The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-10-22

~ is now opening, the UHlteu
States Department of Agricul-
ture urges the desirability of main
tanning small flock of sheep upon
the farm. With proper care and
attention, flock of twenty-five or
thirty ewes can be kept at very lit
tie expense, and they will prove of
inestimable value in freeing the
farm of weeds, and adding some
thing to the farm income. In addi-
tion to providing a considerable sup
ply of delicious wholesome food for
the farm table, there will be sur
plus for sale, and an additional item
of revenue in the form of wool.
Many farmers make practice of
buying ewes in the fall, breeding
them and selling the lambs the fol-
lowing summer Such ewes can
be carried through the winter on
wheat and rye fields if not pastured
too closely, or on clover hay with
some roots and little linseed meal.
If the clover hay is not available,
corn fodder may be used as rough
age, in which case it should always
be supplemented with bran or lin
seed meal. Lambs should come early
and should be taught to eat as soon
i as they are old enough. Give lambs
access to corn by providing creep
through which they can go without
allowing the ewes to follow.
Purchase Prices.
Ewes can be purchased at the
present time at prices ranging from
$500 for common, inferior sorts to
$500 for good fairly well-bred ewes.
For farm purposes the black-faced
ewes are more popular than the
others, although good results can
frequently be obtained from the
white-faced ones. In buying ewes,
be sure that they stand we'll on their
feet. have good straight backs and
good mouths. Ewes that have broken
teeth, or teeth that are badly worn
d
rule, sheep has one pair of per-
manent incisor teeth when it is one
year old; two pairs when it is two
years DID, and three pairs or full
mouth when it is three years old.
A full mouthed eve, If the teeth are
in good condition, can be used for
breeding with good results, although
she may be as much as five years
old Never buy eve that has a
broken mouth, that is, with teeth
that have been broken off or lost.
None but purebred ram should
be used 1t is not necessary to have
a show animal, but a strong vigor-
Gus buck is essential. Shropshire,
oxford, Southdown, and Hampshire
rams sire excellent mutton lambs
and these breeds are recommended
for the farm states. A suitable ram
can be bought for $500 to $4,000.
Drawbacks and Remedies.
The two principal drawbacks to
the sheep industry in the farm states
are dogs and stomach worms. The
dog nuisance can be obviated to
great extent by placing dog-proof
fences around the pastures. The
United States Forest Service has had
excellent results in protecting sheep
from coyotes and wolves by building
fences constructed in the following
manner: A barbed wire is first
stapled to the posts right on the sur
face of the ground Three inches
above this is placed panel of close
woven wire, 36 inches high, and
above this two strands of ordinary
barbed wire. Care should be taken
to see that there are no openings be-
tween the ground and the lowest
barbed wire. An inclosure made in
this manner, into which sheep may
be turned at night, is inexpensive,
and dogs will not get through it.
Most of the damage by dogs is done
at night,
| The presence Of stomach worms Is
very serious drawback. The young
lambs become infested with them by
eating grass to which the worms
have attached themselves, the eggs
being deposited by the mature sheep
! 1t Is therefore desirable to keep the