The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-07-27
Sheep i'll Summer.

AFTER the tiocks are sheared and
| turned out to pasture, too many farm
erS are apt to neglect them, especially
as the grain and hay harvest requires
immediate and constant attention, and,
i'll good weather, give but little time
for attention to anything else. There
IS, nevertheless, no stock on the farm
which repays 50 much for a little
everyday attention as do sheep They
are, naturally, Of roaming DISPOSE
ton, not always satisfied with their
pastures, even if abundant: but like to
creep through or under the fence into
fresh and untrodden fields. Where the
crooked rail fences surround the sheep
pasture, there are sure to be openings
between rails, wider at one end than
the other. Through one of these a
sheep will push its head, and eat greed
lily all the grass within reach, appar-
emily no better or Sweeter than that
in the pasture. In such case it often
occurs that if the opening be wider at
the lower end, the sheep will work its
head along upward till the highest point
is reached, where it will remain, sell
dom knowing enough to go back if the
head has to be depressed by so doing.
If the opening is not wide enough for
the sheep to pull its head through, at
the upper end, it then is fast, or is
commonly called chung" Here it
Will remain until it starves to death,
unless released by some one.
In hot, showery weather, sheep
(Merinos) are liable to disease of the
foot called 'fouls.' Unless this be
cured before the formation of pus in
the cleft of the hoof, it sometimes is
apparently contagious, and the flock
becomes considerably affected. In this
case the usual remedies for 'foot-rot"
are required to cure the flock. The
farmer who daily sees his flock is ant
to notice whether any sheep is lame.
and If any such case is noticed, the suf-
fering animal can be cured without han
ling the flock, or even, if the farmer is
skillful shepherd, without taking the
flock to pen, or disturbing any except
the ailing sheep. A little vial of salve
can be carried in the pocket when WIS.,
ltlng the sheep pasture, and a single
application will cure an attack of
fouls, if given when the sheep first be-
comes lame.
In order that there may be as much
interest taken by the sheep in the WIS.,
Its OF the owner as by himself. it will
be found good plan to carry a little
salt and give it to them at each visit.
Sheep like little salt every day, aud
any farmer of ordinary intelligence
will soon learn how much to feed them
at once so that they will be ready for
a repetition of the dose the next day.
This plan creates perfect mutual nm
derstanding between the sheep and
their owner, and they soon become so
tame that he can catch and examine
any one of the flock without frightening
the remainder. Some advise feeding |
little sulphur with the daily salt. or |
perhaps once a week, to prevent foot |
rot and eXpel ticks. Several seasons
experience in this practice showed the
nselessness of expecting any such re-
suits from feeding sulphur. The foot
rot has proved as virulent and the ticks
Is prolific when the sheep had sulphur
weekly as where none is fed. The fact
hat tick will live in vessel con-
aiming sulphur until it dies of starya-
ion is proof sufficient that that drug is
lot poisonous to ticks.
Within two OF three weeks after a
lock is sheared, the ticks should all be
Tiled by dipping the lambs into tobac-