Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1856-02-15
Aorirnltural laca6ino,
CARE OF SHEEP IN WINTER.

full winter management OF sheep tina
special attention be given to them in thu
early part of the season. Lack of prop
er shelter, or inattention to feeding for /;
few weeks now, may so reduce the con
dition Of the flock, that months Of extr;
care later in the season cannot recover
it.
We commend to careful perusal the
following very sensible remarks of Geo
Campbell, of Westminster, Vt, which are
taken from the Patent Office, on the
" Management of Merino Sheep"
Much of the success of the wool-grower
depends upon the winter management Of
his flock. Sheep are animals which pay
their owners better for good care and
keeping than any other stock usually kept
on a farm; but if fed with a stingy hand,
or neglected; if suitable conveniences
are wanting, they pay perhaps as poorly
as any. The annual loss to the United
States, resulting from q want of suitable
sheds and other conveniences for the
winter accommodation of sheep, is i'm
Imense. The promptings Of sef-interest
would seem sufficient to induce our farm
ers to adopt better system of winter
management. No intelligent farmer at
this day viii attempt to deny the princi-
pie that warm enclosures are an equiva-
lent, to a certain extent, for food; vari-
ETY. Of well-conducted experiments have
conelusively demonstrated the fact. A
large proportion of food consumed in
winter is required for keeping up the ami
NAL heat, and consequently, in proportion
as the apartments are warm, within GER
tain limits, the less amount Of food will
be required The other extreme, too
close apartments, would be Objectionable
from the impurity Of the air, and should
be avoided. Sheep have very little rea-
son to fear injury from this cause. The
majority Of those in our State suffer for
the want Of shelter, and a suitable GUAM
tity and variety in their winter food
Many focks are brought to their winter
quarters in fair condition, but are fed so
sparingly that the growth of their wool
is almost wholly arrested during the win
ter season, the fodder given them being
only sufficient to sustain the vital func-
tons. Under such circumstances the
food consumed by them is in fact nearly
lost. The owner has received no return
in the increase of wool nor in bodily
weight; and he viii suffer further from al
large per cent. of actual deaths before the
time Of shearing.
With such a course Of management the
profits of wool-growing viii necessarily
be small. If neither seIf-interest nor the
feelings Of humanity viii induce the far
mer to provide properly for his dependent
flock, he viii find IT for his advantage to
keep some other domestic animal, and /
know Of nothing more suitable for such
men than the hardy goat. While I pro-
test against the starving system, it would
seem hardly necessary to caution farmers
against the opposite extreme, too high
feeding, which is also detrimental to the
health and long life of the ANIMAL
While preparing sheep for the butcher,
high feeding is necessary and proper, but
for store sheep and breeding ewes, an
over amount Of fat, produced by high
keeping, is decidedly injurious; and, aside
from the attending expense to produce
this state Of things, it has a tendency to
shorten the lives of the sheep and enfee-
bic the offspring. The forcing system of
feeding brings animals to maturity early.
but is productive of premature death.
The proper and most profitable mode
of feeding, for breeding and store sheep,
Is that which will develop in them the
highest degree Of bodily vigor. Sheep
fed In this manner would endure the ia
tigue of long journey, while those high
fed would fail from the excess of fat, and
the scantily fed from muscular debility.
Every wool-grower will find it for his in
terest to provide warm, capacious. and
well-Tentilated sheds for his focks, with
convenient access to pure water. The
feeding-racks should be made with good
tight bottoms, in order that the chaff and
seed, the most valuable part of the hay,
may not be lost. Such racks will also
answer for feeding out roots and Grain.
and will avoid the necessity of having an
extra lot of trOughs for that purpose.
The different ages and classes of sheep
should be properly assorted. This class
lfication, however, must be left to the
Judgment of the breeder. The size of
his flock, and his conveniences for keep
ing will determine the extent of the
classification. 1t will be necessary in all
n