Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-07-19
AGRICuLrURlL.

CARE OF SHEEP DURING THE SUMNER
MoNTHs.-A correspondent of the New
England Former writes: A flock OF
sheep require but little care during
the summer months, except that they
have plenty of good feed and salt, and
are watched to see that none of them
get sick or diseased. The principle
work to be done in this season is to
raise suitable quantity of roots, &C.,
and to cut In the proper season, and
well cure and store the necessary sup
ply Of hay and grain. Roots, apples
and pumpkins are necessary to some
extent in the winter. not only on ac-
count Of the nourishment they contain,
but to supply the lack of green feed and
to keep the sheep in a healthy condi-
ton.
The cutting of the hay in proper sea-
son and we'll curing and storing the
same, is one of the great essential
points in good sheep husbandry. II
from any cause we fail to do this, our
sheep the next spring are usually poor
and weak, and we have bad luck in
raising lambs, the sole cause of which
Is, that the sheep during the winter
have been eating poor hay, and vainly
endeavoring to obtain from ir the neces-
sary amount of nourishment which the
hay did not contain. Coarse and rank
timothy makes fair sheep hay if it is
cut few days before it begins to bios
som and is well cured. Nearly al kinds
Of low land and swamp hay is good
sheep hay If cut in season and well
cured. Sheep prefer a variety of good
hay instead of being confined to one
kind only.
Lambs should be weaned when they
are four months old and turned into
good feed. If they are fed daily in ad-
dition to good grass and hay one pint
of oats and shorts apiece until they are
turned out to grass the next spring,
they will have good start towards
making sheep with good constitutions.
1 believe that, if we would raise sheep
with good constitutions. we must sup
ply them literally during their growth
with that kind of food that will furnish
them with the necessary amount Of
bone und muscle.
Sheep, and lambs in particular,
should be housed during cold storms in
the fall and fed with hay, which they
shonld learn to eat before they are en-
tirely deprived of grass. All kinds of
sheep, and breeding ewes in particular,
should come to the barn in good condi-
ton in the fall.
This is necessary in order that they
may be able to well develop their
lambs. All kinds of sheep should be
daily in the late fall and early winter
h4 t- har IL,
necessary for their exercise which gives
health, strength and vigor. A reason
able amount of exercise is necessary for
sheep during the entire winter and
spring. Sulphur and ashes shouln be
fed to sheep with their salt during the
winter. Sulphur promotes health and
is offensive TO vermin.
Ashes are also essential for breeding
ewes. I presume some of you have
seen lambs that, when first dropped,
were strong, and their dams gave a
good quantity of milk, Yet in a few
days the lambs would begin to droop
and finally die. If you were to open
the stomach of such lambs, in some ca
ses, you would find it packed and dis
tended with hard curd which was the
cause of their death. The remedy for
this is to feed the breeding ewes with
some kind of mild alkali like ashes
for some time previous to their lambs
being dropped.
Sheep should be turned out upon the
ground daily, as soon as there is spot
bare that is large enough for them to
stand upon, for the air in their pens
and stables is generally impure, and no
amount Of good feed will supply tie
lack of good air and EXCISE. There
are various diseases which sheep and
lambs sometimes have, and there are
troubles to encounter in breeding sheep.
There is cause for all of these. 1t should
be one Of the studies of the sheep bree-
der to learn what those causes are, and
avoid them; when we do that we shall