The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-10-26
THE VALUE OF SHEEP.
Some Of The Difficulties and Profits in
Raising Them.

Some Of The Difficulties and Profits in
Raising Them.
Every farmer who owns a quarter
section or more Of land should keep a
few sheep. Twenty-Five ewes we'll
mated viii be sufficient number for
a beginner, as the flock increases quite
as fast AZ his ability TO handle them
For Il must be borne in mind that the
business Of sheep raising, like many
other lines Of farming. is one that can
be learned only by experience, supple
mented BY all that can be learned from
books and AGRICULTURAL papers. Not
more than 100 sheep should be kept
In a quarter section, no matter how
much experience one may have bad IN
raising them.
There are two or three difficulties in
raising sheep. the greatest Of which is
the difficulty in keeping the pastures
free from infection with the various
internal parasites Of sheep the stom-
ach worm, the various kinds u tape
worms, and the parasite which causes
what j. known as nodular disease, saws
a writer in the Indiana Farmer. This
difficulty would be very much lessened
II we had reached the point when all
the fences on every farm were sheep
tight They can be made sheep.tight
By the use Of the ordinery barbwire,
but in my experience this has been un.
satisfactory | like the woven wire
fence better than any other kind for
sheep, ard other stock as well. Where
the farm is thus properly fenced it is
entirely practicable TO grow sheep, and
/ believe with greater profit one year
with another than any other class Of
live stock, not even excepting dairy
cattle.
This involves not merely fencing the
farms, but the adoption Of a rotation
which will enable the fockmaster to
prevent his lambs from ranging on
pasture that has been occupied By the
older sheep for two years. II must
be understood that the stomach worm
is present in practically every herd Of
mutton sheep. and it Is safe 10 say
that almost every eve are yoided in
the droppings of the sheep and thus
eontaminate the pastures. providing al
most sure death 20 the late lambs or
even lambs dropped in May. Where
ture to another, however, the number |
of parasites is reduced 10 the mini
mum and the loses are very slight.
BY the method / have outlined above |
and by having the lambs dropped in
February or March the problem Of /
growing sheep can be successfully solv-
ed ard the large profits secured which |
are in sight for many years 10 come, |
whether times are gocd or bad. Incl |
dentally, keeping sheep on the farm
win also be Of great help in solving |
the weed problem, which is vexing US
so seriously this year. There Is no /
in keeping farm free from /
weeds. providing sheep are allowed TO |
run in every field. Sheep prove most /
excellent cleaners Of the stubble field. /
and in passing through the country !
il il very easy matter to see whether |
sheep have been kept on farm Whether /
any sheep are seen or not.
II has been q maxim from time i'm
memorial that change Of pasture Is
good for sheep" and | will say from
my own experience that they cannot be
raised with success unless allowed this
change. As 10 breeds: Any Of them
IRE good enough. The sheep that has
more or less Of the Merino stock in
them are not nearly so liable to the
stomach worm as the mutton breeds.
Al the present high price Of wool and
mutton If win pay any farmer to in
rest in at least a few sheep. While
hey require plenty OF roughage and
rood grain ratiaon during the winter
season good sheds are also of impor
.ance. These should be 50 arranged
Is to protect the animals from high
winds. cold rains, sleet and snow.