Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-07-14
How to be Successful Shepherds.

AAVW ~ Nv
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 for pay. No poorly
cared for sheep pay, no matter of what
breed. Often there is reported to us
some new disease that no one has heard
of before, that decimates somebody's
flock, and no remedy can be found. 1t
is true sheep must die, but they need
not perish to the extent they do if well
managed. Flocks should be kept
young, so there shall not come a hard
year once in a while, when old sheep
will die off in numbers, to dishearten
and disgust their owner; and of still
more Importance is the keeping the
health of the flocks in tip-top condition.
Usually a fat sheep is considered a
healthy sheep. But there are ailments
that come to fat sheep as well as thin
ones. We believe in keeping a sheep
fat, but prefer q bright, vigorous condi-
ton to any other. A sheep may be thin
in flesh and be perfectly healthy. Yet
such a one will not be so profitable as
if in good flesh or even fat. The fleece
will be dry, and consequently light, and
of a weakness and inelasticity of fiber
that lessons it's value for the manufactu-
rer. The same sheep fat would shear
from one-third to one-half more pounds,
and the wool would be Of more market,
value per pound. A thin eve, might be
a more attentive mother, but her milk
would neither be so plenty nor of such
rich quality to push her lambs forward
into good, healthy, well-developedsheep.
Much can be told of the health of a
sheep by looking at it. The appear
ances, though, do not tell the condition
even to a practical eye. A sheep may
appear round, smooth and even fat, hat,
when caught, will be found to be a mere
shadow, light as a cord, dead poor.
Again, a thinnish looking sheep, when
caught, may be found solid and heavy
fat inside and healthy. No rule, 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 managing a
flock. 1 know men who watch their
hogs cat corn, and they believe the eye
of the master helps to fatten the hog
The real truth is, the man who watches
his hogs eat learns their whims and APP
petites and suits his care to both. So
of a sheep. Some are dainty and fas-
tidious and requires more time to eat
and different feed from the main flock,
and should be put into a flock by
themselves OF better be fed separately;
once in u while there will be found in a
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 fitto
be among ordinary sheep. Every flock
needs c%ullingg every year to a line of
profit; all delicate sheep and those that
fail repeatedly to raise lambs from any
cause-particularly lack of milk, as no
one wants mothers who are by interit-
ance poor sucklers-and all badly
crossed, poorly-f1eeced sheep, should be
fatted and sold to the butcher. Keep
nothing that does not pay its way, not
even a pet. Pets are n%uisances 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
a flock will hardly have queer diseases
or mysterious ailments; such a flock
master is looked upon as having some
secrets in his his care that makes him
the best sheep-man of the region. The
man who succeeds is a. good handler.
The man who fails is a poor sheep-man.
Farm and Freside.