Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1845-10-16
A9rirnltm'ra al.
SHELTER FOR SHEEP.


EVERY one has perhaps heard Of the man whose
roof remained unrepaired to the perpetual detri-
ment Of all dry articles aud sound lungs within
doors,-because when it rained he could not re-
pair il, and when the weather was fair he did not
need the repair. For similar reason, many aocks
of sheep pass year after year, unprotected, because
shelters are not needed in the summer, and cannot
be made in the depth Of winter To induce their
owners to adopt an improvement, and provide, in
time, suitable shelter for their hocks, we wish to
state few facts in the case.
Lewis A. More of Tompkins county, N. Y,
before he had provided shelter for his flock of
Saxon sheep, 1900 in number, lost from 20 TO 100
during winter, and once lost $50. For the four
successive years after protection the average num-
Der wntered being 1900, the average yearly loss
amounted to only 81. being less than l 81 per
cent.
j. W. Childers, of the English Agricultural So
ciety, brought his sheep 70 shelter about Christmas
and found before two days that they did not eat
much as when exposed, by the proportion Of FIVE to
three. When in the field, his flock required fly
baskets full of turnips day but when sheltered
they needed only thirty day. yet such great
progress, said he, did they make, that you thought
they had been eating fifty baskets day, when shut
up, and only thirty when in the field In another
experiment, which was accompanied by accurate
weighing and measuring. where turnips and OIL
cake were given as food the quantity of turnips
diminished in few weeks nearly one quarter
and the oil-cake diminished about one-thrd ;
while the increase Of weight resulting from shelter
was more than one-third. The editor Of the Eng
lish Agricultural Gazette, inferred, from actual
experiments, performed by himself, that twice as
many sheep might be kept in a fatting condition
the same quantity of food under perfect SHELTER as
under entire exposure. II these results OBJ
tanned in the mild climate of England, what may
not be expected in severe winters?
L. A. Morel is satisfied that at least one ton Of
hay to the hundred sheep is saved by protection,
every winter. OF oats, which fed literally be-
fore protection, the amount saved is equivalent to
500 bushels each year, and yet my sheep have
been in finer order than when they we're grained !;
showing, notwithstanding the virtue of grain that
there is more virtue in a warm shelter The same
successful manager has also found that the aggre-
gate increase in four clips Of wool from his flock,
resulting from protection, amounted to 1850 lbs and
that the increased number of lambs exceeded one
hundred year.
In view Of these facts, we wish every farmer TO
make calculation of the whole amount Of food
thus saved every winter the increase in the weight
Of his sheep, the saving of life, the increase Of
wool, and the increase in the number Of his flock
II it will cost one dollar per head to winter
sheep by the ordinary way, then to winter 1000
would cost 81 ,000
One third of this saved would be $3.50
The difference in loss by winterng, accord
ing to L. A. Morell, would be about fifty
sheep, which at 50 each would amount 10 100
Putting the increased value of his sheep, by
increase Of weight at one-tenth the value
of the flock, 200
Increase in the fleece, say l60 lbs, 60
Increase in lambs, say 60, so
S743
equal the total saving every year, by the use
Of suitable shelter, at very moderate estimate,
and which would abundanty pay for suitable sheds,
they required erecting every year.
Now is the time Of year to make preparations to
prevent the disastrous results which must always
attend the exposure of sheep, through our long,
stormy, and freezing winters at the north--Al6any
CIlsiuator.