The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1869-12-23
Sheep in Winter.

At the last winter meeting of the New
York State Agricultural Society, Mr.. j.
Whine read an interesting paper on the
above topic An exchange gives the fol-
lowing digest of this essay:
In all things Mr.. Winnie believed in
the Importance of starting right, and in
the subject before him proposed to com
mence in that way by commencing at the
beginning In the first place, then, what
ever the breed may be, it was of the
greatest Importance that the breeder Sc
lect5
Good 6ock.-lt may be necessary to pay
high prices for such stock, but they could
rest assured of one fact-that if there was
no money in feedinggood stock, there was
none in feeding that which is not good
It would not do to buy sheep to feed be
cause they could be bought cheap. It
costs rs much towintera one dollar sheep
as Ave dollar one, and this cest will
equal about five dollars for each head.
Then in the spring, while the one doller
sheep, weighing about eighty pounds, is
sold Cat FIVE cents per pound) for IS 90, .
loss of forty cents on first cost, the five
dollar sheep, weighing at least one hun
dred and twenty five pounds, is sold at
ten cents per pound, equaling $3.50, or
net profit of L. SO, besides giving you
creditable name for bringing stock into
market He would next call the atten-
ton of breeders to the Importance ofhav-
ing proper
Oonsenseacss-I was bad policy to at
tempt to fatten sheep in winter without
proper shelter He instanced cases in
proof of this statement, and proceeded to
describe bis own buildings, which were
arranged with the utmost care, so as to
afford the sheep not only good, warm
shelter, but every facility for feeding and
care These buildings were constructed
with compartments, each designed for the
herding of about forty sheep. All but
one ofthem was upon ground floors, which
were continually supplied with an abund-
ance of litter, which was kept clean by
frequent changing. Tan bark and forest
mold were used on these floors, as best
calculated to absorb the liquid manures,
which he considered of great value. He
had one pen, in which he kept the sheep
designed for Immediate marketing, loca-
ted on a scafold floor, which was treated
with scatterings of tan bark and mould,
and kept perfectly clean.
Places. for Food and Feeding He had in
all these buildings arrangements made
for keeping the grain, roots, ETC., for feed
ing. Every day, at noon, he was in the
habit Of cutting roots, by machine, and
feeding them at the rate of three or four
bushels to every hundred sheep, In the
morning after the ordinary feeding or
watering grain was mixed with oil meal
and fed to them in troughs, arranged in
the stable for that purpose. In feeding
of meal he began with pint and in
creased the quantity until it reached q
quart, which was the maximum quantity
fed.
In regard to the matter of feed, be sure
to have plenty of it, of a good quality and
in a convenient place. One day of lax
feeding will destroy the effect of three
days of good feeding.
W3tertng-W Water, too, should be looked
after with regularity. It is my rule to
have the boys who attend to feeding and
watering, FIJI the troughs twice in the
morning after feeding, and twice in the
afternoon, always commencing with the
first yard and Gas is done with the feed
ing as well as the watering) and ending
with the last.
Ltttering- This, too, is something which
must not be neglected have stood In
the yard and noticed, when the littering
or bed was getting dirty, how careflly the
sheep avoided it; and as soon as clean bed
ding was given them, have seen them
drop down uponit, end rest as contented
and happy, to all appearances, as an ex-
hausted person upon bed of straw. I
believe that it is during this period of
rest that thew ACQUIRE flesh and hence T
would recommend that sheep be kept as
free from disturbance as possible, and al
lowed to rest as much as they please. New
er allow strangers in the yard Unless with
feeders. ! have forty sheep in one pen
the scaffold pen-that are kent absolute
ly undisturbed save by the daily visits of
the feeder, and their condition is better
than that of any other pen, which in fact
| attribute solely to the silence in which
they are kept.
Value Of tie ManWrc.-When | went
into sheep feeding, it was for the purpose
of improving my land, which at that time
would hardly grow a crop of beans. My
success has been beyond anticipation. [
wanted to get two spears of grass where
I then had but one I have certainly got
three, and my neighbors say four. From
meadows that formerly cut one-half to
one ton to the acre, / now get two. Then
] could not raise rye. Last year got
from sixteen acres four hundred bushels,
and straw enough, i'll had sold it, to have
amounted to nine hundred dollars.
Breed-My twelve years experience
teaches me that the breed has much to do
with maturity and success in fattening