The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1891-01-02
good pasture lot. then look out for

SOAuc 01lCGDs
If you know of any little wrinkled
sheep, go by that place. They were
not created for this neck Of woods.
Whv? Because they don't pay the
best when feed is so dear as in this |
section. Their place is on beyond,
where pasture feed is the yearly ra-
ton, and warmer weather greets the |
early lambs. The ewes are poor
mothers, giving scant supply of milk |
on dry feed, a large number will not |
own their lambs, many others will
be Indifferent unless it is warm
weather and the lamb. is strong
enough to soon follow. They are
wild and nervous and do not take
kindly to folds and shepherd at
weaving time, which is necessary if
early lambs are raised from mutton
crosses. The lambs of such crosses
are usually very large, and the flock
needs frequent watching and help,
from early morning till bed time.
Provide quart bottle with nurs-
ing top to feed the disowned and
poorly supplied lambs. They soon
learn to be on hand when you catch
the mother and hold her with main
force while the ravenous little sucker
gets it's begrudged meal.
The Merinos are not pleasant or
profitable to breed, and the only oc-
casion warranting their keeping
in this. section is to grade up
and make a flock when others are
not to be had, and soon disposes OF
the original ewes. But if you can
start with long or medium woods
don't bother with Merinos. They
are light muttons, their feeces are so
greasy and dirty they are discounted
several cents per pound below other
woods; and no shearer will clip them
under two or three cents extra per
head because OF the wrinkly skin.
Any of the mutton breeds are good.
Get the kind you can secure the
most profitably at the time, and
keep on the lookout to get new and
better stock every year, or change
to a breed that you find answers
your purpose better. Every year
without fail seed field of clover, for
you can winter your sheep mainly on
clover without much grain. After
crops are secured turn the flock into
the fields to gather up scattered
grain and weed out the fence corners.
As cleaners and weeders, and top
dressers they nearly pay for them
selves if there is q boy and dog to
herd them in the proper place. But
remember, every day, that O sheep
delights in the varied luxuries of
your garden, and the toothsome
twigs of your orchard. -...-
If you are near a good market you
can make your best profit on early
lambs by dressing and shipping them
to some sure and reliable customer,
but get your customer before Dress
ing your stock, every time. Mr.. Com
mission man who may read this, I
don't mean you, but that other fell
low round the corner, when 1 say
that the seller to the general dealer
never knows anything more about
his produce after it leaves his hands.
He is told of various faults and mis-
haps relative to his goods, and re-
ceives something or nothing some
times in weeks or months. Either
secure a direct buyer at the market,
or sell to your local buyer, and know
what you get with less vexation.
Lambs and dams must be fed ex.
ira to meet the early market, and
more expense must be put into warm
and dry quarters. A supply OF new
milk is needed for the nursing bottle
to keep up the rapid and even
growth of doublets and triplets. I'm
less you can sell lambs for $500 or
more don't let them begin to come
before April or later. Let all needful
and veterinarian operations be at
tended to, in both sexes, at few
days old. Sell Wethers from good
pasture a few weeks after clipping.
Keep the flock away from straw and
save discounts on chaffy feeces.
Sell the wool, generally, early in the
buying season, to save losses from
unsuitable storage. Good sheep,
with good care, is good investment
for the farm and the farmer.