The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1918-10-26
ADVICE ON SHEEP RAISING,
Expert Declares Community Flocks
Best Method in Louisiana.

The following interesting article
on sheep raising in Louisiana is from
the pen of G. P. Williams, of the
Louisiana State University, an ex-
pert OH the subject:
There is little doubt that COM
munity of farm focks is the proper
method of sheep raising in north
Louisiana. nIn this state there are
approximately 100000 sheep; allow,
ing for rams and young stuff coming
on to replenish the hoeks, there ought
to be approximately 175,00O ewes in
Louisiana. IF 80 per cent of lamb
crop were saved each year and put
ON the market, Louisiana should sup
ply the consumer not less than 800
cars of lambs annually, allowing for
eve hanbs kept on the farm to take
the places Of aged ewes sold. But
this state has the land to take care
Of five times as we now have.
In contrast to this reasonable pos
sibility there has been reported to
the office of sheep and goat extern
sion the shipment of but one car Of
lambs from Louisiana this season.
With such an astounding poor show
ing Of market lambs from such a
number of ewes there is no wonder at
all that sheep production in this
state is next to by word The state
of Tennessee puts hundreds of cars
of choice grass-fat lambs on the mar
kets every spring; these lambs go to
market just when the price is best,
and just when there would be ssbare
spot'' il it were not for Tennessee
lambs and Kentucky lambs that come
Immediately after the Tennessee run
The exact place where Louisiana
falls down in lamb production is in
a lack of winter feed to keep the
eve in good milking condition and
in the lack of shelter to save lambs
dropped in winter weather. By the
raising of velvet beans for winter
grazing and by the use of little OF
our own cottonseed meal instead OF
shipping it north for others to head
us off with, we could answer the
sheep and lamb feeding question
few ewes lamb at a time, and by prop
er sorting these few could be pro-
vided with warm quarters for two OF
three days while the lambs were
Young, and soon go to the range
again making room for more con-
finement cases.
Lambs dropped in January and and
February would go to market in May
and the first part Of June before the
grass had dried up and before worms
had chance to infest them. fhe
ewes being freed from the sucking
lamb so early would keep in much
better condition all summer and come
to the breeding season earlier and n 4
better flesh, thus ii1suriIg q more uni
form sett line and. anot laer sar eEo1
of lEiIl5 eSSes
are given the advantage of all The
spring grass while it is green and
juicy and have little feed on the
side, the lambs will get out Of the
farmers way and get into his pocket,
book in from ninety days to five
months dependent upon the care ana
attention of the feeder
With sheep raising on it's proper
basis and with the number of sheer
Louisiana actually has now our nor
NAL output Of market lambs should
be 400 double deck cars-a train foul
miles long of uppers and lowers lillee
with fat lambs! With the prope1
grasp of the situation it might easil,
be done, doubled and trebled. Ant
in the meantime Louisiana soil
would grow richer and richer.