Great Falls weekly tribune., 1895-01-04
DORSET LAMBS.
Care and Sale of Them In the Winter
Season.

Care and Sale of Them In the Winter
Season.
The grain fed lambs which are sold
during the winter months are not really
lambs at all, properly speaking In
these days of early maturity they are
mutton. Therefore the consumer has to
be taught what properly fed lamb is,
and you then will hear no more about
there being "no demand for lamb in
this town." etc. Though do not be-
lieve that it is possible with our differ
ent climatic conditions to bring these
winter lambs to that pitch of excellence
attained by the English farmers, / do
think that we can go some way toward
1t, and that the result will be attended
with far more profit with our cheaper
feed In the first place, would have the
ewes lamb earlier, October, say, SO that
they may get good start before winter
sets in. The best thing would be an un-
stocked blue grass pasture, but failing
that rye will make very good substi-
tute if sown at the end of August or
the beginning of September and furnish
tho ewes with abundance of feed. A
piece of turnips will also be found very
useful. They may be sown broadcast
and the sheep allowed to feed thom off
Oh the ground before hard freezing COM
| mCnces.
As long as tho ground is not covered
| with snow the ewes and lambs may be
allowed to run on tho pasture by day
with advantage to both, but l consider
1t advisable to give them shelter at
night with a rack of good hay and a
feed OF grain night and morning, and a
liberal one. A nursing eve can scarcely
be fed too heavy if the right kind of
grain is used. They should Also of
course, have access to water at all times.
AS soon as the lambs begin to cat, which
Will DO when they are about 2 weeks
old, q portion Of the shed should be
fenced off, with a creep left them to 20
through at will, and troughs should DO
placed there containing oats, bran, corn
meal or oilmeal. They will very soon
find them, and it will not bo long be-
fore they will clear up quite a con-
siderable quantity. A good arrange
ment for feeding meal is self feeder,
shaped, with a trough under it, as
this prevents the lambs from getting
into the trough with their feet. 1 should
not confine them in a shed, but let them
have the run of the yard at all times,
and whenever the weather is fine enough
let them out during the day to forage for
themselves. Even if they do not get
much the exercise will be good for
them.
Tho time for selling will depend on
clrcumstances-any time from Christ
mas until Easter-but, generally sneak
ing, l should think March, by whicl,
time the lambs will be fat and of a
good weight. If they do well, they will
be as heavy as most OF tho grain fed
lambs that are almost a year old and |
would suggest that i'll dressing them for
market the heads should be left on as
a distinguishing mark; also they should
not be castrated before they are ? or 3
months old if it is intended to keer
them longer, in order that he horns may
be we'll developed When tho trade has
become established, am of opinion that
1t would be advisable to raise cross bred
III preference to pure bred lambs. They
do better and make quicker gain, and
the Southdown is the best ram to use
Tor this purpose on Dorset ewes
1t has been suggested that the grade
Dorset eve has the same early lambing
as the pure bred, but this l |
am not able to corroborate. If this be
not the case, the only means of obtain
ing ewes would be by importation, as
the number already in this country at |
the present time is very limited. But by
all means l say do not attempt to raise
two crops of lambs in the year. Of
course There is no question that if a
ram is left with them number of ewes
Will get with lamb while they are suck
ling, but the result will be most unsat-
lsfactory. Lambs will be coming at
all seasons, probably just when you do
not want them, and no kind of method
Will be possible. In breeding flock
such system would be ruinous. On
the other hand, if you wean your lambs
III April and then turn your ram in, you
may depend with certainty on all the
ewes getting in lamb in proper season,
or II you do not wish them so early you
can postpone it a month or six weeks
There will then be plenty of feed
and the ewes will gain rapidly, and by
ar the greater part of them will have
wins H. G. Codd.
Live Stock Points.
Never buy horse feed mixed by
.ealers. There is too much of oat hulls
n It, Get the materials and mix the