Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-01-30
Handling sheep.

As nearly every operation OF practice
sheep husbandry is necessarily attended with
ths catching and handling Of sheep, l will
make these the first Of those practical nanipu-
SauoDs which i am now to describe. A sheep
should always be caught by throwing the
hands about the neck; or By seizing one NINA
leg Immediately above the hook with the
hand; or by hooking the crook round 1t at the
same place. When thus caught by the hand
the sheep should be drawn gently Dack nnul
the disengaged hand can be placed IN rent OF
its neck. The crook is very oonVenlent to
reach out and draw sheep from nuHoer
huddled by dog or In corner, Without tne
shepherds making a spring for 1t, and thus
PuttiIg the rest TO flight; and person &C.
cpstomed to its use Will eaten moderately
tame sheep anywhere with this implement t.
But il must be handled with care. 1t should
be used with a quick but gentle motion, and
the caught sheep immediately drawn back
rapidly enough 70 prevent IL springing to one
side or the other, and thus wrenching the leg
or throwing itself down by exerting its force
at an angle with the line of draft in the crook
Care must be taken not to hook the crook to q
sheep when il is so deep in q huddle with
others, that they are liable to spring against the
caught one, or against the handle of the crook
either ofjWhlch may occasion a severe internal
strain on the leg. When the sheep is drawn
within reach, the leg led by the crook should
1t once be seized by the band, and the crook
removed.
sheep should be lifted either by placing
both arms around its body immed iately back of
the fore legs; or by standing Sideways TO it and
placing one arm before the fore lges and the
other behind the hind legs; or by throwing
one arm rsBnd the fore parts and taking ap
the sheep between the arms and hips: or lifting
II with the left arm under the hrIsket the right
hand grasping the thigh on the other side
that the sheep lays on the l. 1T arm with its
back against The tatcher's body. The two first
modes are the handiest and safest with large
sheep, the third mode is very convenient for
small sheep or lambs; and a change between
them all operates as relief TO the catcher
who has large number to handle.
Under no circumstances whatever should
sheep be seized, much less lifted by .he wool.
The SKIN is sometimes literally torn from the
flesh and where this extent OF injury is not In
hIcted, killing or sklnning would invariably
disclose more or less congestion occasioned
by lacerating the cellular tissue between the
SKIN and flesh and thus prove how muchpure-
ly unnecessary pain and injury has been in
ficts d on an unotfending and valuable animal
by the ignorance or brutality of it's attendant
1t cannot be too strongly enforced that gem
tleness in every manipulation and movement
connected with sheep is the first and one of the
main conditions OF success in managing them.
They should be taught to fear no injury from
man. They should be made tame and even
afectionate-so they will follow their keeper
ABOUT the neld-so that, in the stable, they
Will scarcely rise 10 get out of his way. Wild
sheep are constantly suffering some loss or
deprivation themselves, and constantly oc-
casioning some loss or damage TO their owner.
and under the modern system of winter stable.
management, ii Is difficult to get through the
yearning season with safety TO their lambs
RGHddlps Practical SksDb.rd