Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1917-05-17
"WooIIy Backs"
Will Pay Profit;
HeipCIear Land
By EDWARD WORKMAN,
Chairman Agricultural Commit
tee OF State Council Of Defense.

AS to whether sheep growing can
! be made profitable or not depends,
|. first, upon the locality, and second
| upon the man. SO far as the locality
is concerned, l suppose that the state
Of Wisconsin is as we'll adapted to the
raising Of sheep as any place in the
world.
The feeds that sheep thrive on grow
here in great abundance; the climate
is cool in the summer and dry in the
winter, while the water for purity and
WhOlesomeness is unsurpassed.
Sheep Respond to Good Care.
While sheep require very little work
and attention as compared with other
lines Of live stock, that little they must
have with regularity and precision
otherwise the business is sure to be a
failure. Sheep respond to good feed
and careful treatment more readily [
think than any other animal on the
farm, but on the other hand they are
the first to get out of condition and be-
come improbable if they are neglect
ed. This matter of care and feed is
really Of the greatest Importance, for
it IS money thrown away to invest in
fine breeding stock unless one has the
facilities and the disposition to keep
that stock in a thriving condition. |
speak of this because there are many
people who seem to have notion that
to succeed in the sheep business all that
| 10 fnClr of nDiS
tered ewes to begin with.
Ny advice to beginners would be to
look first to their facilities for caring
for sheep. These being in Il satisfac-
tory condition, they should then get
the very best foundation flock that can
be afforded and in addition to this the
kind of purebred ram should be kept
that conforms most nearly to the type
Of sheep which in the locality are like
ly to be the most profitable.
Build Sheds, Not Barns.
AS regards the housing of sheep,
their quarters need not be an eXpen-
sive affair. They should, however, be
constructed in such way that the
sheep may be kept dry under foot
and we'll sheltered from storms over
head. If it is the plan to raise lambs
for the early spring market, then the
stable must be built that the temporal
ture can be kept under CONTROL
necessary arrangement in a sheep
stable is an opportunity for placing
q row Of pens about four feet square
around the outer edge Of the stable
next to the wall. These are for the
purpose of combining each Of the ewes
| with their newborn lambs for q short
time, or until the mother takes read
| iIy to the lambs and the lambs are
strong enough to get along without as
sistance OF course every sheep stable
should be we'll lighted and well ven
| tilated.
AS regards their care, beginning
with the fall season it should be the
sheen raiSer'S aim to get his flock into
winter quarters in good condition. 10
this end the lambs should be Weaned
at least one month before grass stops
growing. During this period the flock
should be provided with good pas
ture and when the frost begins to al
feet the quality of the grass other feed
should be provided to give the ewes
proper nourishment and to keep their
systems in good condition.
Thrive on Horne Grown Feeds.
For winter feed there is nothing bet
ter for a flock of breeding ewes than
early cut and we'll cured clover hay
Sunplemented with good corn Silage.
This should be fed at the rate Of about
three pounds OF hay per day for each
sheep. divided into two feeds and given
regularly morning and evening, with
about two pounds of silage each day at
noon. If these feeds are not in first
class condition, it pays to feed grain IN
addition to the hay and silage.
If the lambing season occurs before
the sheep get out to pasture, the ewes
should be fed bran about three weeks
! before the lambs begin to arrive. This
is to induce good milk flow and gen
orally to get the ewes in the proper
condition for maternity.
Sheep should have access to water
and some salt every day in the year
If salt is fed at irregular intervals the
| sheep will frequently eat too much and
get out Of condition as 4 result.
Breeding ewes should be fed and
managed in such way that they will
| take plenty of exercise during the
period of CESSATION. This is easily &C
complished by feeding according to
| some such plan as ! have outlined. The
| purpose should be to feed such quaint
! ties as to get the ewes in good flesh,
but not so fat as to induce logy, slug
! gish condition.
If the flock be large and of uneven
size and strength, it is necessary that
/ it be divided the strong and the weak
! ones being kept in separate quarters
! and each bunch handled according to
| it's needs.
lnsures Lamb Crop.