Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1886-11-12
Winter care of Lambs and Sheep.

From autumn to winter, from grass to
hay (which probably the young animal
has never seen before), the transition must
be somewhat shaded off. I think it ad-
visable to remove lambs from the pasture
early enough depending on the season.,
to leave some green feed in the field for
them to be returned to few hours day,
for week or fortnight. It is far better
to take them up in this way than to wait
until a snoW-stOrm has covered the grass
beyond reach, for then the comm encement
Of housing will be 80 abrupt as to be likely
to produce collie or stretches. Turn them
out in the morning, for a few minutes
airing, and sprinkle in their racks little
of the gresnest, most aromatic hay at
command. / like it as green as English
breakfast tea for lambs. When turne d
back, they will eat the greater portion
before noon, and then they may be driven
to field for few hours.
Many writer's argue that Indian corn is
too heating for sheep, and especially for
lambs, asserting that it causes loss of
wool, "pot disease" etc. 1t is undoubt-
edly too oily and heating grain to be
given in unlimited quantities to young
sheep for months together. Until abo ut
January first feed bran, oats and corn
two parts bran. one of oats, one of corn
all they will eat. I soon take out the
bran, also, and for the remainder of the
season Garry the flock through on corn
alone-about three or four gallons day
to one hundred lambs. I do this, first,
because corn is our one great staple, and,
second, because after my experiments, l
have satisfied myself that it is a thorough
" good feed for lambs. l do not wish to
be understood as asserting that corn is
better than other grains. or so ~
oats. What would say is, that WHERE
the farmer can grow corn to better advan-
tage than oats. and cannot exchange it
conveniently, he can safely give it to
lambs in about the quantities above indi-
Gated, without fearing any evil results at
all. if he will observe the following pre-.
cautions: Use the white corn 1.-THE yellow
is better for hogs, being more oily, give
the lambs constant access to it and all
they will drink of temperate water. and
let them have two or three hours exer-
else daily.
Too much stress can hardly be laid on
the Importance of looking we'll to the
matter of watering sheep in winter
GU can lead horse to water, but you
cannot make him drink" This adage
would hardly be true of the sheep. 1t
will drink after awhile. When a sheep
| comes out of the stable trifle chilly, witt
| it's blood stagnant after twenty-fo vi
hours quiet, it feels touchy, and it will
snip and sample here and there in way
which is aggravating to the shepherd wht
| is waiting on its motions. 1t may be
fifteen minutes before it can suit itself
1t may utterly refuse to drink, whereas
if it could 60 off and take run of al
hour or so. it would return and drink {
surprising quantity. II that sheep hat
been hastily shut up by an impatient
shepherd, it would have suffered before
twenty-four hours elapsed, and would no
have eaten as freely as it ought, and con-
seQuently would have begun to lose condl
tion.-American Adricu5tur ist