The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-07-23
Live Stock and Dairy.
SHEEP IN THE SOUTH.

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silO-Ensilage May be Perfect Food-The
Fleece to Pay Cost of Keeping-Dry Feed
The Amount Needed for Fifty Ewes-Esti-
mates-Water-A Building for Fifty Sheep.
Correspondence of The Progressive Farmer.
Our fifty ewes should have access
to clean running water twice every
day all the year, but especially so in
winter when they are mostly on dry
food. It should be the same way
with salt. The right management is
to have the sheep brought into fold
or lot, exclusively their own, both
winter and summer, in which is their
house or shelter. In one corner of
this shelter fix salt box, so arranged
that old sheep and lambs one or
two at time can have free access to
it with their heads but not get on it
or in it.
This salt box should have in it all
the time salt mixture, in about the
following proportions, viz: 13 pounds
of salt, 5 pounds unleached wood
ashes, ~ pounds fine rosin, pow
dered; q pound powdered sulphur,
we'll mixed, kept dry and clean in
the salt box. Unless this box should
become empty for a number of days
or weeks and then needing filed, the
sheep will not take too much of it,
nor then are they as likely to do so
as if it be salt alone.
During the months Cf June, July,
August and September, about one
fourth pound (fuid) of spirits of
turpentine should be added to the
salt mixture. Within this period is
the season of the Cad fly, (EstrWs
OUiS.) She dislikes the scent of tur-
pentine. In fact that drug is death
to her and her offspring in contact.
Her eggs, even if laid in the nostrils
of sheep, constantly using it will
most all fail to hatch and grow.
Where the sheep have this salt
mixture constantly before them and
get salt no other way, parasites,
worms and much other disease will
be warded off and rare trouble
them.
The ewes having been accustomed
to dry food with some grain in No
vember, easily pass to a more exclu-
sive use of them in December.
Where it is practicable to grow and
save up a considerable amount of
green herbage for winter pasture, it
is we'll to do so and the sheep may
Craze on it three or hours during the
forenoon or middle of each day un-
less the weather is stormy. In fact
a run over dry pasture field each
clear day is benefit to ewes in lamb,
though they gather but very little
! food.
Where good rich, properly mixed
ensilage has been provided for the
ewes, they will not need over one
half the grain provided for them, as
when their "roughness" is dry hay
or fodder.
When the silo comes into more
common use in the South, that way
of storing fall, winter and spring
food for sheep as we'll as for other
stock will be more and more appre-
ciated. All the elements of green
food can be preserved almost per
fectly and with proper selection and
intelligent management of fodder
corn, millet, pea vines and clover
cut into the silo, the use of dry
grain food may not be necessary in
most f1Ocks.
Fodder grown corn and pea vines,
both harvested when the ear and
pea are passing out of the milky state
and finely out into the silo, with
some cotton seed meal mixed in it as
fed, constitutes food that is almost
perfect for the production of muscle,
bone and wool of sheep. They will
eat it with avidity, grow fat and be
happy. One pint of corn per day to
each weather that is being stall fed
may be added. Also one pint of
wheat bran to each one in a flock of
ewes that are yeaning and rearing
their lambs.
A flock of ewes that is we'll shell
tered and fed on such rations that
will not be in good condition while
raising a fine lamb or two and pro-
.duce fleece yearly that wAl we'll
paw their owner for their care and
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