Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1891-02-05
Winter Care of Sheep.

AS a usual thing farmers give their
sheep better attention and care than
they do their cattle and horses. 1t is
well that it is so, for being OF a naturally
more delicate constitution, they are
less able 10 withstand the rough and
tumble life that too many tarmerssub-
iect their cattle to.
With perhaps the exception of hogs,
sheep will bear closer croWdlng, or
confinement, than any other farm
animals. They do not crowd or drive q
companion away that they may
monopolize the best position for
| lie down close to a companion with
whom they may have had a terrible
bunting trouble during the day, thus
most clearly teaching a "forgve and
forget" principle that many bipeds
would do we'll to emulate.
Notwithstanding the close communion
principle of sheep, ewes or wethers
weighing 100 pounds each should each
be allowed sleeping surface in the pen
equal to four feet long and p feet wide,
or ten square feet for each sheep, or
twenty-five sheep for room sixteen
feet square. OF course sheep of lighter
averge weight will require less space; in
fact, we have known cases where as
high as thirty-tive sheep have been
lodged during the winter in a room
of light weight, composed of good
sprinkling Of late spring lambs yet
overcrowding should always be avoided.
However, in mild climates, where
sheep are housed only for few weeks,
no great inconvenience will be observed
or detrment to health manifest.
Unless you have an abundance of
room under shelter, it is best to have
double set OF hay racks, one under
shelter for inclement weather. the
other in the open yard, for pleasant
days or for noon feeding, even if the
weather be cold, as the flock will then
be forced to take exercise, which they
are 10th to do in cold weather. 1t does
not matter whether you have plenty of
covered space or not, you need two
yards or apartments for each flock, that
you may evenly and leisurely put the
without having the sheep interfere
with the operation. You should also
arrange to throw down the hay from
the building without scattering or
littering over the sheep. Feed regular
ly, and if you from choice or necessity
feed them each day ration of straw,
give it at noon, as they then have
plenty of time to pick it over, and will
eat it quite as close rs in the morn
ing.
Clean out the racks every morning,
and if ration of grain be fed, arrange
the troughs SO that they may be
covered up or turned on their sides to
keep out dirt, snow, etc, give plenty of
bedding, and the atmosphere in the
enclosure is made purer, and the
oh Ixya 10,
over the pen a liberal coat of plaster
(gypsum) this should be done just be-
fore new bedding is added.
During the winter, for flock of
fifty sheep, at least ton of plaster
should be used, and if during the last
SHOWS of winter this manure be hauled
and evenly spread upon clover or
timothy meadow, or fall-sown wheat
or rye, the crop will be very much
increased over that where manure
without the plaster was used.
In flock of fifty sheep there are
usually found several whose condition
is not as good as the majority; all such
ones need extra attention, which they
cannot receive unless they are in
separate apartments, which can often
be fenced off from one corner of the
main enclosure, as three or four feeble
in sight of another flock; it appears
to give them more contented feel
ing.
Not few farmers argue that water is
not necessary for sheep during winter,
as they will eat snow to quench thirst
They simply eat snow for want of some
thing better, for the same reason that
they eat poor or damaged hay or other
fodder. 1t is the best they can do, or