The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-08-09
Management of Sheep in Summer.

An important point is certainly
gained when the stock-master has pro.
Vided well drained and nutritious grass
ranges for his flocks. But there are
other considerations to claim attention.
The proper stocking of pastures is a
matter to be looked after. The ex-
tremes of overstocking and understock-
ing must be avoided for best results.
O~verstocking, the more frequent error.
causes a scarcity of pasture and a de-
ficient supply of nutriment. The sheep
also take up sand and earth into their
stomachs with theirfood, and this causes
disease. On the other hand, when the
pasture is not cl~ose-cropped, the herb
age becomes hard and mor or less in
digestible, so that sheep do not thrive
upon it. There is an old adage, fami-
liar to many shepherds, that ''twenty-
four hours pasture is best for sheep and
eight days grass for an ox." In a
word, the close bite of sheep should be
furnished with close heritage, the ten
der growth of thick, short ~pasturage.
Pastures not closely cropped ought-to
be either moved or pastured down by
cattle before the sheep are turned on it.
1t pays, as a rule, to divide the 1ocks,
pasturing the younger and less vigor-
Gus animals together; in a word, sort
ing lambs and yearlings from mothers
and older ewes, and giving the former
the best pasturage.
When the range is limited or the past.
ure is not ample, additional food should
be supplied in way of corn, oats, bran
or oatmeal. The day the pastures
begin to fail, if provision is
not made for sufficient nutriment,
the quality of the wool will begin
to deteriorate and what is known as
s.break in the wool'' will be the result.
| Care must also be exercised when extra
| food is supplied to proportion it to the
real need of the sheep. An over supply
will result in an equal disadvantage, es-
pecially when there is overfeed one day,
| and little or nothing next day. Fol
evenness in the fleece, sheep must be fed
regularly-that is to say, they must from
pasture, range or feeding trough obtain
a due amount of nourishment daily.
There is no question but that irregular
feeding not only affects the health and
flesh of the animal but diminishes the
growth and weight of fleece and weak
ems its fibre.
When pasture is insufficient, an eco.
nomical plan is to supplement it by
sowed green crops To be fed on the
ground or cut and fed in racks. Roots
are also largely cultivated for this pur'
pose.
A very important item is the supply
of water. OF course, when nature pro-
vides living springs or clear, flowing
streams, these are the best source O.
supply. Stagnant water is decidedly
Objectionable. Most shepherds give the
preference to hard water over soft
water, when either can be had, on the
score that the former contains min
eral matter. Waters containing 8
goodly percentage of lime, soda, mag
nesia, iron, sulphur, etc., are a positive
source of nourishment to sheep. A de
ficiency in mineral matter may be OBJ
waited by giving the sheep an Occasional
mixture of common salt, sulphur, phos
phate of lime, bone dust, etc. A com
mon source of disease among sheep i
pond or marsh water and water lyins
in the hollows of undrained pastures
The exposure of a pasture also has it
effect upon sheep. Pastures near thu
~seacoast exposed to moist sea-breeze
render the wool harsh. Sheep exposed
to north winds are lighter in weigh
and less healthy than tlocks on a south
ern exposure. Long-continued winds
are productive not only of discomfort
but sickness in a fiock.-N Y. World