Arizona republican., 1896-06-03
EARLY LAMB RAISING.
Some Valuable Hints from an old Hand
 at the Business.


 at the Business.
 There is money ln early lambs if you live within easy access of some good market and have natural grass farm. Lambs do not bear long transportation, and twelve to twenty hours is as long as they should be en route to market. Begin by purchasing flock of two year-old sheep, say August l, after their lambs are weaned, about half Southdown and half Merino, or natives Give your flock good pasture, and avoid all excitement of dogs and noise, and get your sheep as familiar with you by quiet and kindness as possible, giving them salt twice a week, and when win ter first sets in take them from pasture and have nice large, dry yard con- nected with your sheep barn fenced with fonrfoot board fence, and then a three-foot wire netting on the top, so that dogs can't get in to bite or scare them.
 Have the barn dry and warm, but not too tight, and with windows open ing to the south for sun, as sheep like that in winter, and small room in one end made quite tight and warm by cell ing inside, filling in with sawdust so as to avoid frost, in which to keep your grain, salt, etc., and also as place to put your ewes a few days before they drop their lambs, and also few days after, till they and their lambs are strong enough to be placed with the flock; and movable partitions in this room are very useful so that it may be divided into two or three or more parts as necessary, in case sheep does not do well or fails to own her lamb land here let me say sometimes dog tied in one corner will effect cure of that fault in few hours). If you can have a spring or very small stream in the yard do so, and if not you must water from well, once a day will do, till near lambing time and then always twice.
 Now as to feed: Sheep farmers al- ways raise corn and they wish to feed some stalks in early winter, but they should be cut and cured early and fed once day only, and at night feed hay; and supposing you to have fifty good ewes land that is all ever should be kept in one party, and twenty-five is better), feed at night one-fourth bushel of sound whole corn, and you may grad ually increase this feed so that by Jan uary 15 you are feeding one-half a bushel; after this time add good sound oats gradually, so that by February 15 you are feeding half busheI of each per day and if you have good early cut fine hay, natural meadow or clover hay, together with one bushel of carrots or roots of some sort, this is grain enough, and your sheep will not require great amount of hay, and only feed just what they readily will take, as many farm CTS make their sheep dainty by feeding too much hay; better keep them little hungry for hay.
 And now about the care of your lambs: Have frame or pen of hemlock boards, thirteen feet square in the yard, three boards high and the bottom one raised so the lambs can pass under (not the sheep and in here have small troughs and sprinkle ground oats and corn, equal parts, and little salt, and the lambs will soon learn to eat it, and continue this course till grass has a nice start and then turn out your sheep aud lambs in the daytime and fair weather, bnt yard and grain at night till feed is flush and weather warm. About April 15 you will have some lambs fit for market, and by June 16 you should have them all sold. If your sheep have been we'll handled they will be fat and you can sell them for mutton and have your flock all dis posed of at a sharp advance on the cost by July 20, and the mutton sheep usually sell well at that time. and then , buy new flock for the coming winter in September. In this way you have a heavy fleece on wool, valuable lamb and an advance of cost of sheep of from one to two dollars per head, fine lot of manure and only few or no sheep In August and September the months feed is shortest and they do the land most harm and with good care they all ways pay well-Farm Journal.