Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-12-22
Fourth Article.

the farm fenced with woven wire.
However, this is not absolutely neces-
sary, as a good five-wire fence with
stays between the posts can be made
to hold the sheep satisfactorily. In
fact. II good pasture is provided, there
will be little tendency IN the part of
the sheep to get out. After the crops
have been harvested there Is no rea-
son why they should not have the run
of the farm. In fact at the present
there are many bands of sheep run
ming over the farms in this region,
that no effort is made to keep inside
of fences.
The sheep pasture should have
to have t a. shed under which they
could go, during heavy storms They
Q learn the use. of sheds, and are
glad to get under them when 1t would
not be pleasant for them outside.
For sheep quarters, one special
consideration is that the land be dry.
Sheep will endure almost any other
condition better than wet quarters, or
wet fields. They are not we'll adapted
to the low wet lands, nor to land that
does not dry off readily after heavy
rains. For the winter time the sheds
should be first dry and then as warm
as possible, but not so close that
there would not be sufficient ventilc-
ton to keep them from becoming
damp.
The sheep is an animal hat re-
quires a great deal Of exercise and
for this reason they should have quar-
ters sufficiently large to admit of
plenty of exercise. Even during the
very severest days they would un-
tdoubtedly enjoy getting out around
snow is not too deep.
49, Feed for Sheep.
Sheep will eat a larger variety of
feeds than any other farm animals.
During the winter it is desirable. to
have good feed if satisfactory growth
is to be expected. If good hay, such
as alfalfa or clover, or eve good corr
fodder is available, mature sheep may
be wintered with very little grain. AL
falfa stands at the head of the list as
a desirable roughness for sheep dur
ing winter. Alfalfa hay, to give the
best results when fed to sheep, should
be cut rather early so hat there will
not be too large a proportion of
STEMS, as sheep will refuse to eat the
stems to any extent. Glover ranks next
to alfalfa, n the early cutting of
this is desirable, the same as for al
falfa. In the big alfalfa regions of. the
west. sheep quarters are built and
some grain shipped in to feed the al
falfa, and thousands of head Of sheen
are fattened n shipped to market.
With good alfalfa or clover hay. a
small amount of grain, such as barley
or screenings, will make a splendid
fattening ration. Bran, oats and oil
meal are also excellent feeds for
sheep. However. these are expensive
n should be fed only at a time
when 1T would be desirable to brine
the flock up rapidly to better condi-
ton.
Pasture for Sheep.
Sheep. Is indicated in a previous
article, will eat more different kinds
OF plants than n other of the farm
animals. However, they relish and
! give good returns for the Lest Of pas.
lures, and If land is to be seeded
down with a view of %pasturing sheer
on it, 1t would be desirable to have
q very large mixture Of the leeumes
such as alfalfa, sweet clover and red
clover, with such grasses as do we'll:
prone grass, timothy or rye grass.
Contrary to the view held by MANY
sheep may be pastured satisfactorily
II the pasture is over-stocked. the
sheep can eat much closer than the
other animals, and so the idea has
been advanced by many that othe,
stock do not do we'll. if with sheen in
the same pasture. There are few pas.
lures that would not be benefted h,
having sufficient sheep to keen dowy
many of the weeds which other stool
will refuse. 500
rsY Sheep Benefit the Farm.
Ihere are many benefits to. be de.
rived from keeping a flock of sheer
on n average farm. 1t increases this
farm profits because there are many
places where sheep can be economic.
ally used where our other kinds OF
Io.nesIlc animals cannot, and the
and land values is invariably fomnd
Wnere the best class of live stock i
Kept The richest agricultural coun.
tries IN the world are those that ar1
producing the best class of live stool
NO other class Of stock has a create,
valuea IN maintaining the soil fertfIi.
~ thai sheep. They are of great hen,
I ent where a system of rotation il foi.
lowed. n where there are sheer,
30" ASSNo lLAAI cannot be
ally used by other classes Of liv.
stock, that sheep will consume to eood
advantage. Many of the crops nro.
duced are not in a marketabIe conaj.
ton. mi when fed to sheep can hf
marketed much more economically ir
n shape of mutton than in anv othe,
a The labor of taking care Of q
flock of sheep m when there !,
not a great rush Of work on the farm
the lambs are usually born before
spring work opens up, which tends t.
distribute the farm labor more eco.
nomically throughout the wear
The benefits to be derived fronn
keeping a 1ock Of sheep are: an IN.
crease in the farm profits; the nt,isz.
ing OF all cheap fseds that othervis.
might be waste products: the distribu.
ton Of labor more evenly .thronehoT,
the year; cheapening transportafion
OF farm products; promotion Of indns.
try; essential to the highest develon.
ment of agriculture.
No Need to Rub
~ NHHA :. - 4. L 80 III /