58 
SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 
SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 
Lands best adapted to the Growing of Sheep .— 
Somewhat high or rolling lands, producing a short, 
sweet grass, should be chosen, upon which to pas- 
* ture sheep. Avoid marshy or wet lands. The grass 
thereon is not as sweet and natural for sheep, as on 
drier land. They are also apt to become diseased in 
their feet on wet lands, and do not thrive as well, 
and flies that trouble them most, seem more numer¬ 
ous about such grounds. Level grounds or plains, if 
sandy or gravelly, are generally good sheep pastures. 
Fields kept for sheep, should he allowed occasionally 
to recruit, by being vacated for one to two weeks, 
every two months or so. Sheep will do far better 
by a change of pasture, even though the time be 
short. Good running water is essential in each field, 
though sheep can do better in pastures without water 
than other stock. 
Fences and Pass-ways. —Almost any kind of en¬ 
closure may be used except stone. If a farm be 
stony, and its proprietor desires to put them into 
fence, a very good kind may be made for sheep, if 
laid up 3 feet high, and then capped with posts and 
boards nailed thereon, or a course of rails laid on 
top, then staked firmly, and another course of rails 
laid upon the stakes. Gates to go in and out of fields 
for sheep, should always be used instead of bars. 
The common method of letting down some 4 or 6 
bars, only gives a very narrow passage, and exposes 
the legs of the sheep to be broken, and the weak 
ones and lambs tc fall and be run over. If, how¬ 
ever, bars must be used, always take out two or 
three of the lower ones entirely, to let the sheep pass. 
Number to be kept together. —About 100, or at 
most 200 sheep are as many as should be allowed to 
run together either in summer or winter. 
Time to commence Foddering—Quantity of Hay 
necessary—Comfortable protection, fyc. —Sheep, in the 
latitude of this State, should in ordinary seasons be 
taken from pasture and put upon hay as early as the 
15th to the 25th of November. About 10 to 12 tons 
of hay, without grain, is requisite for 100 sheep. If 
they are to remain in the fields during winter to be 
foddered, each field should have sheds or barns of 
sufficient size for them to resort to either from cold 
or stormy weather. This not only ensures comfort, 
bnt it will require less to keep them, and save more 
lives through the inclement season. In a warmer 
latitude, this would doubtless be unnecessary, and 
the foddering from stacks might be practised. Hay 
ought not to be fed to them upon the ground, as it 
gets trampled upon, blows away, and is much wast¬ 
ed. Permanent racks, if within the barn, or mova¬ 
ble, if without, should be used, sufficiently long that 
20 sheep may feed on both sides. 
Salting of sheep occasionally in winter as well as 
m summer, should not be forgotten. 
Sheep to be chosen in Establishing a Flock. —In 
choosing and establishing a flock of sheep, the best 
of judgment should be exercised. Purity of blood in 
order to the evenness of quality of wool, as well as 
similarity of constitution, should be sought for. A 
good stout form, with full chest, generally ensures a 
good constitution. Those growing much wool upon 
them, are, of course, the most desirable. This does 
not solely apply as a gain in the profit of the wool 
grown, but gives greater protection to the sheep dur¬ 
ing winter, and the exposure to storms. For the 
object of growing wool (and for the promotion of 
which this article is particularly written), and getting 
up a large flock, I am decidedly of the opinion that 
no other kind compares with the Merino. Commence 
with the pure breed if possible, and if not, then get 
as near it as may be, and obtain pure bred rams to 
improve with. 
Age suitable to be put to Breeding. —In nice breed¬ 
ing, ewes should never be suffered to be put to the 
buck until the fall after they are two years old, and 
bucks should be reserved to a like age except for a 
small number of ewes. Bucks should be kept apart 
from the ewes during summer, and generally, in this 
latitude, not allowed to go with ewes until the 15th 
to 25th of November. One buck if used at intervals, 
and not suffered to roam among the flock, may serve 
60 to 100 ewes. After the season is over, and dur¬ 
ing said time, let him have 2 to 3 pints of oats per 
day, and plenty of clean hay and pure water. A 
little time prior to the ewes dropping their lambs, 
they should be particularly nourished and housed. 
Oil meal, mixed with ground oats, is a good feed, in 
light quantities. The oil meal may, however, not be 
intermixed much until after the lambs are brought. 
Before turning sheep to grass, clip the wool from 
and below the tail to keep them cleanly. At lambing 
time, the shepherd should be in constant care and at¬ 
tention. If there are appearances of rain, even if it 
be only an April shower, gather the sheep and 
young lambs into the barns and sheds, as a little 
chill, and that just before night comes, may eventu¬ 
ally destroy both ewe and lamb. 
When the lamb is about one month old, if a he 
one, have him castrated in the most simple manner, 
and apply cold water to rinse off the blood, and then 
a little lard. Do not take off the tails of these lambs 
at this time, as it will cause them to bleed too much, 
weaken, and possibly kill them; at about six weeks 
old, or sooner, let all lambs’ tails be taken offi say 
1 1 -2 to 2 inches from the body. The best method 
to do this, is to place the lamb’s stern against a block, 
with the tail lying upon it; then let the man holding 
the lamb move the loose skin upon his tail towards 
his body, and a second person cut off the tail with a 
2 inch chisel and mallet at a blow. The skin will 
then move back again, and unite over the end of the 
bone. 
Time and Manner of Washing. —The last of May 
or first of June is the best time to wash sheep. Se¬ 
lect a convenient place not too far distant, where is 
clear running water. Leave the Jambs at home in a 
barn, or close yard, during the time of washing the 
sheep. Those who are particularly nice, take about 
one to two hundred at a time to the washing place, 
and put them into the water, handling them carefully, 
and then place them back on the bank of the stream 
in the yard. After they commence steaming as it is 
termed, then put them in again for a final washing. 
This plan ensures very clean, white wool. Sheep 
should never be washed after noon, as they do not 
get dry. They are apt to take cold, and are very 
much injured by remaining wet during the following 
night. After washing, the sheep should be kept on 
clean grass lands, and not allowed to go into plowed 
fields, nor lie in dirty yards until shorn. 
Time and Manner of Shearing—Doing up Wool .— 
Shearing may commence 6 to 8 days after washing, 
if the weather be fine. A small flock only should 
