The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-02-08
Sheep Raising i'm Nebraska.

Sheep Raising in Nebraska.
The sheep business in Western Ne
braska had back set last season to
some extent, and many who were anX-
ious to get a start in the business in
the fall of 1SS2-so much so, that they
bought any and all kinds of sheep that
were offered. old, scabby, or culls, it
made no difference so they got the
numbers up in the thousands--now
want to sell. Shrewd men culled out
their tlocks. Dealers drove in from
Mexico and Texas the cheapest and
poorest in quality, as the business was
on boom, and they could readily dis
pose of anything if it wss sheep or
looked sheepish. Last year there was
a reaction; wool was lower, and owing
to the cold, wet spring, the increase in
lambs was small and many of the old
sheep died towards spring, and the
scab played havoc with many good
flock, where the owner was not well
up in the business. On account of all
this, the business decreased last year
i'll place of increasing. However, one
thing we are glad TO see is, that the
peddlers and dealers in scabby and old
sheep have got their hands full. Many
OF them will be compelled to dispose of
their sheep at a loss, or winter them
through and this is only a continual
ton of loss on poor quality sheep. We
are confident the reaction will only be
temporary, as there are thousands of
unoccupied acres of good sheep land in
Nebraska. We find but few good sheep
for sale. and those are held at high fig
ures. Many cautious men are buying
Eastern sheep and paying prices in pro-
portion to quality in place of numbers,
as in previous years. A sheep that will
not pay profit on its keep, without
the increase, is poor investment. 1t
is great mistake to take Mexican
sheep that will not shear 2 1-2 pounds
at $3.50 per head, and expect to realize
the same profit as with grade Merinos
that shear to 10 pounds, that are to
be bought at So each, even if pure-bred
rams are purchased to use on each. In
the case of the grade Merinos there is
chance to increase the average up to ~
or 10 pounds, by judicious breeding
and feeding, and the value increases in
proportion. The wethers not only fat
ten much better, bnt the increased
weight in wool will soon pay for the
pure-bred rams and the extra feed be-
sides, there is the satisfaction of having
fine animals. | make the following
comparison of an investment in 1000
head of grade Alerinos and 1000 head of
good Mexicans:
MERINos.
1000 head, at So $1,000
100 tons of hay, at SO, 300
1900 bushel' of corn, at 25c, 1915
herdsman, years board, and other eX-
penscs 800
Total s6,l75
5000 pounds of wool, at 2Oc, $1,000
800 lambs, at one-half value OF ewes, $3.50
each, 1000
Total $1,000
MEXICANs.
1000 head, at $3.50, $4,000
100 tons of hay, at 50, 30S
1000 bushels of corn, at 25c, 1915
herdsman, years board and other ex-
pense5, 500
Total 1868
YIELD.
$500 pounds ofwool, at l5c, ) 375
800 lambs, at one half value of ewes,$l.25
each, 200
Total. Sl,375
One gives little over 80 per cent on
investment, while the other only pays
s per cent, after paying all expenses.
This is the way | account for the pres
ent depression il our sheep market.
This proves the old saying, that good
stock, well fed, will always pay a good
profit, when poor sheep are losing
investment. A person travelling
through the country will often see on
opposite sides of road good crop,
and barely half crop. "What is
worth doing at all is worth doing
WELL" is true in stock raising as well
as in farming. JOhn r. Hayden, in
National LlCe Stock Journal.