of the animals is well fuited to Inch a fyftem. 

 Some circumrtarices of advantage attending the praftice of 

 houfing flieep have certainly been ftated, but no fatisfaftory 

 comparative experiments have, fo far as we know, been 

 made. And from the plan being little or not at all adopted 

 in many extenfive flieep diftritls, and in others where it once 

 prevailed being either wholly in difufe or much on the de- 

 cline, as is well known to be the cafe in Gloucefterfhire 

 and the county of Hereford, there feems reafon at lea'.l to 

 prefume that it is not fo neceflary or fo well fuited to the 

 habits of the animal, nor even fo beneficial as has been fup- 

 pofed by fome writers on the fubjeft. See Sheep, and 

 Folding of Sheep. 



Houfes of this nature, for the purpofe of flieltering flieep 

 and lambs in bad weather, are formed in a very cheap and 

 fimple manner in Romney-Marfli, a» may be feen in Price's 

 account of the flieep-hufbandry of that diftrift. 



SHEEP-IIurdks, the flakes or fort of fence-gates which 

 are fet up fo as to confine flieep at the time of folding them 

 on arable land, or while they are feeding down, or upon 

 any particular fort of food. They are of feveral dif- 

 ferent kinds, and either clofe or open ; but the former are 

 in general to be preferred, as affording the moil flicker. It 

 is obvious that the number required to inclofe a certain fpace 

 mull depend upon the length. See Hurdle. 

 - SHEEP-HiiJl>anc/ry or Farming, that fort of farm manage- 

 ment which relates to or has flieep for its principal objeft. 

 There are various modifications of this fort of farming, de- 

 pending upon the differences in the circumitanccs of the 

 lands, their nature and fituations, as well as other local 

 matters. See Sheep. 



It is not improbable but that in this fort of hufbandry and 

 farming, the moll benefit and advantage may often be de- 

 rived where there is a judicious intermixture and conjunc- 

 tion of other forts of management, as thofe of cultiva- 

 tion, cattle, planting, and fome others, flieep being con- 

 ilantly the great objeft. By fuch means advantagres are 

 afforded and brought forth in a great variety of different 

 ways to the individuals themfelves as well as the community 

 at large. 



In this fort of farming management it is of much conle- 

 quence to have rccourfe to the fixing upon fuch plans and 

 methods as are the bell and moil fuited to the Hate and na- 

 ture of the farms and markets for the fales of the animals. 

 Tn cafes where the farms are high, and of a coldexpofed na- 

 ture, the wether fyilem may often enter largely iBto the 



plan which is to be adopted. Where they are of the more 

 mixed nature, and confiil of high, as well as low lands, they 

 may iometimes be moft fuitably Hocked, in a partial manner, 

 with ewes and lambs, and with wethers. In thofe of the 

 more common fort, the breeding or rearing fyilems, ac- 

 cording to circumftances, may frequently be the moll pro- 

 fitable modes. And in rich grafs land and mixed farms, 

 which are provided with parks and paflures, as well as arable 

 lands, the flieep-farmer may not unfrequently be tempted 

 to fatten the faleable part of his flieep-ftock, particularly 

 where the markets are convenient for him in refpeft to 

 dillance. 



In all thefe forts of farms in this kind of hufljandry, the 

 breeds or kinds of flieep fliould always be feletled and pro- 

 vided with a perfeft confideration of their nature, and the 

 management of the flieep be carefully direfted with tlie fame 

 intention. The means of difpofing of them fliould alfo be 

 well regarded. Many other circumilances likewife require 

 attention in this fort of hulbandry and management. The 

 inquirer may find much ufeful information on the iubjeft of 

 Highland flieep-farms and flieep-farming, in the third volume 

 of the " Tranfaftions of the Highland Society." 



SiiEEP-Maris, and Marking, the marks and means of 

 performing thofe which are put upon flieep in different 

 ways and manners ; as by means of tar, ochre, reddle, wad, 

 and other fimilar fubfliances, and by cutting the ears of the 

 animals in different forms and methods. Thefe are ufeful 

 and neceffary to the fheep-farmer on many occafions and 

 accounts ; they ferve to dillinguifli his particular fheep and 

 flocks from thofe of others, to difcriminate the feveral dif- 

 ferent kinds, and to point out the various forts of manage- 

 ment which are neceffary with different kinds of flieep and 

 lambs, as well as to anfwer different purpofes in the fale of 

 them, &c. In the marking with tar, a tool or contrivance 

 having letters fixed to the end of it, is mollly made ufe of, 

 the initials of the name of the farmer being moft commonly 

 emplayed. With the other matters different methods are 

 taken ; fuch as wetting and rubbing them on flates, ftones, 

 or other matters, and then marking the flieep with them in 

 the ways that may be thought neceffary. Sheep and lambs 

 are marked by thefe means in many different parts, as in 

 the faces, oh the tides, the hips, and in feveral other places ; 

 the work being mollly done according to the fancy of the 

 perfon engaged in it, or of the owner of the flock, often m 

 different curious modes and forms, as ftraight lines, curves, 

 circles, and a variety of other more out-of-the-way methods. 

 The marking of the flieep in the ears is performed by cutting 

 them with a iharp knife in different forms and manner:-, as in 

 that of a fork, an under and upper Qant, an under and upper 

 fquare, an under and upper notch, a llaple, an under and 

 upper flit, ftraight flit, a crop, a crop and flit, a hole, a hole 

 and flit, &c. All thefe feveral modes may be feen repre- 

 fentcd in Price's Syftem of Romney-JVIarfli Sheep-grazing. 



Marking fheep in the ears, in thefe or other methods, 

 forma excellent and correft means of dillindlion, for knowing 

 them by, in a variety of cafes and circumftances in flieep- 

 farming. 



Dr. Lewis recommends the following compofition for 

 marking of flieep ; inz,. melted tallow, with fo much char- 

 coal, in fine powder, ftirred into it, as is iufBcient to make 

 it of a full black colour, and of a thick confiilence. This 

 mixture, being applied warm, with a marking-iron, on pieces 

 of flannel, quickly fixed or hardened, bore moderate rub- 

 bing, refilled the fun and rain, and yet could be waflied out 

 freely with foap, or ley, or ftale urine. In order to render 

 It ftill more durable, and prevent its being rubbed off, with 

 the tallow may be melted an eighth, fixth, or fourth of its 



weight 



