Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-01-19
Management Of Sheep in Winter.

nEsnr sorNroS, NJ D., oF woopsroeK.
As a convenient point to begin the round Of
the year, let us start with them as they are
gathered about the barns in the late autumn
To insure successful wintcring for flock
of merinos, these things are, first of all, in
dispensable, namely good shelter, food su6i
Client IN quantity and rWieiy, running pd'er
and stHfih attendance.
The best shelter Is a good bank barn, To-
Gated on dry soil, facing the south, and
so constructed that it can be closed in on
all sides by windows aud doors, when de
sirable.
The ground around the barn should slope
gradually from the building in every direc-
ton to prevent tho water from the melting
snow and ice in the spring from settling into
the ground and making the enclosure damp
and unwholesome. If the soil is not natur-
ally sufficiently dry, let it be thoroughly un-
der-drained.
Such barns arc usually built with a wall
on the back side and one-half of the ends,
like the cellar wall of house, but the sills
of the building should be placed high enough
above the general surface of the ground to
admit window two feet wide A barn sixty
by forty feet should have at least ten such
windows. They should be hung upon hinges,
so that they can be opened aud shut at
pleasure. BY this arrangement, good and
sufficient ventilation can at all times be
secured,
The space ia the basement of such a barn
can be divided into several separate enclos-
ures to meet the wants of the flock, aud
each enclosure should open ON the front side
into yard at least twice as spacious as the
apartment under the barn. Around these
yards should run substantial board fence,
five feet high and il in dog region, it
should be surmounted with a row Of pickets,
This simple provision will render it dog
proof.
Much will he gained by keeping only a
small number OF sheep in the same enclosure,
II fifty sheep are TO be wintered in a given
space, let the space be divided into two pens,
aud twenty-five put in each. With the same
keeping, they will 60 through the winter
much better than il allowed TO run together.
In pleasant weather sheep should be allowed
to run in and out at will, and thus secure
the exercise necessary 10 the fullest degree
OF healthfulness.
When shut in the fold at night, the win
dows should be so adjusted as 10 allow the
admission of plentiful supply of fresh air
This latter point becomes the more necessary
as the spring approaches, when the still,
cold season Of mid-winter has passed, and
the air becomes heavy with damp exhala-
tons. Not long since visited sheepfold
where the animals-a flock Of fine ewes -
seemed TO be in a state of semi-torpidity SO
closely was all the pure air of heaven shut
out, and all the foul carnations of ferment-
ing manure kept in. The best sheep in the
world could not flourish in such a condition.
Pure air is as Indispensable 10 the health
OF an animal as TO the health of man, and
1t will suffer proporiionately when deprived
of it.
| WATER.
Many men once thought that sheep could
live very well without water, but il was
when the same men thought that because
they had covering of wool, they could
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