The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1896-03-19
80 80 = 60
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f. 60
CARE OF SHEEP.
The Critical Time for Sheep the
Early Spring Months

The Critical Time for Sheep the
Early Spring Months.
If there is one time more critical
than another for sheep, that time is the
last of winter and through the early
spring months, before getting out to
pasture. While in winter quarters, one
of the most essential things in success
full management is clean, light, airy
and dry place for the sheep to lie down
in, with room proportionate to the
number. No animal kept on the farm
If we except poultry-is so suscep-
tible to the effects of foul air caused by
poor ventilation, OF no ventilation at
all, the foulness arising from the ac-
cumulations Of filth, waste straw and
hay heating and decomposing in the
housing departments.
Variety of food is an all-important
thing to be considered in the manage
ment Of sheep during the winter. This
is necessary to the health of the ami
mails, as well as to the best bodily de
velopment, the growth OF wool, and the
well-being of the progeny. The breed
ing ewes, in order to produce strong,
vigorous lambs, must be kept in a
healthy condition during the days Of
pregnancy. The sheep, more than the
horse and COW, is subject to constipa-
ton when kept on dry feed. This con-
dition should be guarded against by
careful attention to feeding. ;Consti-
patton is the bane Of all pregnant ami
mails, and 4 cause Of the death Of more
young lambs than any other one dis
ease The remedy lies in a variety of
foods-succulent foods, as supplied in
roots or ensilage. Foods Astounding in
protein elements should take the place
of highly carbonaceous foods for sheep
at the barn. This is found in clover
hay and the mixed grasses, rather
than in timothy fed wholly OF largely.
Corn enSilage-siloed with the ears
about mature-abounds in carbonace
GUS material, but it's succulence when
feeding it in connection with clover
hay, a concentrated ration Of cotton
seed meal, oat-and-pea meal, linseed
meal or bran, Of all the above prop
erly balanced, forms about as good feed
for breeding ewes as can be found.
Corn meal is too heating and fattening.
On the other hand oats and bran car
ries no danger when fed to the flock
from grass to grass again. If to the
mixture linseed meal is added to make
one-fourth of the whole, and fed at
the rate of one pound daily of the mix
ture for 100 pounlS weight of sheep,
the flock will keep in fine condition.
l.. It. Abbott in Orange Judd Farmer.
zEtt- A Mechanical Root Cutter
Where stock is kept in any consider
able quantity and roots are fed them
a. steam power root cutter is almost a
necessity. Where but a small herd OF
few animals are kept homemade cut
ter may be made to fill the bill In the
cut illustrated, Fig. 1 shows a cutter
complete. The figure above Fig. 1 is a
basket to catch the roots as they fall
from the knife at g. The frame or box,
a, Of heavy lines, is made Of 1A by i in
stuff, or a shoe box can be made to
serve as a hopper by cutting out about
seven inches from the front end and
then placing a board, G, diagonally as
shown The heavy platform, k, is sup
ported with legs and u and y are cross
pieces for increased support. An old
hand saw blade will serve for a slicing
knife. 1t should be :! or inches wide
and 10 inches long; it less than inch
es the back of the slide can be made
level with the upper side of the knife,
by a thin piece Of board. In Fig. 2 the
knife b is fastened to the slide g. The
board should be about Is inches long
and wide enough to correspond with
the width of the box. Before fasten-