The Russellville Democrat., 1889-10-03
SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL.
Winter Treatment Of Breeding Ewes.

Winter Treatment of Breeding Ewes.
 The winter treatment of the ewes Is a matter of great importance, and yet one concerning which many of us fail to do the proper thing. The animal should be well fed. and yet not fed too much. It is probably the case that q vast number feed too liberally. Few feed too little. But in our observation we have found serious defects in the winter management of breeding ewes in other directions than feeding. There is one thing that we have often men- toned, and that is lack of attention to cleanliness of quarters. Give them good clean quarters by all means. The next important thing is exercise. Lack of exercise is the cause of much danger. The ewes ought to have two or three hours exercise in the open air every day. It is natural for 8 sheep to hunt it's own food. It de- lights in it. and if the eve is furnished with opportunity to travel for her food, and pick it up, she will get all the ex- ercise she needs, and will turn from good hay in the rack to do it. Corn stubble is first rate for this purpose. A piece of woods is good. Old blue grass sod will answer. The food that they get may be of little value, but the exercise is of great value. Now if in addition to this the animal has plenty of good, pure water, the general con ditions of properly treating the eve will be complied with.
 Until about the fourth month of pregnancy the eve will not require a 1 grain ration if the hay is first-class and fed generously. If she can have plenty of corn fodder at the same time she certainly will not need grain. A few roots or oil meal occasionally fed will always prove useful. They keep the digestive machinery in good shape. The animal should not be al- lowed to become very fat. In the early stages Of pregnancy there is a 1 tendency in that direction. Guard against it. Remember that the breeding eve never should be too fat or too poor. A few weeks--say six before lambing feed some grain and roots, or oil meal, for preparation must now be made for lactation. About a week before lambing feed bran mixed with oats, in about the quantity of a half bushel of bran mixed with fifteen pounds of oats or corn. In feeding | roots, to which reference has been made, they may be pulped, cut up or 1 fed whole. But such food must be fed with care, for too much cold, watery 1 food, like roots, may cause abortion.
 In the matter of cleanliness of quar- ters, let 1t be understood that while pure sheep droppings, trodden solid, do not throw up much ammonia in winter, where they are mixed with bedding. they do. A very harmful amount of ammonia may be thus given l off, and yet the flockmaster not notice it when he enters the stable. It is not safe, therefore, to trust to our own noses to indicate the need of cleaning out the stables unless we can bring our noses as close to the source of ann monia as the sheep have theirs; and il would scarcely be convenient to bring our noses there; if we did we could l soon tell whether ammonia was being | given off or not. We had bet ter clean the stables frequently. Then we shall be on the safe side. II we permit the sheep to breathe an air laden with ammonia, among the troubles that will likely ensue will be still-born lambs, no milk, and an ani- nal generally out of condition. We ought not to await for the animal to | give us signs of the presence Of ann monia, for the cleansing should be so l frequent that ammonia, in any con siderable quantity should not be present. But if we will not do that, and if we find the animal scratching and digging his belly with his hind feet, we may know that it is being af- | fected with ammonia.