Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1891-07-08
THE SHEEP FOLD.

From the Western Rura1 we compile
the following:
Look carefully after the ewes and the
lambs. The one should be kept in good
health and the other well protected.
Sheep cannot pull stumps nor eat
stones, but they can do about everything
else that it is necessary to do to clean up
piece of land.
We see it stated that dog was sold
recently for $4,000 and yet it is likely
that the animal would kill sheep as
quickly as any other dog would.
The slowest movement forward in
mutton connected with sheep husbandry
is in securing it protection from the raw
ages of dogs. 1t is a shame that it is so.
Climate has much to 90 with the quail
ity of wool The North is an ideal place
for wool production so far as climate ia
concerned. Wool and apples grow best
in cold climate.
The time may come when growing
wool of itself will never again pay, but
we do not believe that, producing both
wool and good mutton will ever fail to-
pay.
The better management of sheep DUR
ing the last few years has resulted in
much less disease among fCcks. Moore
green food in winter and better shelter
have been the chief Improvements.
Will too much corn scour lambs? ]
say it will not, if properly fed, says q
writer in National StOcknldn. | will give
my experience of five years feeding. I
feed my lambs from the sine | wean
them, commencing with bran. one gill
per day, and gradually increasing, mix
ing in oats; so by the time | stable them
l feed one pint per day, oats and bran.
Then [ begin mixing in corn, and by the
first of February l feed all corn. one and
half pints per day. [ still in
crease, and by the first of March l feed
one quart. With plenty of good clover
hay and good clean water they will be
ready for market by the first of April.
1t is not unusual when twins arrive,
says writer, that the first one born has
had the advantage of a superior start in
the struggle for existence which it as
serts after birth If the eve has an
abundance of milk there is enough for
both; but if not it won't do any harm
| to assist the weaker one to get it's
share and give it q very little new cows
milk and as much sweetened water. Do
/ this for few days and, in the meantime,
gradually increase the ewes food so as
to induce a good milk flow. For such
ewes warm bran slop will not come
amiSs. Remember that success in any
avocation comes from attention to de-
tails.
Instead of taking the weak lamb take
|. the strongest one, and if you have eve
that has lost her lamb give it to her, says
writer in the National StOck1ndTl. But
| you must tie her in a small stall and get
suck a strange eve, but in d few days
| (by keeping them together) they get the
same smell, as sheep tell their lambs by
| their smell. Do not let the mother be
near the lamb, so she can hear it, or it
will not suck the other. If eve loses
| her lamb, milk her twice q day until
| another has twins, then make her take
one of them. In few days let them out
! together III a lot with a rope around the
| ewes neck to drag, so that if she tries to
run from her lamb she trampS on the
rope and it stops her, and the lamb can
! suck. Ii the farmers wives would look
after the young stock they could save
many dollars. Women are better adapt
ed to taking care of the young than men,
| as woman has more patience. | often
! take weak lambs that the eve has not
enough milk for and let them Suckle a
| cow But do not let them have too
much. Should you have to raise one by
| hand, teach it to drink the same as calf.
Feed about four times day, always Civ
| ing new milk.