Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-12-23
Agricultural Notes


sprinkle little brown sugar over the
grain. The lambs like it, and we can
well afford to feed five cents a pound
sugar TO make % cents a pound lamb.
An excellent mixture is one part,
by weight, of cracked corn( the
lambs prefer it to mea). one-half
part of wheat bran or oats, and one
fourth part OF oil meal, nutted pre-
ferred. Care should be exercised that
no more Is put before them than they
viii eat up clean before next feeding.
II any is left it should always be re-
moved and never fresh feed put on
top of it. Ii little early-eut clover or
rowen is put where they car. pet at
it by themselves they will pick out
the best of it and it will help to finish
them. This metho means gain of
at least five pounds week, aftey they
are 10 days or two weeks old. have
put on the last two weeks one pound
day. Thus a 40 or 5O-pound lamb
can easily be made in, 10 or ~ weeks
/ find it better not to give the
lambs too much libert for they will
run off too much flesh I know some
of my southern friends practice
turning them out on the grain fields
apparently with profit. / have tried
giving them run, and the gain from
the winter grass or grain was more
than offset by the loss from exercise.
When the weather gets warm in
spring | know there is danger from
too much blood, and what DR.. Smead
aptly terms lamb azoturia" follows;
but l am speaking particularly of
lambs that are born in early or mid
winter, and at this time there is lit
tie danger.
They must not only attain the
weight mentioned in my first article
but must be fat. They can be sent
from nearby points alive and for
those sent late In the season where
there is danger of the carcass becom-
ing sour this is to be preferred Most
win be obliged to hog dress" This
is not difficult, and does not require
an expert butcher The lambs should
be hung up by the hind legs, the
head taken off at the first joint in the
neck then they will bleed out well,
and the blood will not soil the wool
Remove the feet at the knees and
gambered joints. cutting so that the
skin will cover the severed joint.
With a shears clip the wool off
the belly and between the legs Then
sit them down TO the breastbone. 1t is
not necessary 10 cut through the bone
at either end Remove the stomach
and entrails carefully taking off the
caul
Then bring the sides back and hold
in place with a stick sharpened at
both ends and sprung across the
back Cover the exposed parts with
the caul holding it in place with pine
skewers Or bright wire nails. If the
weather is cold, it is we'll to have
have some hot water in which to
place the caul until nearly ready 10
spread it. Unless the weather is quite
warm--when they should be shipped
in ice--the liver, heart and lungs may
be left. Then they should hang until
cooled through before shipping. Then
wrap in muslin covered with burlap.
If the journey is one where the lambs
are transferred it is better to put
them in light crates, three lambs
side by side. with a partition above
them. if there are more for an upper
deck" New York is the best market
and it is practical to send them there
by express from 400 to 500 miles dis
tant Washington and Buffalo and
other large cities annually use an in
creased number of these lambs. So
long as people in the cities have
plenty of money for Injuries, and men
in the country are unwilling To ex-
pend little extra effort, and most
sheep refuse to breed before Septem'
Der or October there is little danger
of the business being overdone.