The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1873-07-24
suMmER CARE OF snrEP.

sUMMER CARE OF sREEP.
Sheep require constant care and at
tention to realize the best results. It
is too often the case that as soon a. the
flooks are put on pasture, they are neg.
lected until brought to winter quarters
again. The Aook-master both in sum.
mer and winter should see his sheep
two 6r three times q week at least, and
know that the shepherd bestows upon
them the proper attention.
If not done At steering time, selec.
tions for tho coming breeding season
should be made at once. If this bs
done at, or soon after, the time the an,
imal is clipped, better opportunity is
given to study their anatomy. see all
tho imperfeotions of form, aud select
the most desirable ewes of the flock.
There is another and most important
advantage in quilting at this season it
is known what ewes have proved good
mothers aud have raised strong, healthy
lambs. To raise vigorous lambs, the
ewes must be good mixers, and all
that have proved Indifferent or bad, in
this respect, should be discarded.
After having selected the future
mothers Of the aock, put them by
themselves, aud, after the springs
lambs are weaued, see that the ewes
milk is properly aud gradually dried
of; many good ewes are ruined by
neglect in this matter. After having
selected the ewes, choose your bucks.
Do not use buck that is too young,
nor yet too old let him be thorough
bred of whatever class you have d..
cided to breed to and ola vigorous
constitution. The buck should be su-
perior in such qualities as the flock is
lacking in, and be sure that bis char
acteris.ics are . family trait-bred in,
80 that these characteristics will be
strongly and surely impressed upon his
offspring.
Give the bucks selected for service
half a pint Of oats each every day, and,
after short time increase the daily
feed, in addition to plenty of good pas.
ture. Take all the culled ewes, and
wethers intended for the butcher, and
put them by themselves, give them
daily feed of meal now, and when your
pastures begin to fail or get short,
feed them night and morning. Flesh
and fat can be put on in this way much
faster and cheaper than during next
winter, and, beside, it will enable
them to be kept on the grain, during
tho winter, much moro economically
than could be done otherwise. Breed.
ing ewes will do we'll enough on pas.
ture alone, but the lambs will be oil
the better for and will repay any little
extra care in the shape Of an occasional
feed Of oats or shorts. All of the
sheep should have access to salt, to
which should occasionally be added, a
little sulphur. Have also a trough
containing tar, over which is sprinkled
alittle salt. Tar will prove very good
preventive against the attack OF the
fly, which will now be seeking to
deposit its eggs in the nose of the
sheep.
# any sign of the scab remain. in
your flock, do not neglect 1t . day. We
have found the most useful rs we'll as
eficacious cure for scab to be carbolic
sheep dip. It not only cures this
loathsome disease, but il extremely ben.
efcial in producing such healthy
state Of the skin as to materially in
crease the growth Of wool. It will also
destroy ticks, which, after shea1ing,
will mostly be found on the lambs. It
is still fur Their uesful in that it will
keep off other iusects,-pests which
may be iufestiug any sore or wound.
We have estimated the use of this
compound to cost about three and one-
fourth cents per animal, for the cure
of seab, or destruction of ticks.
An almost daily examination of
sheep will be required at this season,
to see thatthe hoof.ail or foot.rot does
not make its appearance. This disease
is highly contagious, aud, until entirely
eradicated, should have constant at.
tention. On the FIRST symptom Of rot,
prepare q strong solution Of the sheep
dip, with hot water, and put in q shall.
low trough or tub; then stand the
sheep IN the suds, and eonfiue it there
until the wash has penetrated every
crack and sore. A few minutes time
will suffice to clean the foot, after
which rub in between the clefts of the
foot and the openings Of the frog, Car.
bolio ointment, and let the animal pass
from that through bed Of tar about
two inches in depth. If the disease
have made considerable progress, use
the knife freely, and pare away the
boot SO the suds may penetrate every
part Of the foot then finish as above.
Our experience is that two or some.
times three applications, if the disease
have got strong hold, will effeetudly
eradicate this most annoying malady: .
It is most important that sheep, ii
we'll a. all other ANIMALS, should be
brought into winter quarters in good
condition, and, especially, free from
disease. Care in prevention will b.
much cheaper in the end, than tn
means to cure, and perhaps save man