The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1883-06-14
How the Failures Come.

Of all the causes of failure in sheep
raising, none or all put together
equal the lack of proper care
and attention. Too much stress,
perhaps, has been given to breeds
and varieties. All sheep well cared foi
pay. No poorly cared for sheep pay,
no matter of what breed. Often there
is reported to us some new disease that
no one ever heard of before, that deci-
mates somebody's flock, and no remedy
can be found. 1t is true, sheep must
die, but they need not perish to the ex-
tent they do if well managed. Flocks
should be kept young, so there shall
not come a hard year every once in a
while, when old sheep will die off i'm
numbers, to dishearten and disgust their
owner, and of still more Importance is
the keeping the health Of the fiocks in
tip-top condition. Usually a fat sheep
is considered healthy sheep. But
there are ailments that cometo fat sheep
as well as thin ones. We believe in
keeping sheep fat, but prefer bright,
lively, vigorous condition, to any other.
A sheep may be thin in flesh and be
perfectly healthy. Yet such one will
not be so profitable as if in good flesh or
even fat. The fleece will be dry, and
consequently light, and of weakness
and inelasticity of fiber that lessons its
value for the manufacturer. The same
sheep fat would shear from onc-third to
one-half more pounds, and the wool
would be of more market value per
pound. A thin eve might tie more
attentive mother, but her milk would
neither be so plenty nor Of such rich
quality to push her lambs vigorously
forward into good, healthy, well de-
veloped sheep. Much can be told of
the health of a sheep by looking at It,
The appearances, though, do not tell
the condition, even to a practiced eye.
A sheep may appear round, smooth,
and even fat, that, when caught, VII
be found to be n mere shadow, light as
cork, dead poor Again, a
thinnish-looking sheep when caught
may be found solid and heavy-fat
inside and healthy. No rules can be
given for the care of sheep that will
apply to every locality or manner of
handling. The conditions vary so
much between different mems feed,
water, pasturage, and fitness for man
aging a flock. / know men who watch
/
eye of the master helps to fatten the
hog. The real truth is the man who
watches his hogs eat learns their whims
and appetites, and suits his care 10
both. So of sheep. Some are dainty
and fastidious and require more time
to eat and different feed from the main
flock. and should be put into flock by
themselves, or better be fed separately;
once in a while there will be found in
flock one or more that are perfect hogs
to eat. One of these will occupy more
room at the trough or rack than three
sheep need, and is a perfect tyrant, but
ting and pounding its way at all times.
Such are good sheep, but are not fit to
be among ordinary sheep. Every flock
needs culling every year to a line of
profit; all delicate sheep and those that
fail repeatedly to raise lambs from any
particularly lack of milk, as no
one wants mothers who are by inheri-
tance poor sucklers-and all badly
crossed. poorly ileeced sheep should
be fattened and sold to the butcher.
Keep nothing that does not pay its way,
not even pet Pets are nuisances and
not to be tolerated at all. A well bred,
well selected, healthy flock of sheep,
with good water, where they can get it
every hour they need it, with plenty Of
feed in variety, will be the paying flock
always. Such a flock will be the
pride of their owner and the standard
flock of the neighborhood. All these
conditions belong not so much to
the breed as to the care and handling
given them. Such flock will hardly
Rave queer diseases or mysterious all
ments; such a fock-master is looked
upon as having some secrets in his care
that makes him the best sheep-man Of
the region. The man who succeeds is a
4 good handler. The man who fails is a
poor sheep-man.-R. H. Rel, IN Farm
.zs,d Firesfle