Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1861-02-07
Sheep Winter

The following suggestions 10 regard TO the
care Of sheep through the cold wcatcr, we
abri re from T. >. Goud's lecture before
the Val Agricultural Association Shelter
is the first necessity in providing for winter
M sheep successfully. .,Ih' Soutldo us will
bear expo ure ctter than any other class Of
sheep The open fleece Of the loug-woolcd
parts on the back, aui admits the wafer,
which comp eey drenches the animal, SO that
his abundau. fleece IS no longer a protection
from cold ElonoBig IN tesdiRg demands
shelter for all sheep as not only less food Is
required, but it is also b tier preserved from
waste. Water soah ed hay, or that which is
in any way soicd, is always rejected. he
imp ovement 10 the quality Of the manure,
forms another argument in favor OF shelter
That this is not only heaIlhful but grateful
to the sheep, at all seasons OF the year, we
see in the f. ct that even in summer they will
seek their winter sheds at the app zach of a
storm, ii they are within their reach.
Ventilation is Of paramount importance
as connected with shelter, aud to insure this,
sheds opou to the south are 10 be preferred.
\ stable nth an open window will answer
for a very small number, bul the erowdng
of a large fl e in such place affects the
organs Of respiration, and may result IN Sc
rous disease, aud should never be tolerated.
The hest form oil rack las posts three feet
high in he corners, bottom OF boards, the
sides aud ends of two boards cach the lower
one the widest, with narrow perpendicular
strips uailcd on, to keep the strongest sheep
from croNdlng the weaker. These spaces
should he larger in the perpendicular than
in the horizontal opening. The size Of these,
as well as tbs width OF the rack, must be in
proportian to the size Of the sheep. Not
more than one hundred OF the fine. wooded
sheep should be confined in the same yard
while the long.wooed will not thrive with
more than twenty-five. A hospital, snug
and comfortable, should receive any sheen
that may be weak from age or disease, till
by careful feeding aud nursing it can be re.
turned to the flock
1t is the worst possible practice 10 allow
the sheep to tall away IN flesh, as the grass
fails in autumn. The increasing wool con,
ccals the shrinking carcass, much to the dis
appointment of the careless flock MASTER
Better corfne them In the yard than allow
them to ramble about in search of some field
Of winter-grain, which furnishes little
green food, but too light to be Of any Tea
value
Winter fodder should embrace in addition
to the dry food, a due proportion of tha
which is green and succuIent Fine early
cut clover, hay well curci, or that from ole
meadows consisting OF variety Of grasses
forms the best d. fodder Economy de
mands that its quality should tie good els,
much waste ensues yet the sheep is v3rl
fond OF variety, and almost all OF the 50
called weeds become choice morsels Th
botauist kno $ full well that sheep-rang,
will be most barren oil the objects of hi
search I he immortal Linnnus tested tn
plauts indigenous to Sweden by offering then
fresh alhered to the various domeslicate,
animals Horses ate 262 spec es aud re
jeoted PIP cattle ate 276 species, and re
fused 2lS; while sheep took readily 3S7