The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1859-01-15
From the Gcncsee Farmer
Fattening Sheep in Winter.

In fattenng sheep in winter. the first thing
to be provided is dry yard with an opcn
shed. Nothing is so injurious to sheep as
wet quarters. When left to themselves, they
always select the highest and driest places in
the field to lie upon. Racks and feeding
'roughs must also bc furnished and what is
O! equal Importance, they must be filled with
proper food. No fodder fats sheep like clover
hay. they could have some roots, so
much the better; but sheep can lie fattcned
and probably too, without roots. A sheen
weighing loo lbs. will cat about three pounds
OF clover hay, or It's equivalent, per day. 1t
Is well to let them have access TO Straw or
corn stalks at all times, giving them hay
night and morning.
one object in iattcning sheep in winter, is
TO increase the quantity and quality of the
manure. English farmers who feed large
quannllts of cil.cake TO sheep, consider it a
profitable business when the Increased value
Of the sheep pays for the oilcake consumed
lhey consider the value Of the manure equiv
alcnt to the turnius and other food except
the purchased ollcake, which the sheep eat.
Taking the value of the manure into consid
Grafton, no food is so good for shcep-none will
yield a greater pioiit-.han ocake. Half a
pound each sheep per day is good average
allowance, giving less at first and gradually
increasing the quantity. If large mutton
sheep, they may be allowed larger quantity
oats, peas, and beans, are also excellent Cor
shecp, and so Is indian meal but the manure
made from the latter is not so valuable as
from oilcakc, peas or beans Clover, contain
ing mnch more nitrogen than timothy or
other grasses, the manure from clover hay is
much the most valuable.
Sheep arc timid creatures, and should never
be disturbed by the presence of dogs, or in
any other way. By eating snow, they manage
10 Hre without water, but they will not thrive
or latten well without regular supply. A
little salt should be given occasionally, but
not IN teo large quantities. When they have
ollcake and clover hay, little salt is required
as considerable quantity is provided in these
foods.
he coarse wooded sheep, when well bred
will undoubtedly furnish more mntton for the
food consumed than the fine.woolcd sheep
and, other things being equal would be the
most profitable sheep for fattening in winter.
But as the common sheep of the country can
be purchased much cheaper in the fall than
wei bred mutton sheep, greater profit is often
realised from them than from the English
breeds. Mutton is much higher in the spring
Than IN the fall, and the profits of fattenng
sheep IN Winter depend as much on this in
creased value of mutton as in the increased
weight of the sheep. 1t is doubtful whether
we could afford to fatten sheep in winter, if
we had to pay six cents pound for the sheep
IN the fall and sell them for six cents Il pound
in the spring, depending on the increase of
mutton and wool to pay for the food and
trouble; but if we can buy at three cents and
sell for eight or nine, the profits are very
considerable. | give these figures. not as
actual representatives of what can be DONE
but merely to illustrate my meaning. ] got
this idea from the GcneScc Farmer three
years ago, and have since then purcha sed
common sheep in the fall, at from SIPS to
Sl.50 per head. and sold them in the spring
at from 81 to Sc. and have found the business
a pleasant and profitable one. G. S. IT.