Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1862-12-05
From the Country Gentleman.
Winter Management of Breeding
Ewes.

your flock by throwing out the poorest
ewes, and fat them, replacing them with
selections from your eve lambs; in so
doing you will annually raise the value
of your flock to a very great per cent ;
and unless you can resist tempting pri-
ces for your best breeders, you will not
succeed in your vocation.
Breeding ewes should be kept in open
sheds facing the south and east, and at
the same time be protected from the
searching winds from the north and west.
Separate them into yards of 20 each
of coarse wools-35 of middle or so of
fne wool.
Feed not less than three times day
twice a day with hay, and once with
grain; grain in straw, or roots, according
to your facilities.
feed my ewes twice day with good
hay, and once with unthreshed oats
the straw after being picked over in
racks goes for bedding the sheep) at the
rate of an average of one pint per day
through the winter, commencing with
gill or half pint, and gradually increasing
il as the ewes near their time OF lambing,
at which time it should reach pint or
more, according to the size, age and con-
ditior of the ewes.
/ do not believe it pays to thresh and
much less to grind oats for sheep, unless
it be for a few days in spring when first
turned to grass.
Twice a week omit the oats, and in
its room feed roots, (but in excessively
cold weather feed their usual oats, there |
by preventing the stretches, which dis
ease is comparatively unknown in Eng |
land, on account Of turnip feeding.
Formerly lost from one to three per
cent. of my sheep every winter with this
disease, by reason of confuing them on
dry feed, but latterly have not had a
case. /
Oats is the best grain for breeding
ewes, az it develops the frame work of
the lamb, or in other words is bone and
muscle growing feed, while corn or oil
meal is best, to fat sheep; and such food
would grow in the undeyeloped lamb an
undue amount Of fat, in proportion to the
framework or bone and muscle of the
lamb.
Lambs from ewes excessively fed on
fat growing food, will be deficient in bone,
muscle, and wool, and not possessed Of
sufficient strength to ever stand.
The complaint of oats fed to breeding
ewes, as injurious to their lambs, is
more cry than WOOL"
An acquaintance feeds bushel of oats
per day through the winter to q ewes,
with good success. This spring he raised
from 90 Of them so lambs. If he had
fed the same amount (not Of measure
but amount of nutriment) in oil meal,
would venture to say not one OF the
lambs would ever have got up, they
would have been so loaded with fat, with
weak bone, and comparatively no WOOL
Sheep will habituate themselves to stay
where they are fed, so feed in dry wealth I
er in the yard, where they can get ezer- !
else, pure air and the sun. The latter is g
as necessary for the health of an animal i
as it is for a plant. In stormy weather
feed in racks, either stationary around
the ends and backside of the sheds, or /
movable ones in the centre. a
Salt should be constantly kept before e
the sheep, in box nailed to one corner .
of the inner side of the sheep-shed and y
If your sheep are ticky, mix sulphur in a
the proportion of one third to two thirds
salt, but good feeding is sure pre- r
yeniiye. Ticks viii not thrive on fat
sheep. b
Keep your breeding ewes well bedded b
with straw, and by all means remove r
the manure from the sheds as often as n
there is a thaw in the winter, as the h
ammonia from sheep, and especially o. b
horse manure, is positively injurious to
them, and though disease may not ap- II
pear in the ewes, yet it will count on c
their lambs.
We would earnestly rec N m md
feeding at regular intervals. Order and il
regularity is as beneficial to the lower Ii
animals as 10 man. i'll
Especially feed the ewes well while c
the ram is serving, so as to start Wig s.
orous germ, and keep up that feed, or r.
the growing germ, instead of growing a
with their growth and strengthening
with their strength, viii when dropped,
though possessed of good size, be def P
cient in vigor and vitality. o
Use none but strong and healthy J G.