Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1902-01-30
SHEEPsAsff|
lHVSBANDRY -

| grit, mold, smut and other objection |
| able matter with the really good mat |
| ter that is I'm corn fodder, thus proving |
| injury rather than Il benefit to sheep. |
| Especially is this true in the case of
| the pregnant ewes. whose very sensi- |
| tive natures and tastes during the pc
! riOd of CESSATION should have freedom
Of choice in the selection of such foOG
! as IS relished by them. breeding
! eve should never taste or smell Of mold
or smut during this period.
The popular notion that shredding is
| economy as applied to corn fodder for
sheep is a false one. Nothing will lead
| q sheep to eat what its tastes do not
| relish except sheer starvation. 1t is
| nonsense to suppose Il sheep will eat
| and thrive on the naked, hard, pithy
stalk Of the corn simply because it is
| reduced to tineneSs by shredding. The
| blades and huSks of corn fodder are all
| that is edible to sheep. and you cannot
fool them into eating and thriving on
| the worthless parts of shredded fodder.
| You couldn't derange and destroy q
| sleeps stomach quicker than to stuff
/
| rnd of cOrnstalli.
Keep Drinking Troughs Clean.
| Keep the drinking troughs scrupu-
| lousy clean. No matter how carefully
| you feed your sheep, If the water is not
| pure you will notice that they do not
| thrive. Pure water is Just as impor-
| tant as pure food. Disease is bound to
/ ,,-hn iY,,rN for 10
| used.
| Feed For Pregnant Ewes.
| Cottonseed meal should be carefully
| excluded from the food rations of ewes
| from this time on while carrying q
| lamb, says American Sheep Breeder.
| The root of the cotton plant has an es-
| pecially i'll effect on pregnant animals
| Of all kinds and is the special ingredi-
| ent in medicines given TO avoid or de
strOy pregnancy. AS rule every part
| Of a medicinal plant has a similar char
| acter to the root or the fruit, hence
| this kind of oil meal should never be
| fed to breeding animals at such times
| as this i'll influence might be disas-
| trous. Corn is the best standard food
| for in lamb ewes, and it is not in any
| way injurious. Ewes carrying lambs
are in no danger from a good, robust,
thrifty condition, for the lamb is all
| the time acquiring its future character
| from its dam.
Size of FIOcks.
| Fifty sheep are the most that should
| run in one band a large flock may
| thus be sorted out into divisions, as to
| age or condition, says American Sheep
| Breeder. Old ewes may go together;
| young ewes, early breeders into anoth-
er lot; eve lambs by themselves,
| and young wethers and ram lambs
| in another flock and yard. All weak
| sheep should be sorted out and kept
| in a separate flock. This division of o
| large flock is of the greatest impor
| tance to the successful wintering OF
| sheep, and of course successful win
tering means a good summering.
| Turnips For sheep.
The turnip or rye is so watery that it
| is not worth intrinsically half of its
| approved value in practice. 1t is ton
ic. 1t loosens the juices Of the body.
| 1t supplies lubricant for the bowels
| Sheep are as hungry for this poor, wa
| terry browse as they are for salt when
| long denied.
| Alfalfa Sheep Feed.
Dry alfalfa hay never bloatS animals.
| Alfalfa is excellent pasture for sheep
| but care is necessary to prevent blOat
| ing while they are becoming accustom-
| ed to it, says Kansas Farmer. A good
| plan is to feed the sheep well on alfal-
| ia hay for few days before they go
into the alfalfa pasture Before they
are turned in they should be complete
| ly satisfied with some feed that they
like. Do not turn them in when there
| is dew on the alfalfa. When the proper
precautions are not taken, severe bloat-
| ing and loss are to be expected.
Tanning Wool skins.
First sCrape off the fat. Take equal
parts of alum and salt, add water and
cook TO a paste, says New England
| Homestead. Spread the skin out care
fully to keep the wool clean and rub |
the paste thickly over the flesh side. |
Fold together, roll up for day and
| next day rub over it more of the paste. |
Repeat this a third time. After 1t |
dries out scrape off the salt and alum
and rub 1t soft. Use no oil on the skin. |
1t may then be colored any shade de-
sired and will make pretty mats for
the floor, carriage or baby's gocart
shearing Fattening Lambs.
At the Ontario experiment station
ten lambs sheared in January made |
practically the same gain in weight as |
ten others not shorn and similarly fed.
At the Wisconsin station no advantage
has been found from shearing in De |
cember. Those shorn yielded total Of |
two pounds less washed wool than the |
others and made a total gain of 2.7 |
pounds less than the wetherS that were
not shOrn, and the cost OF 100 pounds |
of gain was $470 for the shorn and
$40 for the unshOrn lots.
Preparing Sheep For Winter.
Sheep should be dipped before going |
into winter quarters if they have ticks |
or have been exposed to scab in any |
way 1t is difficult and unsafe to dip |
them in midwinter
Flavor of Mutton. |
The peculiar flavor of mutton is due
largely to the food of sheep, the local |
fly in which it has been raised, its |
treatment and the manner the carcass |
has been dressed.
For Piles In Sheep.
Feed rations only of a mild laxative |
nature. Wash protusiOn with warm
alum water twice day before replac-
ing