The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-11-09
Sheep i'm Winter.

In wintering breeding ewes we have
three objects in view the rearing of
lambs, the growing of wool, and lastly
to turn them ultimately into meat and
thus dispose of them. Any course that
will produce the finest lamb, the most
wool of the best quality, and keep the
eve in best condition, must be the
proper course to pursue, and that mode
of wintering that will as etfectually Sc
cure any one of these objects will as
efIectually secure the whole. If we
allow the eve to fall of in flesh, we
lose not only so much of carcass, but
we shall find the growth of wool mater
tally lcssened, and that part grown at
this time will be weak and irregular,
and this will greatly injure the whole
fleece, and the offspring will be weak
and puny and very likely to fall a
prey to the ills that lambs are heir
To. If, on the contrary, we so treat
the eve that she is constantly thriving,
we shall obtain large fleece of even
quality of wool, and at Landing time a
strong, healthy lamb, one that will
thrive from the start. and pretty sure to
arrive at full sheephood, unless he falls
victim sooner to the rapacious knife
of the butcher
To secure the desired results, shall
we winter the ewes in warm, airy pens
in a close barn, or in those less warm
in open sheds, or shall we allow them
to run in open yards or fields? To
thrive well the sheep must have plenty
of good food, plenty of pure air and
water, and must be kept warm, and
that plan is best which best insures
these conditions at least cost. If we
study the reports of sheep-feeding in
the old countries at their experiment
stations, we shall find that the quantity
of food consumed by given number
of sheep was less and less as they were
more closely penned and warmly hous-
ed. provided they had pure fresh air,
and my own experience fully agrees
with these reports. put twenty ewes
in pen eighteen feet square in q
wholly enclosed basement under nv
hay and grain barns, and my sheep are
meyer allowed to go ont of these pens
dnriug the whole winter. In fact
have tried the experiment of driving
the occupan oi one pen out into the
ward some fine day, and leaving the
doors of The barn and pen open, anC
in every case they have all returned tt
their pen within twenty minutes, anC
never have a sick sheep in my barns
The one thing absolutely essential il
that the barns he well ventilated, tn,
air pure, aud that the temperature b,
rs near uniform at fifty degrees Fair
as possible. | secure thorough ventil
alton bv carrying ventilaling trunks
made about eighteen inches square, O
inch boards, up through the bari
above and ont at the the top of tn
ridge; with these, by opening the win
dows OF the barn, always on the lee
ward side, | am assured pure air an,
proper temperature with no cold drafts
The sheep in these pens will get all tn
exercise necessary aud will surely ge
as much as they would shivering b.
the side of some straw stack, or rail
fence, and the farmer will find the
will eat much less food to keep in IN
came condition they simply eat thei
food, and lie down and chew the Gu,
of perfect content, and when they d.
this they are always thriving if wei
fed. If. as one suggests, the lambs ar
10 be dropped in the win err months