The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-07-16
No. %

may spend the money required for
two rams in purchasing one that is
much more valuable to him. There
is no danger of securing the service
of ram that is too good, for any LOS
of ewes. If he is to be turned with the
ewes it will pay to paint his breast
with, say, venetian red every morn.
ing, and in the evening draw out all
the ewes he has marked in serving
and put them in a pasture quite re-
mote from the unserved flock, where
they will not attract the ram s at
tention next day. This careful sep.
aratiOn of the served from the I'M
served should be observed whether
the ram is "stOOd" or turned out,
However, care should be taken that
the served ewes after twelve days
from service have chance of second
service and continuously so for from
two to four weeks.
At night the stock ram should be
removed from the flock and kept out
of sight of the ewes in a small yard
or pen where he will have free access
to any kind of green or dry trough
ness that he loves to eat, together
with one pint of corn or it's equiva-
lent of other grain, f1r each 15C
pounds of his weight. For one month
before he is required for service, he
should receive this housed attention
and food every day besides his daily
green pasture. Never allow him or
any ram to run with the flock con-
tinuously.
No calves, hogs, colts or other
stock should be allowed to run with
the sheep flock or in any way annoy
Or scare them, when in their lot at
night, or even anywhere. A shep~
herd dog with which they are every
day familiar may be allowed among
them, but all other dogs should be-
strictly-and perhaps strychninely-
prevented from crossing their small
enclosures or even pastures, espe~
cially during their breeding or ges-
tation periods.
Quiet, gentle and familiar hand
ling of the flock of ewes and rams
will have a good influence on the
habits of the coming flock of lambs,
No class of animals are more sus-
ceptible of kindly treatment than
sheep. It is not only pleasure to
handle them so, but it is profitable,
Having brought the flock to the
first of December in fine condition,
it becomes necessary to keep them
so until grass comes again. Here is
a feeding period of three to five
months owing to the locality and
season. The cost of the liberal keep
ing of such a flock of ewes in our
pared with that of the same period
in the rigorous climate of the North
ern States is not more than two
thirds as much. Perhaps the grain,
ensilage and dry rOughness may be
prepared at about the same cost in
the North as in the South, but one
third less of il in the South than is
required in the North.
By intelligent work, a green win
ter pasture may be provided for the
larger part of these four months, in
the South, at a much less cost than
the dry hay and grain food needed
for the same period in the North.
From these facts we may conclude
that in the States of North and South
Carolina, Florida, Georgia, labama,
Mississippi and Louisiana, the aver
age cost of winter keeping is not
over half that required for sheep of
the same size in the far Northern
States. Then it follows that this one
half less cost for keeping is entirely
a profit accruing to the careful shep-
herd of the South over his brO6her
of the North. AS for Texas, it was
abundantly proved four decades a7o
by Kendall Campbell and others that
wool and mutton could be produced
in Southern Texas at d cost of one
half what the same would cost to
produce in Nebraska, the Dakotas,
Minnesota, Michigan and Iowa Not
only this, but matter of several
million more sheep being kept in
these Southern States would increase
rather than diminish the cotton crop
product. Sheep husbandry is won
drOus fertilizer.
But let US get back to the A B C's
of how to keep the fifty ewes. They