The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1915-05-06
DOGS AND FARM SHEEP.
# This Menace Were. Removed. American
Flocks Could Be Easily Doubled-More
Than 100, 900 Sheep Killed in the Farm

II This Menace Were-.Removed, American
Flocks Could Be Easily Doubled-More
Than 100000 Sheep Killed in the Farm
States.
The number of sheep in the Sc farm
States, which do not include any In the
western division, could be increased by
$50 per cent, it is estimated, without dis
placing other live stock. Some authori-
ties believe that the increase could be
even as much as 500 per cent without
serious interference with the number of
other animals. An increase of $50 per
cent in these Sc States would mean In
money Sl44, 267, 900. In new publication
of the department, Farmers Bulletin
652, the responsibility for this loss to the
country. is laid upon the sheep-killlng
dog.
Sheep-killing dogs. it is said. are the
principal cause of the marked decrease
in the numbers of sheep on Amer
lean farms. In the 10 years between
1900 and 1910 the number OF sheep
in the country, exclusive OF the States IN
western division, decreased $500, 600
head, in face of the fact that during
these same years the market value OF
sheep rose so rapidly that the total val
uG OIL SUcGp Ill ILLS oICa " oo Wv oootooo
or approximately Is per cent more in
1910 than in 1900. Favorable though the
market conditions were, they were not
sufficient incentive to induce farmers to
risk the heavy losses from stray dogs.
The number of sheep killed annually
by dogs can not be stated exactly, since
there are many cases which are not re-
ported at all. Judging from the figures
in those counties and States in which
reasonably complete reports are obtain
able. however, it may be said that in the
Sc farm States more than 100, 600
sheep are killed each year by dogs. This,
it is true, is less than per cent OF the
total number of sheep in this area, but a
| per cent loss on business that is being
conducted on a pr oft basis of or 6 per
cent can not be ignored. This estimate,
it must be remembered, is also probably
much lower than the actual figures. 1t
is certain, too, that many men have been
kept out of the sheep business through
fear that in their own particular
cases the loss would be much more than
! per cent. Anyone who has actually seen
sheep killed, injured, or frightened by
dogs is likely to think twice before en-
gaging in the business. In many cases
while only or sheep may be actually
bitten by the dogs, the whole flock Is
chased until it dies from exhaustion.
If the dog question could be satlstac-
torily disposed of, there seems to be no
reason why the number OF sheep IN the
country could not be increased to the eX-
tent already indicated. In Great Britain
there is sheep or lamb for each z. . acres
of the total area. In the Sc farm States
in this country there is ! sheep or lamb
for each 3l.8 acres. The British farmer
handles his land on an intensive basis and
feeds his sheep on forage-crop pasture.
Such pastures not only increase the fer
tility of the land but also free the sheep
from many internal parasites contracted
through grazing upon permanent pas
lures. In particular the use of success
sion of forage-crop pastures.Wlll prevent
stomach worms, one of the most preva-
lent and disastrous scourges OF young
stock, and will enable the farmer to
market by the end of June or the first OF
July, when market prices are usually the
highest, the lambs that were born In the
late winter or early spring. Handled
under such conditions and on high-prlced
farm land the Importance of small flock
of sheep can not be overlooked.
In addition to pointing out these facts
the bulletin already mentioned, "The
Killing Dog" discusses the pos
sible means of preventing IN the future
the loss from dogs. At the present time
the various State laws on this subject
differ widely, some States using the
money obtained from dog licenses to re-
imburse sheep owners, while others per-
NIT the sheepmen to recover damages
from the dog owners, and two offer them
no recourse whatsoever. Dogs, however,
onl int "a nj H.
ing sheep. 1t is always difficult to de-,
termine their owners, and where the
damages are paid by the State directly
from the dog tax funds the money very
frequently is far from sufficient to meet
all the claims.
A remedy that is suggested for this
situation is uniform State dog law en-
bodying the principle of tax upon dogs
sufficiently heavy to discourage those
who are not willing to take care of their
pets from keeping them. Under this
plan all dogs over months of age must
be licensed each year, the tax paid at
the time of licensing and a metal tag
bearing the license number attached to
the dogs collar. Any dog found without
this tag unattended and off its owners
premises may be killed. When found un-
attended on farm where sheep are kept
the dog may be killed whether 1t has the
tag or not, and under any circumstances
dog caught chasing or killing sheep
may be killed. All dogs which can be
proved to be sheep killers must be killed
whether caught IN the act or not, and a
reward of SIS should be offered for any
one identifying sneep-kIling dog. The
money received from dog taxes should be
devoted to reimbursing sheep owners
for their lost stock, and the county should
in turn recover this money whenever
possible from the dogs owners. A special
license should be issued for kennels where
large numbers of dogs are maintained
under such conditions that they can not
possibly do any harm to neighboring
flocks.
While some such plan as this is prob
ably indispensable to the full develop
ment of the sheep industry in the United
States, there are cases, where the flock
master will find In it's absence the use of
dog proof fences very desirable. The
grazing of sheep upon comparatively
small areas of land sown to forage crops,
instead of upon permanent pastures in
larger fields, materially reduces the area
to be fenced and makes this practicable
precaution. In the West fences have
been built which prove a satisfactory
defense against coyotes, and the fence
that will turn aside COYOTE will turn