South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-10-12
FALL GOOD TIME
TO START FLOCK
Sheep Raising Can Begin at
Limited Expense in
Early Autumn.


adequacy Of the wool production in
the United States. The farmer who
will start and care for a new flock
this fall will have a patriotic part
in meeting the country's need for
more wool to equip our soldiers and
sailors.
Late summer or early fall is the
most favorable time 10 make a start
in sheep raising. Ewes can be pro-
cured more readily at this time, and
when purchased can be kept on
meadows, grain-stubble fields, or
late-sown forage crops. to get them
in good condition for breeding. EX-
perience with the ewes through fall
and winter will also render a be-
ginner more capable of attending TO
them at Landing time. II is seldom
possible to buy any considerable
number OF bred ewes at reasonable
/ prices.
Selection of Stock.
The inexperienced sheep raiser
| should begin with grade ewes of the
best class available and a pure-bred
ram. The raising of pure-bred
stock and the selling Of breeding
rams can be best undertaken by
| persons experienced in sheep rails
ing. The selection of the type and
breed of sheep shoeld be made by
considering the class of pasture and
| feeds available, and the general
system of farming to be followed.
I along with the peculiarities Of the
| breeds. and the conditions and kind
/ Of feeding and management for
which each has been especially de-
veloped.
1t is highly advantageous for all,
or a majority OF the farms in a
neighborhood TO keep the same
/ breed of sheep. or at least 10 con-
\ tinue the use of rams of the same
| breed. After a decision has been
made as to a suitable breed. The
/ aim should be TO obtain ewes That
/ are individually good. and that
have as many crosses as possible Of
the breed selected. With such a
| foundation and the continuous use
| of good pure bred rams of the same
/ breed. the flock will make contin-
uous improvement. IN looking for
| ewes of desired types and breeding,
/ il will often be found impossible to
| get them near at home at a reason
able price. Ewes from the west
! ern ranges can be obtained directly
/ from a stock-yard market. For the
most part the range ewes are OF
/ Merino breeding. First-cross eve
/ lambs, and less often older stock
/ bred On the range and sired by
rams Of the down or long wood
! breeds, are sometime obtainable.
| These, or even the Merino ewes. fur
nish a foundation for the flock that
can be quickly graded up by using
rams of the breed preferred The
/ lambs from Merino ewes and NUT
ton rams grow we'll and sell well
! If well cared for, but the yield is
\ less than when ewes with some
mutton blood are used. The sheep
/ from the range are less often in
tested with internal parasites than
are farm sheep. and in the large
! shipments there is opportunity for
/ closer selection.
Yearling or 2-year-oId ewes are
preferable TO older stock. Ewes with
broken mouths" that is, those that
/ have lost some OF their teeth as a
result Of age, can be purchased
cheaper than younger ones, but are
not good property for inexperienced
sheep raisers.
| In buying ewes. particularly those
from the range, it is desirable, when
possible, 10 examine the udders TO
see that they are free from Jumps
/ that would prevent the ewes from
/ being mixers. 1t is necessary to
guard also against buying ewes that
are useless as breeders. because Of
the ends OF the teats having been
clipped off at shearing.
Size OF Flock.
Persons wholly inexperienced
with sheep will do we'll to limit the
size OF the flock at the start. A
beginner can acquire experience
quite rapidly with S or 10 ewes. II
is very doubtful, however. whether
anyone should make a start with
sheep unless the arrangement Of
the farm and the plan OF its oper-
alton allow the keeping of as many
as 80 ewes. and in most cases so
or more will be handled better and
more economically than a very
small flock.
The economical disadvantage Of
very small flock lies in fact that
the hours OF labor are practically
the same for a dozen or 90 ewes as
for the larger flock. The fencing
TO allow desira BILE change OF pas
lures or to give protection against
dogs is about the same In either
case. so that the overhead charges
per eve are much smaller in the
n case OF the larger flock Further
more, the small flock on a farm
having large numbers of other ami
mails is unlikely 20 receive the study
and attention really needed or that
would be given 20 one OF the chief
sources of the farm income