The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1905-04-29
SHEEP RAISING IN MARYLAND.
The Most Profitable Stock Farmer Can
Handle-But the Dogs.

At the thirty-irst annual convention of the
farmers Of Montgomery county. Nd, Mr.. Roger
b. Farquar read paper giving his experience
in sheep-raising in that county. and his conclu-
sions apply to almost every other section of
Maryland. He said:
1 will give my experience in keepinga flock of
over 100 ewes for years. Sheep carefully and
properly handled are without doubt profitable.
Why then are 50 few kept? The answer is dogs,
dogs, doRs-untaxed ours that have no recogni-
ton as property, but still have the protection of
the law. for If one is killed except in the act of
killing a sheep, the owner of the dog, not the
owner Of the sheep, has recourse to the law for
damages.
We Marylanders are loath to concede that we
are not as progressive as other neighboring
states, yet Virginia, Pennsylvania and Others
have dog tax. and some remuneration for sheep
lost by dogs. have assisted more than once in
circulating petitions to our honorable represen-
tatives to enact laws for the protection of this
industry, but without avail. This being the
situation, the only way to get good nights
sleep when we own flock Of sheep is to put
them in a dog-p proof pen at night. They do not
thrive so well with this treatment, particularly
in hot weather, as they choose the cool Of
the night to feed. In fact, when my flock has
been out at night have heard the bells on them
tinkling until ten or eleven O'Clock. As am
on this phase of the subject, will say that bells
are a great protection, having saved my flock
from serious damage several times. l like to
have bells on about one-third of the flock, and
good-sized ones at that.
As compared with dairying, the work of at
tending to flock of sheep is much less, and
much more agreeable, as about four months
constant attention is all, whereas with the dairy
it is pulling cows teats twelve months. No es-
cape, no matter how hot or cold; So Sundays In
the year it must be done. probably with the
hired man not at hand to do his share.
1t is good thing to have permanent or blue
grass pasture for sheep, and unless 1t is covered
too deep with snow. they will find something to
eat all winter. / have never followed the prac-
tice in vogue further north. of keeping them
housed all winter, believing them more healthy
for exercise and what they nibble on the field.
/ have thought it indispensable to have roots,
either mangels or turnips, to feed in the winter,
particularly when there is a sheet of ice or snow
on the ground. Many sheep are lost in severe
winters for the want of this laxative food.
Having ensilage this winter, we give them one
feed day of 1t, in addition to the roots, with
crushed corn and bran sprinkled over it, and
ear corn broken in two. The ears of corn are
broken in order that they can more easily eat it
of the cob. Hay is of course given them, and
should be clover; timothy does not suit sheep.
Before giving statemant of what my flock
did last year, wish to say that this result was
not accomplished without close personal atten-
ton. Anyone who thinks he can succeed with
sheep. and leave their care and feeding TO a
hired man or boy, had better let them alone.
For number of years sold the sheep OF as the
L.. harfl of w ho
kept the best ewes over, as 1t Is difficult to OBJ
tain good ewes early enough in the summer to
make success of winter lambs.
As to breed. / prefer using q SOuthdOwn or
Shropshire ram. In securing lambs for the
winter market, the ewes must be kept in good
condition all the time, but not allowed to get
have lambs large enough by Easter. but now
they are wanted by Christmas and through the
winter months. To secure the better prices that
they command at this time requires close atten-
ton and forcing them from the start.
In addition 10 feeding the sheep well, the
lambs must be taught to eat when from two to
three weeks of age. Have pen for this pur-
pose, with openings that they, and not the sheep,
can get through. To teach them to eat, put a
little bran or cracked corn IN shallow troughs,
and be sure to keep them cleaned out regularly,
as the little fellows are very choice about every
thing being clean and sweet find they will
eat turnips cut up fine before anything else,
and it is good plan to have partitions so ar
ranged that while the sheep are eating their
grain, the lambs may be driven to their pen and
shut up for half an hour. After they have be-
gun eating have found no better feed for
them than cracked corn mot crushed corn, re-
member), continuing the turnips also as an appe-
tier.
It is very important to have number OF small
pens, about four feet square, in which to put
ewes when they have twin lambs; it is often the
case that one Of these will get mixed up with
the rest of the flock and the mother not own it
again. Some of the pens have are stationary,
while others can be moved when not in use. In
the stationary pen there are simple stanchions
in which a ewes neck can be fastened to pre-
vent her from killing q lamb put with her. In
this way / have made ewes whose lambs have
gone to market, or those that have lost their
lambs. take twin lamb that was not getting
enough from its mother, and out of eight or ten
30 treated have failed in but two cases.
To verify my statement that sheep are prOfita-
bic. ] will give last years account: