The Somerset reporter., 1891-08-06
Management of Sheep


There is no farm stock that will so
quickly run down if poorly cared for as
sheep. None requires more care In feed
ing. The average usefulness of sheep
does not extend above seven or eight
years, and they are at their best when
f ur 20 six years old. Unless old ewes
are sold OFF a little before they pass their
limit they will prove barren, or their
lambs will lack vigor and vitality. In one
case only is it allowable to sell young and
vigorous ewes and that is where the eve
| lost her lamb and has become too fat for
breeding This does not often happen
until the eve has full mouth, for while
the teeth are growing sheep will not be-
come too fat on ordinary pasture alone.
| ( eve loses lamb she should be put
in the poorest feed, and every effort made
to keep her from becoming too fat. But
when sheep gets past age put them in a
flock by themselves, and feed few oats
every day through the Summer. They
will be fat by Fall, while If allowed to re-
main poor and then be grain fed, when
put on dry feed for Winter the sheep will
lose Il Ssh and probable di, before Spring.
in spite of all that can tie done. A half
pound Of oats per sheep daily at pasture
will put on more flesh and fat on old
| "
Oats are the best grain for beginning to
feed old sheep. They do not need grind.
ing. Ii on this they show gain, replace
small part of the oats with beans or
corn, but decrease the amount in doing so
until 1t is seen that the sheep are not
cloy ed Every time new feed is given
decrease the grain ration for a week or
more. A very LITTLE oil meal mixed with
oats fattens old sheep better than any.
thing else.
Por OVERS Beat two eggs without
separating them, until they are well mix
ed; it is not necessary to have them
frothy or light; add to them a half pint
of milk, quarter of a teaspoonful of
salt; and then add this gradually to half
pint of sfted hour. The quantities must
be measured carefully, or the pop-overs
will be too thick. After you have the
milk added to the -four, mix until perfect
ly smooth, then strain through a small
gravy strsiner, grease your gem pans,
which should be granite or iron; put
them In the oven until they are very hot;
Ill them half full of this mixture, and
bake In moderately quick oven, about
tn e6 quarters Of an hour. This quantity
will make twelve pop overs. A great deal
of the success depends upon the baking.
They must not brown too quickly, and
should be four times their bulk.
| ~
See that the stock In the pasture, cows,
calves and sheep, are able to obtain water
when they want it, both there and after
they come to the yard at night, and see
that the water is pure and wholesome.
See, too, that there is q shade into which
they can go during the heat Of the day.
A shady pasture, or one where the feed Is
so scanty that the animal must work all
day long In the heat OF the sun In order
to get food sufficient for her wants never
can furnish fat animals or those that will
give profitable supplies of milk or butter.
Swine need water In very hot weather for
drinking purposes as well as for bathing,
and should also have shade. Sheep, hav-
Ing justshad their Wiuter coats off, suffer
less from heat than any other domestic
animals, and II they can feed as they like
to do, early In the morning, while the
grass is wet with dew, they drink less In
proportion to their weight than any other,
but they should always have access to
plenty of pure water.