Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-05-01
FEEDING AND MANAGEMENT OF
SHEEP

the master fattens his cattle and
this applies with equal force to sheep.
1t makes little difference which
breed is selected or what facilities
are available, unless they are prop
erly utilized failure is sure to re-
suit. In other words, management
constitutes after all the chief ele-
ment concerned in the success of any
enterprise, and there is probably no
class of live stock which is more
readily affected, in so far as profits
are concerned, through desirable man
agement than sheep.
In the south there is abundant
grazing and picking available for
sheep until at least the first of De-
cember. There are the old corn
fields for them to CLEAN; there is
the sorghum field; there is the land
which has been devoted to cowpeas
or other legumes grown either for
grain or. for hay and but recently
harvested; there are the tops of the
peanuts and sweet potatoes to eat;
and there is good deal of picking
even in the Bermuda pasture. These
are but suggestions as to the nature
and character of forage which may
be made available for this class Of
live stock, and though the average
farmer may be slow to believe it, he
would be surprised to find that on
relatively small holding he would
have an abundance of feeds of this
character to fully satisfy the needs
and requirements of a flock of TWEEN
ty-five to thirty-five ewes. If fore
thought has been taken there will be
available on December l or there
aboutS, rye and rape pastures. or
course, other of the cereals can he
used as, well, but these two crops
will probably constitute the main de-
pendence through the fall and Win
fer Ro rlnU and oats he ntiljZpI
as we'll. To this end they should
be sown rather early in the fall.
Barley in particular makes. a very
satisfactory grazing crop for sheep
In the spring bur clover will be
available 1t should, of course, have
previous summer. Crimson clover
can be used with advantage if seed
ed with rye or with any of the other
winter growing cereals. Vetch Will
be found valuable for late spring
grazing. 1t is best combined with
some Of the cereals adapted for fall
planting. 1t will thus be found that
with such supplemental foods in the
form of roughage as any of our forms
of silage crops will provide, that a
flock of ewes can be carried through
the fall and winter on a minimum
altogether would be Objectionable and
must be characterized as bad prac-
tice, because the eve is after all d
mother and therefore must be well
nourished and sustained, and it is
poor economy to deny her the min
eral salts and nutritives in rather
concentrated form such as suitable
grain r2tions provide.
Of course, a large number of grains
are adapted for feeding to ewes dur
ing the fall and winter. A moderate
amount of cottonseed meal can be
-. f,-s,t "a
food that it should only be fed IN
relatively small quantities. Peanut
meal is also a desirable food. 1t
can be fed in even larger quantities
than cottonSeed meal. Velvet bean
meal is another satisfactory conccn-
trate and then, of course, any OF
the cereals or legumes which we may
happen to produce in an over-abund-
ant supply can be utilized as part Or
all of the grain ration required to
maintain the flock in a healthy and
vigorous condition during the winter
Grain feeding should probably COM
mence ordinarily about the first OF
December. For this purpose an ear
of corn may be fed to each eve. Corn
may be fed on the grass or i'll wide
fiat-bottom trough, allowing the ewes
to shell the grain out for them
selves. Oats, of course, can be led
if grown on the farm. Any of the
other grains mentioned may be fed
in a flat-bottom trough. They should
be scattered over the bottom of 1t
in rather thin layer. This necessi-
tateS the ewes eating the grain more
slowly and SO masticating 1t better
The flat-bottom trough is much more
desirable than the V-shaped trough,
because in the case of the latter the
sheep can get too much feed i'll their
mouths at once, hence they not only
gulp it down to fast, but they waste
a good deal of it.
The best time to have the lambs
dropped is in February or March.
In order to do this the ewes must
be well-fed throughout the autumn
months 1t is needless to point out
the advantages of having the lambs
come early in the spring. Here in
the south at that season of the year
is mild and so the lambs can be
taught to eat very early and can,
therefore, be raised on a minimum
amount of grains and finish chiefly
on pasture. BY getting a good start
early in the season they develop a
bigger body, which enables them to
withstand parasitic attack to bette!
advantage. They can also be finished
and placed on the market earlier in
the season, which will almost uni
formly result in the obtainment OF
better prices.
The principal requirement as tc
protection for sheep in the south Is
a shed or structure as open as pos
sible, but which will protect their
from cold rains in November, Deem
Der, January and February. The mos'
important part of the shelter, there
fore. is the roof To turn. ewes OF
lambs out in the cold beating rain:
is a mistaken policy and will al
ways result in loss to the owner
During the winter weather, or wher
the ground is too wet to permit Of
outdoor grazing. racks or flat-bot-
tom troughs should be provided un
der this shelter in which suitable fod-
der and grain can be placed and kept
for the needs of the flock. If ami
mails are plentifully supplied witt
food they are not likely to over-eat
1t is only when. they are irregularly
Therefore uniformity in feeding i,
q matter of great Importance.
For the winter roughage there is
nothing better for ewes than silag(
and alfalfa. There is no dlff1cult>
about having super-abundance u
silage at a moderate cost Throughout
the southeastern states, as there is
no section of the country where crop:
adapted for this purpose do better, 81
where silage can be put up more
.cheaply or kept to better advantage
In all the clay areas of the Pied
mont section alfalfa can be grown
with very considerable success. Where
this can be accomplished it will yielt
| the finest type of roughage to feeC
| with silage to use during the winte1
| months.
If sheep are fed under a shelte
| of the character suggested for any
| considerable length OF time it is verl
important that the feeding trough:
be kept clean and in a thorough.
sanitary condition When they ar
fed out in the open on the groun'
the food should be scattered on ;
| fresh area each day.
! Remember that the ewes must hav
an abundance of protein. This is TIL
| element chiefly concerned in the pro
duction of flesh, muscles and nerves
Protein can be supplied to advantag
| through feeding alfalfa in the win
ter. Glover or cowpea hay, peanu
meal, cottonseed meal and velVI
| bean meal will also supply protei2I
| ~ o1I1i1 q r. r,1