FARM MANAGEMENT IN THE OZAKKS. 33 
SHEEP. 
Sheep are usually raised on farms so situated that they are not 
subject to destruction by predatory animals. Because of the in- 
creased prices, sheep production was a profitable and satisfactory 
enterprise for the year under study. 
Seventeen of the 79 farms studied reported sheep. On 13 of these 
farms losses were sustained; 19 mature sheep and 17 lambs 
were reported as having died, representing a loss of 8.9 per cent. 
(This does not include lambs lost at lambing or while only a few 
days old.) In the majority of cases the sheep were kept in enclosed 
pastures, and the farms keeping sheep were, as a rule, in communi- 
ties where the keeping of sheep has been practiced for some time. 
Only one sheep was reported specifically as having been killed by 
dogs, though in the case of a few operators who allowed their sheep 
to range the woods losses were probably caused by dogs or wolves. 
GOATS. 
Within recent years the goat has come into a regularly established 
place on the market, and this fact, together with the great value of 
the goat in cleaning up land, makes its production especially desir- 
able in the Ozarks. Goats and cattle will pasture the same land to 
advantage. Only nine farms reported having goats. Eleven and 
three-tenths per cent of the number maintained on the farm through 
the year were lost. Of the 12 mature goats and 10 kids which died 
during the year, dogs killed 6 of the goats and some of the kids. 
Contrary to a widely held opinion, the goat can not successfully 
defend itself against vicious dogs, and unless necessary precautionary 
measures are taken serious losses may be caused by dogs both to 
mature animals and to unborn and young kids. The goat is an ex- 
tremely hardy animal, and very valuable, especially in this section, 
for clearing out underbrush. With proper attention the percentage 
of loss which occurred in the year considered could be materially re- 
duced and as the goat now has a ready market value besides its 
great value to this section for keeping the underbrush and sprouts 
eaten off, such attention would be profitable. 
POULTRY. 
The sale of poultry and eggs returns a substantial portion of the 
total cash receipts of many farms. (See fig. 12.) The section is not 
one of intensive poultry culture. However, the great majority of the 
farmers keep chickens, which are supported largely by grain and food 
which otherwise would be wasted. A certain amount of grain is fed 
directly to the chickens, mainly corn and kafir corn raised for the 
purpose. A record was obtained from one farm on which the sale 
