The Portland daily press., 1892-12-28
BREEDING EWES.
A Canadian Mutton Growers Ideas About
Their Winter Treatment.

ShEEDtiSG EWESs
A Canadian Mutton Growers Ideas About
Their Winter Treatment.
It should now be in order to look to
our breeding ewes and study to give
them the care necessary to produce the
greatest crop of strong lambs with the
greatest economy in feed and with the
least wear on our focks. A great deal
has been written on this subject, and it
may be a hackneyed one to those who
have been breeding for many years, but
there are always new men starting, and
in the hope that this paper may be o.
use to some Of them and Of no injury
the older breeders / give it to you
publication.
In many parts of this country the ew
are already housed, but where it is pc
sible to do so it will be better to Ii
them run in dry fields all day, and uni
the weather gets very stormy all mig
too. Have them, If possible, in feel
with plenty Of run and lots OF rough
grass for them to pick over, but do not
allow them to depend on the fields fo'
their whole food supply, but give thel
a liberal allowance of grain or turnl
night and morning. The exercise is ii
main benefit to be derived in the field
The liberty to take exercise, and, If nece
sary. to be forced to take exercise, is
part in sheep raising that cannot be t.
highly appreciated.
Ewes with lamb should be firm al
full of muscle, not fat and soft, and TIA
has been proved in every flock throug
out the country year after year bystl
lambs that come early in nearly eve
case being strong and those that cor
very late being the same, while the gr'
loss in lambs is nearly always just J
fore the ewes go to pasture or from ev
that have during their whole period
pregnation been confined to the pens.
To avoid losses from these causes gi9
the ewes as much room as possible l
the pens; do not have the pens too close
but have them dry above and below
Have large yards for the ewes when the
snow is deep and move them out early
in the morning, and keep them out as
much as possible in fine weather. II the
snow is not deep and the weather is a.
| all dry keep the ewes in the fields during
| winter as much as possible, always civ
ing plenty of good, wholesome feed.
| In Canada, where the winters arr
more severe and where turnips are
grown and fed to a great extent, sheep
can be exercised by feeding the turaipS
whole. We fed our ewes last winter al
| the turnips they would eat. The root
| were much harder than usual, and this
caused the sheep to work nearly all day
and a good part of the night TO satisfy
| their desire for food. We fed hay, as
well, but no grain until the ewes had
LANDED. We did not lose lamb nor q
eve, but all came strong, Our ewes
were smooth and did not fall away after
lambing, and the lambs seemed to be
uniform and all thrived alike.
This test seemed all the more valua
BILE because 50 many think that turnips
are injurious to pregnant ewes, and we
believe this to be the case when ewes
are allowed to eat all the cut turnipf
| they wish in few minutes and then lie
down. They are thus kept too full of 8
cold, watery substance; their flesh &C
cumulates and is of soft, habby ma
ture. We account for the early and
| late lambs being strong while the ewes
are kept in the ordinary way by the
ewes that lamb early getting a lot o.
exercise after being in lamb and those
lambing late getting a lot of exercise
before Landing.
A mistake that we find a great many
making with the mutton breeds of sheer
is their putting them inside whenever
| there is little rain or rough weather
| and in the late autumn many put then
| in at night. Sheep used in this way art
much more liable to disease than thos'
| allowed to take the natural course. W.
can see a large flock of Shropshire shee,
after heavy rains and SHOWS shake them
selves, and be nearly dry on the outside
and perfectly dry ON the inside Of feec'
and never any indications of catarrl
about them.
| Keep sheep in the most natural condi
ton possible, with plenty Of wholesome
food, for best results. Robert Miller il
| Breeders Gazette.
II is all very we'll for fashion in New
York city to 90 into raptures over jump
ing horses and hunters, but when i
comes to splendid draft horses the New
York horse show is net in it with thu
horse show Of Chicago.
Fatten off young cockerels for 1natke
by feeding them corn; prepare pullet
for laying by feeding them wheat, oats
1niddlings, milk, meat and crushed
| bones.
rla rrl1reeeGanfed sale of DR.. BulFs Covg