Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-03-24
Fodder RatiOns for sheep.

|
Mr.. l.. A. Morrell, in paper before
the New York Farmers Club, arguing
upon the general principle that animals
after arriving at maturity consume food
in the ratio of size, otherwise live
weight, says:
An OK requires two per cent. of his
live weight in hay per day; if he works,
two and a half per cent; milk COW,
three per cent. a fatting OK, five per
cent. at first, four and half per cent.
when half fat, and four per cent. when
fat. Veit, distinguished German ag-
riculturist, determined that two and q
half pounds of the very best hay are
required daily for every one hundred
pounds live weight to keep a sheep in
good store condition. -Es5
| Now we will suppose, taking Vets
standard, the average weight of flock
of sheep to be eighty pounds per head,
and the foddering time $50 days. This
wifi give two pounds daily to each, and
for $50 days 800 pounds, and conse-
quently for that period 100 will eat 3d.
900 pounds or fifteen tons. This GER
tainly seems a low estimate; it being
sixty six hundredths, less than the Eng
lish standard, as stated by MIR. Spooner,
a reliable writer on sheep. But differ
ent breeds and their subdivisions vary
so materially in weight that to form a
proper estimate, the sheepmaster should
weigh some Of the different ages of his
flock, and by classifying them accord
ing to their relative sizes, he may feed
with great accuracy. He must remem-
Der, however, that sheep when growing,
| Of any breed, require nearl as much
food as when they have arrived at ma
turity, and growing sheep should never
be stinted
Another very Important consideration
must not be lost sight of-namely, the
quality of hay. If it is coarse, much of
it sheep will reject, and all allowance of
from ten to twenty-five per cent. must
be made accordingly. It is for this
reason old meadows produce better
quality of hay for sheep than new, that
of the former being finer and more mis-
cellaneous. Sheep love clover hay, and
will Increase more rapidly in flesh if it
is provided for them, than on any other
kind. If farmers will top-dress their
meadows with manure, and occasionally
harrow them, aud early in the fall SOW
a little grass seed, fair crops for success
sive years may be expected. The ma
nure, however, from the yards will, if
hay has been used for fodder, afford
generally the required quantity of seed.
Horse Stable.
TO say that not more than one horse
stable in ten is suitable for the farmers
horses, Is perhaps not stating it too
strong; and yet the tenth stable may
not be q very expensive one, but one
adapted to the horses that are 10 occu-
Ply it. No stable should be so cold that
water would freeze in it, if this can be
avoided. The room should be eight Or
nine feet, SO as to supply air and light,
and roomy enough for the free use of
each horse. Managers are better than
racks, as it is more natural for the
horse to put his head down than up for
his food. Within few years large num-
Der OF small stables have been raised up,
and good brick Easements put under
them. This has made room for the hay
above, and given the horses much bet
ter quarters. A stable 1920 feet, with
sixteen foot posts, must necessarily
have low room for the team and COW,
as there must be room for hay above.
Now, put good basement under it,
and attach lean-to shed for the COW,
and the change is radical. The cow
will do far better under the shed than
confined to the stall, and the team will
have plenty of room, fresh air, and
light; and what is of no small impor-
lance, there will be plenty of storage
for the hay. Stables of the size stated
are very common on small farms and i'll
our villages, and few of them are prop
erly lighted, as many people have an
idea that dark stable for a horse is as
good as any.
Growing Asparagus.
The trouble and expense of excavat-
ing the site for asparagus beds and
filling up with new soil and manure,