The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1910-07-21
Coyote Proof Pasture Succeeds In Colo.
RADIO,

TAUO.
The enclosure of sheep range within
a coyote-proof fence has been tried in
Colorado by F. H. Taylor, of Mancos,
with highly satisfactory results. An
experiment begun by the U. S. depart
ment of agriculture on the Wallowa
National Forest, in Oregon, to discover
whether sheep could be advantageous
| ly pastured within such an enclosure,
led Mr.. Taylor to give the new method
trial. The outcome is set forth in a
letter to the department, as follows:
"After reading the description of
your coyote-proof fence in Oregon, |
| constructed fence to enclose about
| 500 acres in the same manner. The
| fence was constructed during the fall
of 1908, and in the spring of 1909 and
| 1910 one thousand head of ewes were
| LANDED in this enclosure" In the YER
nacular of the herder, zone hundred
per cent of the lambs were saved
| that is, a lamb to, each eve, land one
| man did all the work | think the per
| cent of the lambs would have been
| higher, but one animal, presumably a
| coyote, was inGide when the fence was
| constructed 1t was impossible to
| capture this animal, even with hounds.
| Some of the herders thought the ami
NAL was not coyote, but since coyote
! tracks were found in several places |
am of the opinion that it was What
| ever the animal was it raised its young
| inside the enclosure"
| Connecting his loss with the rapa-
city of this animal Mr.. Taylor says:
"a great many of the lambs were
killed and small hole eaten behind
! the fore leg and the remainder of the
| carcass was untouched. On the land
outside of the enclosure it required the
| services Of three men and a pack of
| hounds to care for one thousand ewes,
| and only 95 per cent of the lambs were
saved. This per cent could not have
| been saved without the assistance of
the hounds.
81 consider this fence a splendid in
vestment since it easily pays for itself
| in three years. On the other hand, it
| is often difficult and sometimes impos-
sible to get men during the Landing
season. For this reason the money
value of the fence can hardly be esti-
mated"
The department of agricultural en-
tered upon the experiment of enclos-
ing sheep range within fence which
would turn notwithstanding animals
in the belief that this method would
save forage as we'll as stock and
wages. This belief has been fully JUS
| titled by the results. The Oregon en-
| closure carried more sheep than an
! equal area or range of the same quail
| ity outside, produced heavier lamb
| crop, heavier sheep, and more wool,
and at the same time resulted in a
better condition of the range itself.
These advantages are due to the diff
ferent behavior of sheep pastured
within such an enclosure from that of
sheed herded in the ordinary way.
When a band of sheep moves about
! In charge of herder, it must be kept
! from scattering much. AS result
much of the forage is wasted through
| trampling Within an enclosure, how
i ever, the sheep soon learn to spread
out and shift for themselves. Under
these conditions it is not to be Won
dered at that given area supports
more sheep, puts them in better condi-
ton, and suffers less wear and tear
The success of the new method, how
ever, depends on the determination OF
all dangerous animals within the en-
closure, and on the maintenance of 8
fence which will keep off outside at,
tacks.
Mr. Taylor believes that the Wal
Iowa plan of construction is open tt
Improvement in one particular. HI
advocates placing barbed wire OF
the ground before the woven wire |!
unrolled and stapling it down. :"
expect to build another enclosure
soon," his Letter concludes, "and viii
have barbed wire stretched arount
the enclosure and have the men plac'
their foot on the wire and press !
close to the ground and staple II
With the fence already CONSTRUCTED !