The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1873-02-14
EMPORIA NEWS.
FRIpAY, FEBRUARY L, ls7s.
SHEEP HUsBAEDRY.
CEDAR VALLEY. Chase Co.. Kan.

CEDAR VALLEY, Chase Co., Kan.
DEAR News: The following
essay on sheep husbandry was
read by Mr.. F. Giddings, at the
last meeting of the Farmers Club
here, and hoping it will interest
your farmer readers, 1 send it to
you for publication. A. v.
Sheep husbandry is one of
the Oldest branches of husbandry,
and very profitable when conduct
ed in q proper way. There Iare
two things especially necessary In
keeping sheep. Ist. To have good
sheep; that is, sheep with q good
constitution. I'd. To have good
feed suited to the sheep.
have found good timothy and
clover hay, cut early and well cur
ed, to be the best natural feed for
sheep. / begin to feed hay in the
fall as soon as the frost begins to
kill the pastures. Let them at the
same time have pasture. By SO
doing the change is not SO sudden.
Would not keep over 100 in a lot.
Sort them, to keep sheep of the
same age and the same condition
together-the smaller ones with
the younger sheep.
The breeding ewes should be
fed on the best hay, care being
taken not to feed musty hay.
Commence feeding them grain |
about three weeks before lambing,
by so doing the ewes have plenty
of milk, and the lambs are strong. |
When ewes are fed grain all win
ter the lambs are small boned and
weak; often ten days old before
they could walk, not seeming to
grow much for two weeks. My |
has been with full |
blooded merinos, imported by |
Mr.. Davis, of Connecticut, 81
years ago; and that family of
sheep has been kept on our place
in Vermont 26 years, and proved
to be profitable stock. The same
care and feed that will keep a
merino will keep any of our larger
and stronger herds as well.
1 think the most profitable sheep
for this country are the South
down and Cotswold. They are
large and strong, and get their
growth early. The lambs are nt
for market at six months. The
mutton will always bring a good
price. The wool being long and
fine, will also bring a good price.
When we were selling merino
wool at 35 cts, combing wool was
S. cts, and has averaged that for
the last ten years.
A good flock, with fair keeping,
will clip of washed wool six lbs.
per head. The U. S. only pro-
duce about two-thirds of the comb
ing wool consumed by the factor
les, the remainder being imported.
We will all agree that we should
raise our own wool. AS to this
being a healthy State for sheep. 1
can't as yet say. We are trying
the experiment. Our sheep were
driven one month in heat of sum-
mer to get them here. They we're
taken from = tinbered country,
and nearly all the way on the
prairie, which cut them down.
The grass was nearly ripe, which
made it deficient in comparison to
the tame grass they had been driv-
en- from. They would eat enough
to keep them full, but when we
killed one, would not find as much
fat as their appearance indicated
when alive.
They are not now doing we'll.
1t is well known to all that stock |
winters best when it comes up in
the fall fat. Should our sheep all |
die this winter 1 would still hold
that this is good sheep country. |
1t seems to be perfectly adapted |
to sheep husbandry, being dry,
with high rolling prairies and good
pure water, and but few storms.
For wintering do not think the
native food sufficient. Would pre-
fer, in the absence of timothy and
clover hay, shock corn and Hun
garian hay. Oats, cut before fally
ripe, and fed in shcaf, make very
good feed.
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