Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-12-03
MiSS0URIAhS WILL SHOW
Easy Money in Buying South.
western Sheep and Feeding
Them on the Home Farm.
BY G. G. STARR,
Missouri Co11ere of Aor;cuI+ura


Farmers in this vicinity have during
the past few years engaged in sheen
feeding on very large scale. The
sheep are brought from points in New
Mexico, fed and shipped on to mar
ket. The sheep are cross between
the range Merino and the black faced
breeds. Probably the most used NUT
ton breed is the Shropshire.
The quality of these sheep is con-
stantly improving by the use of i'm
proved blood They are different from
the true western in that they are
smaller. of better quality and command
higher price when finished.
They are small. closely made little
fellows and are wonderful rustlers.
They are hardy, herd well in large
numbers and fatten evenly. They are
herded on the range and so are used
to men; in fact, they are tanner than
natives.
When fat they outsell all other classes,
except, of course, the Christmas lambs,
because of their small. hard 1eshed
frames and their high killing per cent.
For these reasons finished bunch of
New Mexicans never goes begging in
market.
The feeders receive their sheep either
as lambs or yearlings. In New Mexico
the CHOICE yearling wethers, weighing
from 70 to IS pounds, are bought for
about $500 a hundred.
Choice lambs Weighing from 60 to 65
pounds cost from 1925 to $3.50 hun
dred.
The shipping, dipping, feed in transit
and the inspection charges amount to
Z from 40 to 45 cents a head, making
yearlings cost. laid down, $3.50 a head,
and lambs slightly less. The sheep are
shipped on through billing to Chicago
or st. Louis but allowed the privilege
Of stop for feeding.
The manner in which the sheep are
fed is determined by the time the
feeder desires to market his stock. If
the feeder aims for the December or
January market the sheep are turned
on grass and grain is given to them
at once. All Of the sheep arrive in
September or October.
As they do not know corn or any
other grain they must be taught to eat.
Two or three bushels OF shucked corn
are scattered over the sod in clean
place. Some of the ears are partly
shelled and salt is scattered over the
corn. Soon some enterprising one finds
that he is getting something else than
salt as ne ticks the salt.
Next he discovers that this some
thing else tastes good. and it must be
those kernels on the ears of corn
When he progresses thus far he
quickly lets his friends know of the
discovery.
friends and sooner than you imagine
the whole flock eats corn as if raised
on it. When oats is cheap it is used
to start the sheep, as the sheep seem
to learn to like oats quicker than other
feeds.
AS soon as they are eating oats corn
is substituted as the sheep will, readily
eat any grain if used to another One
of the most successful methods is to
turn the sheep into a corntield when
still green, but after the corn is ma
tured.
It may seem improbable, but the
sheep harvest the corn better than
man. No ear is too high for these
hardy rustlers, and the blades are
striped off, leaving but a field of bare
stalks.
The advantages of this method are
that sheep gain rapidly, do their own
feeding scatter the manure themselves
and waste. no feed. If the feeder is not
so situated that he can practice this
method, he feeds corn on grass, scat
tering the corn on fresh, clean sod
Fodder or cane is also scattered for
roughage. When fodder or cane Is not
to be had, plenty of bright, clean mixed
clover and timothy hay is fed Sheen
with good grass flesh will be ready for
market in from forty-five to sixty-f1ve
days. the yearlings weighing from 80
to IS pounds and the lambs from 70
to rs pounds. This shows a gain OF
from five to eight pounds month for
these hardy, "self-feeding" New Mex
leans.