The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-09-07
FIGURES ON SHEEP
THE LAMB CROP DURING PAST SEA-
SON HAS BEEN SMALL
THE WEAVING OF LAMBS

Fewer Sheep Being Marketed
Flock Masters Are Holding Back
Young Stock - This Is a Coed
sign--No Shortage LikeIy-OhiO
farmers views as to- When to
Nean Lambs.
The Iowa Homestead presents the follow
ing excellent review OF the sheep industry
In enc Of lis recent issues We do not care
much about the sentimental reference 10
the Great American Desert" No place is
a sort where sheep can grow, no matter
what it may have been in the past. What
the Northwestern country needs is sheep
and live stock generally. But the Homestead
article is printed below and is interesting:
Unless one is pretty wei informed in re-
gard to the sheep industry OF TINS country,
it will be pretty hard for him to realize that
about 80 600 600 head, say, three-fourths
OF al the sheep in the country, are 10 De
found west Of the Missouri river; Carelui
estimates. however, prove this TO be lacl.
and what used to be known as the Great
American Desert" and beyond has become the
homa Of the sheep industry, the source or the
wool supply, and largely the caterer to the
growing taste of this country Tor mutton.
The figures given for Western sheep or course
iacluda lambs. The laIub crop during the
past season, however, has not beeh VeFy
large. This IS In part due to the Tact that
last year while the bulk of the eve lamb
crop was saved, the conditions OF the IN
duStry encouraging this course, there was
q serious deficiency in the supply OF ram
lambs To this fact may be added me
further one that the frequent and heaVy
rainfall in many sections TINS year m@ue II
an unfav0rable season for yeaning, ana the
losses OF young lambs were quite heavy.
Careful observers have expressed the opinion
that the lamb crop west Of the Missouri VIII
not exceed 60 per cent The ewes being
estimated at about 1000 600, this would
make the lamb crop about 100000
The number of sheep marketed this year
is hardly so large as usual, the fact being
due TO two causes. One Is the encouraging
other the growing Importance of the lamb
trade The tendency Of these two conditions
is 70 cause a retention of the adult sheep.
and a marketing Of a larger proportion or
the lambs No one can look over the West
ern fOckS. by the way, without being
struck with the Improvement visible in
better blood and a very considerable employ
ment of males of the mutton breeds, and
the lambs are notably larger and in better
condition than It is usual to see them at
this season Of the year. smaller percentage
of sheep appears likely to be shipped from
the West this season than In recent years,
although the aggregate will be quite large.
The prospective shipments are estimated at
about Is per cent of the flocls this year. Last
year % per cent were shipped. and In 1856
about One-third OF the Western hOcks came
for with the increase In the stock, 10 per
cent Of the shipments makes a good many
sheep. The shipments will, as rule, be
fed within fairly easy reach of the river.
D. W. Thomas, Of Coumbiana county,
Ohio, presents in the Ohio Farmer of Aug.
25 the following views as to the period when
lambs should be weaned:
AS a rule, Il is not advisable to let lambs
run with ewes beyond the age Of four months.
Their teeth are then developed enough to
crop grass, and they have become accus-
toned to grazing. Ii continued longer with
the ewes they gain but little, while they are
a heavy burden on the ewes, and pravent
them from getting into proper condition for
coupling time.
Flockmasters who have warm sheep houses
and proper facilities for cold weather find
It best to have lambs come early, that the
ewes can have tins, after weaving, to re-
cuDer@te and get into condition for what is
commonly termed "blossoning." Old ewes
especially, recover slowly from the stra n
that has been upon them, and are apt to
get into very low condition if allowed to
suckle lambs till late in the season.
When separated place them in the fl Ids as
widely separated as possible, out OF hearing
81 each other. The lamb pasture should be
somewhat better than that to which they
have been accustomed, bat not too Iuxur:ant
The ewes ard lambs should be turned into it
away; the lambs viii rot fret much as
they would in totally strange field.
Keep the ewes on short PASTURE, or stub
Die Cor week or two, until milk secretion
ceases. Some OF them, perhaps, should be
MIXED by hand a few times, to prevent caked
udder and Inflammation. AS soon as they
ere dried up. put on good grass ard get them
into the highest condition possible short Of
f9tness' before coupling them.
The ewes should be taken from lambs in
the evening rather than during the day, ard
II they are yarded every night for a week
after the separation, 1t will greatly facilitate
lhelr being properly examined to ascertain
Which Of them require milking to prevent
AFTER trouble. As sCcn as the lambs a. G
thoroughly weaned the small lambs must be
separated from the others, and if they are to
be sold the same fall they want little fore
ing by bsing red on extra good pasture with
an allowance Of some grain, such as crushed
oats or barley. At the same time they must
be closely watched to that they do not
oyer-gOrge themselves, and become liable to
an infammaJory fever termed Staggers
which carries them off rapidly unless taken
in time and stopped by a dose OF epson sa is:
or if severe, q little bleeding often relieves it,
Some bTee|ers Of rams resort to feeding
them on rare in the fail. in order to make
them appear large and aforementioned when
ready for sale. Such q practice Is very
undesirable one, rape is highly stimu-
laUing and heating, and the rams are then
what may be termed "artificially made w -
and on being taken away by purchasers are
eased, as well as quickly fail in their procre-
alive powers, from having been too early and
unculy stimulated into activity. Their
progeny i also liable to be wanting in vigor
Of constitution. Such rams should be avoid
e.. for it Is to the interest of the purchaser
flesh and muscle. rather than of b,oated
tissues hlled w with soft oily fat.