The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-09-19
SHEEP RANCdING
n the American Aglicu!turIst.

l
In ''lambing time" on a sheep ranch
the ranchman is as solicitous regarding
| his flock as is an eastern farmer con-
corning his newly planted crop. In q
flock consisting of thousands of sheep
hundreds of lambs are dropped in a
| day, and the herders are kept proper
tionately busy, seeing that the new
corners are not trampled on and that
| the mothers are willing to assume the
responsibilities of maternity. Sheep
are peculiar in this respect. Often they
| do not own their newborn lambs or
| display the least interest in them. Sheep
being so much alike in appearance ii is
| difficult for the herder to discover TO
| which mother a certain discarded Or
| phan belongs, so the lambling must be
carried off the range TO the camp TO be
fed by hand until strong enough to fol-
| low the flock.
After the sheep are corralled at even
ing the careful herder goes out again
| over the range TO search for missing
ones that have not been able to keep
up with the flock; for, il left out at
night, both mother and offspring would
become a prey to the wolves that in
fest the country. Sheep herders are
paid about twenty-five dollars a month
and get their blankets, tents and pro-
pensation they receive. Whether they
herd on horseback or on foot the life OF
the sheep herder is hard. The plan is
frequently adopted of not penning the
flock at night in order to prevent the
wool from becoming discolored and
soiled, as it must be when a large num-
Der of sheep are huddled together in an
enclosed space. The flock is driven up
into fresh, clean quarters every night;
quarters that are unfenced and can be
changed as often as seems desira bic.
Their charge being thus unprotected,
the herders must literally sleep with
one eye open and one ear on the alert.
Often in the silent watches of the night
they rise. build fires, fire off guns and
resort to other devices for frightening
off the wolves.
Sheep are very timid. One of their
number, a black sheep, getting up in
the night 10 change his position. will
sometimes cause the whole flock 10
dash off frantically, they know not
where, afraid Of they know TO. what
The dark shape Of the black sheep
frighteas his companions who are near
him, and then il is an easy matter for
the panic 70 be communicated 90 the
rest The sound OF the simultaneous
movement ofcouDtleSs scampcring feet.
a sound resembling the heavy rum bling
OF thunder. wakens the nerders, and
they must be mp and away, following
over briar and bramble. scram olinR up
hills and stumbling down over rocks
and stones, until they succeed IN head
ing Of the ruuaways Psrchznce By
that time daylight Is breaking, and
the night they counted upon for rspose
has been spen. in fatigue Another
reason for not Penning the fock Is that
the sheep are then az liberty 20 rise
and commence feeding IS early az they
please. the herders keeping a lookout
over Them a. they prepare their hastv
breakfast The secret Of making wool
growing profta Die Is 20 raise the sheep
a. as small expense as possible This
can readily lie done IN a section Of
country where The grass grows most Of
the year