The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1917-10-03
RAUcH ON SHEEP FEEDING.

maze notable success OF raising
sheep on their farm in section 16
Grant township, have consented tt
tell of some of their observations ir
feeding Of sheep, through the Pioneer
In selecting a lamb or sheep fol
the feed lot or for the open market
look for a good mutton or wool sheer
for this is what we feed them for, and
determines what we get out OF them
in the way of dollars and cents. The
coarse wool sheep makes the best
feeder and also makes the best NUT
ton when finished. The lamb or sheep
should be rather compact, but not too
much. Long, good bone good back and
hind quarters are required-for there
is where the high priced meat and
weight come from. Do not buy sick
~ looking lamb or sheep. If you do,
1t is throwing money away. for you
!. can never make anything of them, as
they will not feed we'll. Lambs feed,
ing on grass will not be hard to tend
but be careful not to make too great
a change in their food all at once
say from dry feed to green feed. OF
switching them to new starting grass
or too much green corn all at once.
Too much green feed might start
them to securing; when that gets a
start it is often very hard to stop.
Should they get in that condition,
would recommend good air Stacked
lime, we'll sifted and we'll mixed with
salt Let them lick at it at all times.
Feeding sheep or lambs on grass is
the safest and cheapest. Let them get
this feed as long as they want it, so
long as the feed is plenty The corn
field is. good place for them, espe-
cially if it has plenty Of rape planted
in it. Corn and rape is one of the best
food ratiOns you can give them. II
you give them nothing but the corn
field and nothing green to feed on,
then when the corn gets ripe and hard
and dry, then the corn will be too
strong for them. The best lambs and
the best feeders will be the first to 60
on the bone yard. When the corn gets
too hard and dry then there is danger
for the lambs, in getting too strong
feed. They can't stand it.
Don't neglect water for the sheep.
Have plenty of fresh water when it
comes to placing the lambs in the dry
lot. Take care that you do not stick
them on strictly dry feed. For rough
feed clover and timothy are good. For
a grain ration in the feed lot. ground
corn and very fine corn meal can not
be excelled. Corn and oats are also
gether. ~ II not; tffe~~corn~ ansfssOats
should be given separately. otherwise
some will take to corn and others to
oats. Oats will make them grow more
while corn will fatten them, and the
ho hnf will onf n.
even bunch Of lambs. Sheep when in
a dry feed lot should be always and at
all times tended and their feed given
them by the same person. The feed
should be weighed or measured cor
rectly each time of feeding. They
should have their feed at about the
same hour every day. Lambs that
are being fed heavily may go wrong
from one feed to another and fur
Their change may be necessary.
There is probably not sheep man
living who can tell all about sheep
how to feed and care for them at all
times. You must learn to be a sheep
man and understand the sheep until
they will look you in the face. Sheep
are very tender animals. The whole
secret in handling them is to know
how to make them healthy and to keep
them in good condition. Later on |
may write on the problem of caring
for breeding ewes.
Many of our farmers have been busy
the past week cutting a large acreage
of corn fodder. Owing to the scarcity
of hay, and the high price of the same,
it looks like good business to cut up
as much fodder as possible. There
are now at least thirty-five more silOs
in this county than at the same time
last year! These silOs are now being
filled and they will also lick up many
acres of corn. This will be big in
crease rof such feed over previous
years, which will go long way toward
making up for the shortage OF hay.
have never seen year when as much
care was given straw as has been
given this year. High prices of grain
and the scarcity of hay may be a
blessing in disguise, for the straw will
be used this year as it has never been
used before. This will prove its
worth and in future years, hay or no
hay, straw will be given more consid-
Grafton than it has in the past. can
remember when a small boy in Penn
sylyania that father cut considerable
of the straw for winter feed. The cut
straw was placed in mixing box and
mill stuff sprinkled over it, little
moisture was added and this was con-
sidered good feed. The same mixture,
with chopped pumpkins or rutabagas,
was given to the cows. No doubt
many of the Iowa farmers will not
look with favor upon this, but | eX-
pect to9Hve to see the day when the
same viii be. ,practiced right here in
the garden spot of The world. can
remember Of assisting my country
cousins, who lived on a farm three and
half miles southeast of Sac City, haul
manure and throw it into nearby
slough. A farmer who would do that
today would be considered just about
ready for a cell in the state hospital
at Cherokee. Things do move and the
high price of farm land, not to men,
ton scarcity of labor, is forcing many
changes and the old methods in use
thirty years ago, are now obstacles.
MahlOn Davis, who is a farmer liv-
ing near Blencoe, is putting in eighty
acres of winter wheat. Considerable
to-, hot wi mi