The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1880-01-01

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there few and driving the flock home,
or by visiting the city markets and 80
lecting there such sheep as may be de-
sirable. If one has but moderate or lit
tie knowledge of sheep, he may easily
procure the services of an expert for
a small commission to select what
may be required. There are sheep
that cannot be fed proftably; old and
ill-conditioned animals, with worn or de-
fective teeth, small lied, long-legged
appeared, and with long and thin
faces and pinched-up, wrinkled noses,
are improbable and to be avoided;
young sheep with good frames. but thin,
are the kind to be chosen, and these
will pay for feeding. The shelter re-
quired need be no more than an open
shed facing the south, dry and clean,
and a dry yard kept well Uttered with
straw. A few feed-racks will be re-
quired in the yard, and one all round
the shed, with trough for grain.
Hay, preferably the best of clover;
straw, some roots-turnips, mangles or
beets, or even potatoes; corn in the ear,
and, for change, a few bushels of mixed
grain, such as rye, oats and buckwheat,
will comprise the fodder and feed.
Water should be provided from we'll,
and should be supplied in abundance
and fresh several times day, so that
it will not become ice cold. It is a
common opinion that sheep need no
water in the winter time. How any
reasonable person can believe that q
sheep, any more than any other animal,
can live and thrive, while eating dry
food, without an ample quantity Of
drink, is passing strange; but many
owners of focks do hold this erroneous
opinion, and their sheep, consequently
are condemned to eat snow or Stake
their thirst with the foul drainage of the
yards. If provided with clean, pure
water, sheep will drink many times a
day, and they should be held to be asgood
judges of what is necessary for them as
cows or other animals. Feeding should
be frequent and regular. Regularity is
a most important element of success.
Sheep will feed very early in the morn
ing, and the first work should be to feed
the flock. This should be done not Ia
ter than six o'clock. The first feed
should be hay given in the rack in the
shed. At nine o'clock a feed of corn
should be given, half a pint for each
sheep will be sufficient. Grain need
not be ground for sheep; they
masticate their food very carefully, and
serve admirably as their own feed
mills. After eating their corn they
may be watered, and the racks in the
yard may. be filled with straw, which
they will pick for time,. and then lie
down to ruminate. At twelve, feed
OF chopped roots may be given, and
these will be better for a sprinkling of
bran upon them and a small quantity of
salt. After the roots they will pick
over the straw in the yarduntil three
in the afternoon, when small quantity
of the mixed grain "a pint per head
will be sufficient-may be given. The
should be emptied and
refilled with fresh water, and at six in
the evening the rack in the shed should
be filled up, and the outside racks emp
tied of the straw and refilled with fresh.
As many will spend the night in the
yard picking over the straw or reposing
beneath the stars, as will choose the
hay aud the shelter of the shed. In
deed, there will be few fair nights at
he coolest time that the sheep will not
choose the open yard for their resting
place, and the cold, fresh air is far
more healthful than a close, warm
stable would be; it would be mistake
TO force them under cover through
feeling of tenderness. Three months
IF such feeding and care should add
considerably to the weight Of flock,
md by the end of that time the latest
may be drafted out for sale. There is
usually good market in the nearest
village for few fat sheep, and by
previous arrangement small flock may
De disposed of through the winter and
spring very adyantageously. For larger
locks the city markets are the best
places for selling, and while a farmer
S gaining experience in feeding small
lock he should be seeking all the requi-
'ite information for managing the dis
oosal of larger number. The bust
ness is SO void of risk, if the sheep are
veil bought, well kept, and we'll sold,
he care and labor are so light, and the
is so satisfactory, that
every farmer who has the means to
procure and to feed a few or more sheep
night well try an experiment, even
low while the season is still young
Y. Y. Times.